Page 92 of Playing for Keepsv

Cash sucked in a sharp breath. “Did you see it?”

“I saw it. Your mouth looks weird.”

He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes and stood there, breathing in, and breathing out, shoulders trembling.

“Cash?”

He lowered his hands and blinked hard like he was fighting back tears. “Fuck.” A broken laugh left his lips. “You really saw it?”

“Yeah.” She blinked hard and fast, holding back tears too. “I did.”

“You believe me?” He tossed the remote down and climbed up onto the couch beside her. “You—you know I didn’t do it?”

Cash was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a liar, and he was a terrible actor. He couldn’t fake this kind of bone-deep relief.

“I do. I believe you.” Poppy nodded. “I shouldn’t have doubted—”

“No.” Cash shook his head. “I know what it looked like. I’m just glad you see it now.” He let out a sigh and scrubbed a hand over his face, fingers dragging down the skin beneath his eye, the corner of his mouth. “What am I supposed to do, Poppy? Someone out there’s fucking with me. With my life. My reputation. My relationships.Fuck.”

She took a moment to breathe, to think.

“I’m guessing you’ve texted Lyric about this.”

Cash snorted. “None of my texts are going through. I keep getting amessage not deliverednotification. She must’ve blocked my number.” His eyes darted to her face and just as quickly he looked away, staring at his hands. “I texted Rosaline. Same thing happened.”

Her heart clenched painfully. “Ah.”

Two weeks had passed since she’d spoken to Rosaline. Not for lack of wanting, but there was nothing to say that hadn’t been said, nothing to say that would change a damn thing.

“Do you think—” Cash cut himself off with a wince. “I hate to ask...”

Her stomach hardened, muscles tensing, bracing. “Cash...”

“I wouldn’t ask if I had another option. Something tells me Lyric won’t exactly be receptive to another stupid Hail Mary tweet.”

Poppy winced. “Rosaline might not even listen to me.”

For all she knew, she could be blocked too. A nice, clean break, even if nothing felt particularly nice or clean about it to Poppy.

“She will,” Cash said, decisive, sounding a little more like his usual self. “You’ll see.”