Emotion wrenched his features, and her heart twisted. But she had to stay strong. “I hate this as much as you do, but you have to let me go. Let me get my career on track.”
“I want to deserve you.” His shoulders pushed back in resolve. “I’m going to deserve you.”
Unwinding from a long day, Cassian sat across from Dean in the Jacuzzi. The jets hit his lower back and burbled hot water around his feet.
The party in the pool area raged on, but for the first time in his life, Cassian couldn’t do it. Couldn’t pretend to be okay.
Because, no matter what she said, returning to LA meant she’d given up on him. They could stay in touch—and you can bet your ass I will—but his gut told him she was done.
Here he was, this powerfully built and mentally strong man with tremendous discipline, and he felt listless and empty without his Gigi.
No surprise, really. She lived in his heart and ran through his bloodstream. With her, he felt whole. Without her, his entire body ached like it was gripped with the flu. “How do you do it, man? Live with Genevieve on another continent?”
The big, grumpy linebacker gave a soft grin. “Once she’s done with these last two classes, she graduates, and then she’s moving in with me in Boston.” He shrugged. “We talk every day…couple times a day. Text. We stay connected.” He reached for the water bottle and tipped it back, draining it. “It’s not over with you two.”
“I know her. She wouldn’t have left if she hadn’t made her mind up about us.” About me. “But I’m not giving up.”
“Oh, I know.” Dean’s toes popped out of the water, and he stared at them for a moment. “You want to know how I can stand the distance? Vivi’s the only person I want to talk to. She’s the only face I can’t live without seeing. So, I deal with it.” He cut Cassian a look. “And you will, too.”
“Hey, you guys.” Amie dropped her tote on a table, reached for the hem of her coverup, and whipped it over her head. “I’m beat.” She got one foot in the water, before Cassian shot Dean a look.
I have to do this, don’t I?
And Dean held his gaze. You do.
This is going to suck. He got out of the Jacuzzi. “I need to talk to you.”
“Is everything all right?” She came up close. “What’s up?”
“Can you please put your dress back on and come with me?”
“Of course.” She picked up the dress but didn’t put it on.
“We haven’t identified the photographer, and neither of us needs more attention in the press.” And I won’t have Gigi see one more picture of me and Amie. “So, please put your dress on.”
“I mean…okay. But, as long as we’re not making out, there’s nothing wrong with me wearing a bathing suit at the pool.”
“There’s nothing wrong…except I’m being targeted.”
“Fine.” She threw the dress on and gave him a look that said, Happy?
He ignored her and continued on. Holding the door open, he followed her into the hallway.
She swung around to him. “So, what’s going on?”
He didn’t know a nice way to do this, and no matter what he said, she was going to be upset. “We need to make some changes. From now on, I’m going to need you to work remotely.”
She flinched as if he’d slapped her. “Remotely? What does that mean, exactly?”
“It means we can’t work together. Both of our jobs are on the line right now, and neither of us can risk another photograph going viral.”
He could see the struggle play across her features. She wanted to argue, but what could she say? He’d been there when she’d talked to her agent about losing her job.
After a tense moment, she looked resigned. “Where do you expect me to go?”
“Boston.” He braced for her response.
Her eyes went wide. “I can’t run camp from two thousand miles away.”
“Amie, you just told me Steve’s not speaking to you. The Mavericks have their attorneys looking at your contract.” He wasn’t going to tell her his issues. “The only way to put an end to this crap is to stay away from each other.”
“I have to be here. Are you going to handle food deliveries? Is Dean going to become the point of contact with the parents? We just had a major issue with Walker.” She looked more than disappointed. Maybe even hurt. “Do you not like the way I handled it?”
“You’ve been great.” Especially with Walker. Since he hadn’t started performing until close to the end of his session, they couldn’t invite him back for the elite week. Instead, after a last-minute cancellation—they’d let him stay on for the second session. It was Amie who’d thought to give Walker the spot. “I can’t run this camp without you, but I also can’t risk my career. That means we can’t work at camp together.”
“Then, I’ll stay in a hotel or rent a place in town. But I have to be here for deliveries and all the other issues that pop up.”
He needed her to understand the full implications. “As long as you understand that it means you can’t hang out with the guys at night.”
“Well, wait. If you think it’s Xander, then kick him out. He doesn’t get away scot-free, while I get banished.”
“The fact is, I don’t know who’s behind it, but I can’t fire my backup quarterback from his volunteer job. He’s on my team, and I have to work with him every day. I’m sorry, but I don’t have a choice.”
“I don’t like this at all.” Looking defeated, she peered through the window. “This sucks. They’re my guys.”
“I know. But there’s one more thing.”
She tilted her head. What now?
“I’m cancelling the trip.”
“Oh, come on. That’s ridiculous. You can’t cancel it. That’s one of the reasons the guys volunteer here. For your outrageous trips.”
“Yeah, I know.” The guys would be pissed, and he was sorry to disappoint them. But he had to do it. He wasn’t going to put a target on his back.
“So, what, they’re just going home? You’re not doing anything?”
“I’m going to invite them to stay in Calamity for a few more days. We’ll plan some outings.”
“They’re going to hate this. I’ll bet half of them won’t even bother staying.”
He shrugged. That’s their choice.
Because my choice is to win Gigi back.
Chapter Sixteen
During the break, Gigi checked her phone again. In the week and a half since she’d left Cassian on the side of the road, he’d checked in with her every day. Mostly, just brief notes to say he hoped her day was going well or to show her a picture of the guys doing something funny.
Guilt pinched her heart. He’d tried to FaceTime, but she’d blown him off. If she saw him, she knew she’d fall right back into him. And she was doing really well. Not only was she recording, but she was writing. Something she hadn’t done since becoming a Lollipop.