Page 25 of Players Like Us (Reunion Gap #7)

I t was one thing for Neal to turn her down when she was a teen, but to push her away now? “Why did you bring me here?”

He dragged both hands through his hair, left pieces sticking up. “I needed to get away. It was all too much and you looked like you needed a break, too.”

“How would you know when you weren’t even in the room?” She stumbled to her feet, tried to smooth the wrinkles from her dress. Not happening.

“I was watching you.” Pause and then “Tate and Charlotte have a big house with lots of hiding places.”

She forced a laugh because it was better than crying, and right now she was very close to tearing up. “ Hiding places ? What are you, a child?”

A shrug. “I wasn’t ready to face you in front of everyone. There was too much going on in my head, and I needed to sort it out.” He cleared his throat, his voice coated in regret. “I should never have kissed you, and I’m sorry.”

“Technically, I kissed you.” Rachel shook her head, picked up his jacket and tossed it at him.

“Don’t forget the beer.” She turned away and headed into the darkness in the direction of his car.

So what if she fell and landed on the ground?

It was so much better than listening to Neal Alexander make excuses.

“I gave my word I wouldn’t touch you.”

She swung around, his words pinging her brain. “You gave your word? To whom?”

“I can’t say.” He grabbed the beer and flung the jacket over his right shoulder, catching up to her in three strides. “It’s dark, so hold onto me or you could fall.”

“I’d rather fall,” she muttered.

Neal ignored her, clasped her arm, and led her to the car. “Rachel...”

“Don’t.” She did not want to hear another apology or an excuse.

All she wanted was to get away from him.

“Just don’t.” Of course, the man wouldn’t listen.

Oh, no, he had to make another three attempts to apologize, each one growing more impassioned, more desperate.

For what? Her forgiveness? Good luck with that.

The apologies stopped minutes before Neal pulled into Tate and Charlotte’s drive.

One quick glance at her before he parked the car, stepped out.

All she wanted to do was get away from him and the reminder of what happened.

“Rachel, wait.” Neal caught up with her, clasped her arm.

She turned to face him, thrust his arm away. “Leave me alone. There’s nothing left to say except that I’m a fool and I always pick the wrong guys. Why don’t we just leave it at that?”

“Because I can’t.” His voice cracked, split open with pain.

“I can’t stand to see you like this and know I’m the cause of it.

” He reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

“You think I don’t want you? Think I haven’t imagined what you’d taste like thousands of times?

What you’d feel like?” His gaze burned with emotion.

“But I can’t right now, not yet.” His voice turned hoarse, his touch gentle as he trailed his fingers along her jaw. “I…”

She would have given up all of the money she made at Claudia’s to hear his next words, but before Neal could utter anything, a hand grabbed his shoulder, yanked him away and punched his jaw. “Stay the hell away from my sister.”

Neal stumbled, groaned, and placed a hand on the right side of his jaw. “Daniel, leave him alone.”

Her brother balled his hands into fists, spat out, “Stay out of this, Rachel. Go inside. Alexander and I are going to settle this since he doesn’t seem to understand what ‘stay away’ means.”

“No.” Rachel moved to Neal, slipped her arm through his. “Don’t you dare touch him. He didn’t do anything.”

Daniel’s laugh burst through the air, shredded her words.

“That did not look like nothing.” He jabbed a finger toward her wrinkled dress, gaze narrowing.

“Where’ve you been?” He took a step toward Neal, flexed his hands as though he planned to plant another punch.

“If you come near my sister again, I swear I will—”

“Daniel!” Meredith rushed to him, fisted her hands on her hips. “What are you doing?”

“ Protecting my sister.”

“Who does not need protecting.” Rachel glared at her brother. “Are you the one who told him to stay away from me?” When Daniel didn’t answer, she spat out, “What right do you have? What right do you have to say anything?”

Meredith stepped in with “Daniel just wanted to protect you. I’m the one who made Neal promise not to get involved with you.

” She bit her bottom lip, tears filling her eyes.

“In a lot of ways, I’m responsible for everything.

I asked Neal to keep an eye on you, make sure you were okay… Find out what you were doing…”

“Meredith.” Neal shook his head.

“Keep an eye on me? Find out what I was doing?” Her gaze slid from Neal to Meredith to Daniel, landed back on Neal. “Your meeting me was all part of a plan?”

He massaged the right side of his jaw where Daniel had punched him.

“Meredith did contact me because I was the better choice.” Anger sifted through his voice as he glared at Daniel.

“Hiring an investigator to track your whereabouts was not an option. My sister and I are very familiar with that tactic.”

Right now, she’d have preferred they’d hired a private investigator rather than use Neal Alexander to gather information.

“So, what was the plan? Follow me around and document my moves?” If it weren’t so dark out, she’d be able to get a better look at his face—possibly determine the sincerity of his words—or not.

Neal shifted from his right foot to his left, cleared his throat, fumbled over his next words. “Sort of…”

“ Everything was part of a plan? You played me?” This was worse than a straight-out rejection. This was painful and when he didn’t answer, she persisted. “Tell me the truth. You owe me that much.”

“It’s not that simple.”

She laughed at his pitiful attempt to sidestep an answer. “It’s always that simple, unless you’re lying.”

Neal blew out a sigh, shook his head. “In the beginning I just wanted to collect information and get out, but a few minutes into our second meeting... Well, that’s when I realized I never should have agreed to it until I met the grown-up version of you.

” A laugh that fizzled. “But you know me, arrogant jerk who thinks he’s immune to everything. ”

That sounded an awful lot like he cared about her, but that didn’t excuse him for what he’d done. “Yes, I see you’ve done what you accuse others of doing. That, I can definitely see.”

He didn’t have time to answer because Daniel interrupted. “I don’t care if you moon over my sister for the rest of your life, leave her alone. You can’t have her. If you come near her again, I’ll make you wish you hadn’t.”

There was a reason Tate Alexander was respected, admired, and trusted.

He was a man of logic and principles, and fortunately he interfered.

“Hey, that’s enough. Neal, you need to get some ice on that jaw, and Daniel—” he eyed him “—you need to cool down before you say something you’ll regret.

I’m not judging, I’m only speaking from experience.

” His wife clutched his arm as though she knew exactly what he was talking about and agreed.

“Daniel?” Meredith stared at her husband, her voice colder than an ice cube.

“I’d like to see you in Tate’s library. Now.

” And then the woman who’d always been known as free-spirited, all-forgiving, and sometimes nonsensical, marched into the house, followed by her husband, Tate, and Charlotte, and finally Neal.

He glanced at Rachel, caught her staring at him and then he turned and headed toward the house.