“Cash? What are you doing out here?”
In two strides, he closes the distance between us. Beingthis close to him, smelling him, makes my nose tingle with emotion.
“I had an issue with my skate that the equipment guys needed to look at. What areyoudoing out here?”
He’s still in his pads, practice jersey stretching across his chest.
“I…”
This is going to be so much harder than I thought.
“What’s going on? Are you okay?”
His warm hand cups my cheek, and I can’t take it.
I can’t take this man and his tender touch when I’m about ready to kick him to the curb.
“Look, Cash.” I suck in a deep breath and force out the words I don’t want to say. “This thing is over.”
He looks stunned. Like I slapped him across the face.
“What in world are you talking about, Princess?”
“I’m not your Princess anymore,” I snap.
The words taste like bile on my lips.
“Piper.” Cash’s brows draw tight as he looks down at me. “What in the world is going on?”
“Cassie said this thing could end after the All-Star Game.” I look around like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Well, All-Star Game was last week.”
“So that’s it? This is over?”
I nod, crossing my arms over my chest. Hoping like hell it’ll keep my heart in my chest and not let it bleed all over the sidewalk.
“You can’t even say the words, can you?”
The look in Cash’s eyes could tear down a weaker man. But they can’t tear down someone protecting the person they love.
I put as much force behind my words as I can to get them to land.
“We’re done.”
Cash sucks in a breath and takes a step back from me. “That’s it? No discussion about continuing this thing?”
“What’s there to continue?”
“What’s there to continue?” he parrots back at me. “I don’t know; I thought this thing was built on a lot more than Cassie needing to fix my reputation.”
I shrug a shoulder, trying to play off his words. “And that’s exactly what we did, Cash. What’s left to do? You’ve told me you don’t need anyone, so why do you need me?”
Cash scrubs an angry hand across his jaw, turning his back to me. I take my fill of him. Because it will be the last time I ever get him like this.
Cash Williams is the most striking man I’ve ever met. Sharp jawline. Deep, brown eyes. Shoulders that carry too much weight for any one person.
A heart that’s so big, he doesn’t know what to do with it except keep it locked up away from the world.
I only got to see it for a short time, but I know the man he is. I only hope that he won’t be bitter because of all this.
