Page 71 of Pucking Only

“It wasn’t what it looked like,” I start, holding up my hands in defense. “Elizabeth just… she caught me off guard. I didn’t want to be rude, but I wasn’t interested in her. I’m not interested in her at all. You of all people should understand that! If I recall, I ripped into Jensen after you thought he was with someone else behind your back when he had no interest in anyone but you!”

Grace’s glare softens a bit, but she’s still not letting me off the hook. “You weren’t interested, but Skyler doesn’t know that. She saw you with your ex, Carson. And now, she thinks — ” She stops herself, letting out a frustrated sigh. “She took an early flight out this morning, and the only reason I didn’t come over here last night and drag your ass over to talk to her is because she made me swear not to. She was in no state to face you last night, but that doesn’t mean you’re getting off the hook today!”

“What?” My heart stops. “She’s already gone?”

“Yeah, Carson. She’s on her way back home.” Grace’s tone is exasperated, but there’s a hint of sympathy in her eyes now. “She was hurt, Carson. You have to understand that.”

She didn’t even say goodbye. She just left.

“I…I don’t understand,” I murmur. “Why would she just leave? I know seeing me with Elizabeth upset her, but…”

“You really don’t know, do you?” Grace sighs and looks exasperated. “All right, here’s the deal — before she left lastnight, Skyler told me that once, when we were fifteen, she told you that she liked you and you not only rejected her, but you completely obliterated her self-confidence by saying she wasn’t your type and you preferred girls like Elizabeth. So, of course she would react so intensely to seeing the two of you together. It brought up all that pain and disappointment from the past.”

I stare at Grace with a furrowed brow, momentarily at a loss for words. Did I really say those things to Skyler? I don’t remember…

Wait. The image of her standing with me in my backyard, pain flashing across her face suddenly slams through my mind. Oh, shit. Ididreject her and compare her to Elizabeth. What kind of a fucking moron was I back then? How the fuck did I forget about that?

My mind is racing. I can’t believe she’s gone. Just like that, without giving me a chance to explain and to tell her how I feel. But then again, why would she? From her perspective, it probably looked like I was falling back into old habits, like Elizabeth was the one I wanted. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

“I can’t let her go,” I say, more to myself than to Grace. “Not like this.”

“Then don’t,” Grace replies, her tone firm. “If you really care about Skyler, Carson, you can’t just let her slip away. You’ve been dense about your feelings for her for years, but now… now you need to do something about it.”

She’s right. I’ve been blind, stupid even, when it comes to Skyler. I never realized just how deep my feelings ran until it was almost too late. But I’m not letting her go without a fight. I can’t.

“I’m going after her,” I say, determination hardening in my voice. “I’ll fly to California.” Pulling my phone out of mypocket, I open my travel app. “Whatever it costs, I’ll buy a ticket right now and go.”

Grace’s expression softens into something almost like a smile. “Good. Because if you didn’t, I’d have to kick your ass. Skyler deserves someone who’s willing to fight for her.”

“And that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” I tell her, already planning my next move. “I’m not letting her go.”

Grace nods, satisfied. “You better not. Now go get your girl, Carson.”

I don’t need to be told twice. There’s no time to waste. Skyler’s probably already halfway to California by now, but I’m not going to let that stop me. I’ve lost her once before, but this time I’m not letting her slip through my fingers.

I’m going after her, and this time, I’ll make sure she knows exactly how much she means to me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: THE DECISION

SKYLER

Click.Click Click.

I don’t even know what I’m reading as I mindlessly click through my emails, totally heartsick and despondent as I sit at my desk at work and stare at my computer. It’s early Monday morning, and despite still being exhausted from my flight from Wisconsin the day before, I decided it was best that I come into work. My hair is a tangled mess, I have bags under my eyes, and my t-shirt and flannel are wrinkled since I just yanked them out of my suitcase. There’s no way I was going to stay home by myself and work from home. Being alone with my thoughts is the last thing I need right now.

I can’t stop replaying the night in my head and the way my heart twisted painfully when I saw Carson with Elizabeth. I shouldn’t have let myself get so vulnerable with him. Shouldn’t have let my feelings for him grow so deep. I knew better. I know Carson’s reputation and know what kind of girls he actually likes, and I still let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, I could be the exception.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath, trying to push the thoughts away, but they keep coming back, swirling in mymind like a storm I can’t escape. I feel so foolish for letting my guard down, for letting myself hope that there could be something more between us.

Suddenly, my desk phone rings, pulling me out of my thoughts. I quickly answer when I see that it’s Mr. Ferguson calling.

“Come to my office right away,” he says when I answer. He hangs up before I can reply.

My heart starts to race. Is this it? Am I finally going to find out about my game? I gave my presentation the day before leaving for Wisconsin and have been waiting impatiently to hear his decision. Jumping to my feet, I quickly make my way to his office, nerves buzzing inside me.

When I reach his office, I knock lightly on the door before pushing it open. He’s sitting behind his large metal and glass desk, his expression lit up by his desktop monitors and unreadable as he looks up at me. That’s not unusual, I remind myself. He’s never an easy man to read. I notice that the little plant he’d had on his desk before I left for Denver is gone, taking away the last bit of warmth in his pristine and minimalistically decorated office.

Samuel is also here, sitting in one of the chairs in front of Mr. Ferguson’s desk, and he looks smug. His brown bowl cut still looks stupid, and his sharp weasel face is oh-so-punchable… but I really dig theDragon Ball Zshirt he’s wearing with Super Saiyan God Goku.