“Um, yeah. Anything new from him?”
“No. I think you scared him off.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t do anything but call campus security.”
“And they scared him off. Or something. I don’t know, but it’s all been good.”
Except she’d called me again a few days ago, thinking she’d seen the same weirdo lurking around.
“You can always call me. Even when you just want to say hello.”
“I’m neurotic. Even my therapist says so.”
“I doubt that.”
She smiled. “Okay, maybe he doesn’t exactly say that. But he does say I’m coping well. And that a little bit of paranoia is probably healthy in this day and age.” Then she blew out another breath. “And before you ask, I haven’t told Connor.”
I knew that already, because the man hadn’t come storming into my office demanding why I hadn’t broken his sister’s confidence.
“But I will. As soon as I can.”
“Good. Because he’ll think I’ve been lying to him—”
“It wasn’t a lie! You’ve been keeping your promise to me.”
Which he would take as a lie. But he couldn’t ask me to keep his confidences while expecting me to betray Cassie’s. Not that I thought he would see it that way, but it was the truth. And that was the only reason I’d kept my lips sealed when every part of me had wanted to tell him.
“I’ll tell him,” Cassie repeated for the hundredth time. “Even though it’s completely over.”
I nodded then accelerated. A minute later, I maneuvered into the emergency room parking lot. As we got out of the car, Cassie held her brother’s cell phone while I carried in his jacket and hat. And we both kept a wary eye out for reporters. So far, there weren’t any around, but it was best to be careful.
Inside Emergency, I spotted the coach looking moderately inconspicuous wearing a sweatshirt and a sweat-stained ball cap. He directed us inside to a curtained area, but I held back. I wanted to see Connor like I wanted my next breath, but I knew there wasn’t enough room for all of us. Besides, I didn’t have the right to stand by his side and hold his hand. I wasn’t his girlfriend. I wasn’t anything to him except someone he used to sleep with. So that meant Cassie got the first visit.
“You go on, Cassie,” I said. “Tell him I’ve got his jacket and hat for when he wants to leave.”
The young woman frowned at me. “But you’re coming with me.”
I shook my head, though it took all my willpower. “I’m not family. You go—”
“You’re his girlfriend!” She tugged on my arm.
My face flared, but I held back. “No, no. Whatever gave you that idea?”
She rolled her eyes at me. “I’m young, not stupid. Connor never has anyone over to his place except me.Never.”
“I was just there the once.” That she’d seen.
“So, it wasn’t your perfume I could smell everywhere? And the panties in Connor’s room—they’re not yours?”
We hadn’t… I hadn’t… Oh hell. Had I?
Coach rolled his eyes. “Go on. We already know.”
“What!”
He shrugged. “We’ve been taking bets on it for weeks. Please say it started at the All-Star Game.”
I didn’t bother to answer. In fact, I couldn’t frame a single thought. People knew? I thought we’d been so careful.
