It has to be.
THIRTY-FIVE
NICO
It doesn’t take long to discuss the sponsorship opportunity. And yet, it feels like it takes too long.
By the time I’m promising to have Lucas look over the contract this week, I’m already itching to get back to Scarlett. I know she’s fine on her own, but I thinkI’mthe one who hates being without her.
I breathe an internal sigh of relief when three of the four men make excuses to leave for the dining hall. I’m just about to make an excuse of my own when the fourth man, a man I don’t recognize, asks me, “So, are you enjoying your time between fights?”
I smile politely and nod. “I’m always eager to get back to fighting, of course, but yes, the downtime has been much needed.”
I don’t understand why he laughs and says, “I bet Daisy’s keeping you plenty busy, huh?”
I frown in confusion. “I’m sorry?”
The man nods in the direction we came from. “Daisy. Your date?”
When I still can’t make the connection, he nods and says, “Ah, did she tell you a different name? Makes sense. Amara’s girls like to switch things up. She was Daisy the nights I had her.”
That’s when it registers. This man knows Scarlett as an escort.
Dread fills my stomach like a lead balloon.Fuck. Why did I never think this would happen?
This is exactly what Scarlett was afraid of. Sheknewthis could happen. Maybe she even knew it would fuck me up.
I was just too much of a naïve idiot to consider what this would mean.
Or how it would feel.
Because this man has hired Scarlett. Has seen her naked. Hasfuckedher.
I can’t find the words to respond to this man. Who doesn’t seem to notice, because he just keeps talking.
“Yeah, I was disappointed to leave her behind when I moved to the West Coast. Based on the way things were going, I thought I’d be able to entice her to move out, but…guess the money wasn’t enough for her.” He chuckles, the sound almost fond. “I can’t fault her for being her true little gold-digger self.”
Instantly, rage fills my body. Howdarehe talk about Scarlett that way.
Thatthe man finally notices. Lifting his palms up in a gesture of surrender, he says, “Sorry, no disrespect meant. It was just always the vibe I got from her.”
I can’t believe my fucking ears.“You got agold-diggervibe from her?”
The guy actually seems bewildered. “Well…yeah. She’s an escort.” Seemingly in a rush to make me understand, he adds, “Has she pulled the kissing act with you yet?”
I gape at him. “The what?”
He huffs a laugh. “I guess not. No, it’s this little tug of war game she plays. Says she doesn’t kiss clients, even holds off for a couple weeks, and then she ropes you in by kissing you to make you feel like you’re special.” He sighs. “I hate to admit it worked on me. The girl’s good.”
And suddenly, I can’t listen to any more.
It’s too much. The knowledge that this man has been intimate with Scarlett, that what he’s describing is, on paper, the same experience I’ve had with her. The weeks of fear that I’m falling for the oldest trick in the book, combined with Lucas’s warnings that Iamfalling for the oldest trick in the book. All of it twists into a ball of panic that’s threatening to explode.
“Excuse me,” I mumble. I turn away before waiting for an answer.
I manage to stumble back into the ballroom, my gaze desperately darting through the crowd for a glimpse of Scarlett, even though I have no idea what I’m about to say to her.
When the crowd clears, and she finally appears in my line of sight, the knot in my chest loosens slightly.
