Eyes that didn’t quite match my own looked up at me hesitantly. The redness and dark circles surrounding them didn’t surprise me. It should have hurt to see him like this, but it only made my chest burn with anger and regret.

This is my fault.

“I didn’t give you everything so you could blow it all up because of insecurity. You had one bad game. It happens. Do what everyone else does. Shake it the fuck off and get back on the ice.”

“I’m not good,” he whispered, his voice shaking with shame or fear.

My next words seemed like they were spoken for me. By someone I swore I’d never be again. “I’ll help you.”

Hopeful gray eyes looked back at me. I held them and he nodded as I released him.

I waited a few minutes before leaving to ensure he was okay and didn’t go reaching for a drink. “So, that article, you think it was Harper?” I asked against my better judgement.

Troy wiped his washed face with a towel and tossed it aside. “What? No. Harper works at the B-Lines, at the café in the lobby,” he scoffed. “Harper’s no reporter.”

Terrific. Now I felt like a bigger jerk for snapping at her the other day—and perhaps now owed her the apology.

I went back downstairs, knowing Harper had likely left by this point. I needed to get to the office. My first meeting was scheduled for nine o’clock with a wealthy new potential client and I was already going to have to ask my assistant to move it.

I wasn’t surprised to find my clothes neatly folded on the sofa and Harper gone.

7. Harper

7

“Is it true you practically carried Troy Hartman out of here last night?” Nic asked when she returned from lunch.

I sighed. Mostly because I somehow knew the security crew wouldn’t keep their mouth shut. Larry also had a crush on her and would constantly make excuses to make his way over here for a cup of coffee from my red-headed bestie.

“I’m not built to carry anything that big. I just walked him outside before Larry’s ears started turning red.”

“Oh yeah, not a pretty sight. So what happened?”

“Nothing. I drove him home…”

“Ugh, you never do anything fun. You know that would have been the perfect time to cross that vendetta off your list.”

“I don’t have a vendetta. It was more to teach someone a lesson not to fuck with me.”

She yawned.

“Shall I make you a cup of coffee?” I offered.

“There’s nothing strong enough to make this story remotely interesting to me.”

I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes as if seeing her in a new light. “Wow. That hurt.”

“Hey, I don’t mean anything by it—just that you need to loosen up that crazy grip you’ve got on yourself.”