The Game (Wagered Hearts Series, #3)(57)

"How did you know I was back in LA?" I asked.

"I saw it in the papers," he answered a little sheepishly.

I lifted my eyebrows in surprise. "I didn't take you for a tabloid reader," I said.

"I'm not, but it was the only way I got any news of you. Charlotte basically shut me down. And Mel wasn't much help either. She told me to give you time, but after a week, I began to lose hope, so I took matters into my own hands," he said.

"So, what do you have to say?" I asked, cutting right to the chase.




Rob looked a little caught off guard at first, but then he smiled and nodded his head. "I almost forgot how straight forward you are," he said.

He took off his sunglasses and hat and placed it on the table in front of him. I waited for him to speak. "I want to apologize for what I did and everything I put you through. That night at my parent's anniversary party was--it wasn't me," he said, running his fingers through his hair.

"Why'd you do it?" I asked.

"I don't know. It was stupid and you don't know how I wish I could take it all back," he said. "When I saw you with Peter Stanwick, standing there and flirting with him, I was so eaten up with jealousy. I wanted to prove to you and myself, I think, I wasn't in love with you."

I felt like I'd been struck dumb. Did he just admit he was in love with me? Even though everyone tried to tell me it was true, I still couldn't believe it myself. Everything he'd ever said or done didn't remotely resemble a man in love. In fact, he'd been growing moodier and more detached since before the big blow up at his parents.

I didn't trust myself to speak just yet, so I remained silent. Rob looked at me uncertainly, his hands twisting in front of him. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but held myself back. What the hell was I doing? This was insane. A few weeks ago I hated this man. He'd betrayed me and humiliated me in front of the world. And now here he was confessing his love for me. Or was he?

"I'm surprised you haven't sued me yet," he finally said, trying to break the tension.

"I thought about it, but like you said before, it'd only make me look even worse," I said smiling faintly.

"Do you--"

Before he could finish his sentence, the waitress came back with our coffees. She lingered a little too long, and had a gleam in her eye that didn't sit well with me.

"Thanks," I said in dismissal.

"Will you be needing anything else?" she asked. "Some food?"

"No, thank you," I said.

She frowned briefly, before turning away and heading back to the kitchen. I watched her make her way there, pausing to take out her cell phone before disappearing behind the double doors.

"Like I was saying, do you think there's any chance for us?" Rob asked, drawing my attention back to him.

"Sorry?" I asked, looking at him blankly.

"I--uh--was wondering if there's any hope for me...for us," he said. "I know I screwed up, but I want to make it up to you."

"I forgive you," I heard myself say. Rob stopped talking and looked at me in shock.

"You do?" he asked.

"Yes, I've felt that way for a while now. I mean, I was pissed at first that you told her about our arrangement, but what's done is done. I can't stay mad forever," I said and knew it was the truth.

I would only be hurting myself by staying angry and bitter. Plus, when he looked at me like that, so full of uncertainty and vulnerability, I found it very hard to hold on to that last shred of resentment.

"I know I don't deserve it, but thank you," he said.

We both sat back and took a sip of our coffees. I had to hide the smile behind my cup at his grimace as he took a sip.

"Awful dreck," he said, placing the cup down on the saucer with a clatter.

It was pretty bad, but I'd had worse. Without warning, he leaned forward and stared at me intently, like he had something important to say. But the front door jangled open just as he was about to speak, and we both turned our attention to the man who had walked in.

He carried a backpack with him and looked to be in his mid-fifties and relatively fit. He seated himself at a booth two tables down from us. I felt a bit annoyed that out of all the available seats in the diner, he had to sit near us.

The waitress came by his table as he sat down and I heard him order a coffee. He looked our way briefly, and I felt a spark of recognition as our eyes met. I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to remember where I'd seen him before, but he ducked his head and lowered his baseball cap over his face.

"You okay?" Rob asked, eyeing me intently.

"I'm fine," I said, swinging my attention back to him. I shook my head slightly. I guess I'd been holed up in my house so long, I'd begun to get paranoid. Everyone was looking suspicious to me, even random strangers.

"You still haven't answered my question," he said.

"Sorry?"

"About us. Do you think there's still a chance for us?" he asked.

My first instinct was to say yes. God, I wanted to say yes, but something held me back. I still had feelings for him. That was never in doubt, and to hear that he felt the same way was more than I could have hoped for. But it wasn't so easy as just saying yes and getting on with our lives. There was so much baggage and extra bullshit that existed between us now.