Page 83 of The Grump I Loathe

“She pushed her?”

“Yeah. Ali stumbled into me. My hip knocked the table with the drinks and, well, you’ve seen the result.” I wrenched my arm out of his grasp to prod him in the chest, hard. “So what I was doing was defendingyourdaughter. But thank you foryourconcern.”

That muscle in Connor’s jaw ticked. “I’mconcernedthat you’ve been staring at me all night. What happened to playing it cool? Being spies?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Apparently half the wedding knows something is happening between us! So excuse me for trying to keep this off Singh’s radar.”

I shook my head, which was a big mistake, and I groaned. “Yeah, I don’t really give a shit about Singh or Pavilion Games right now.”

“Well, you should, becauseShadowis this close to losing?—”

“And that makes it okay?” I said, interrupting him. “I was flat on my back, injured. Your daughter was so worried about me she was crying, andyoucouldn’t even be bothered to help me up off the goddamn floor? And for what? So you could make sure the head of Pavilion Games knows you don’t actually give a damn about anyone who works for you?”

“Lower your voice,” Connor said through his teeth.

“Or what? You’re worried people are going to look this way?” I waved my arms around, deliberately making a scene. “Worried they’re going to think we’re adults doing adult things?” I dropped my hands. “You know what, I don’t care. You don’t have to stay here talking to me. Everything you’re willing to admit you care about is back there.”

He caught my arm. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You care about me more than a few afternoons in bed, and I feel the same—and you’d realize both of those things if you pulled your head out of your ass—so why are we turning this into a huge secret? Why are we making everything so complicated?”

“Eddie,” he hissed, “youknowwhy.”

“No, I don’t. Not really. Because everyone else I’ve talked to seems to think it’s a great idea to just be open about what we are.”

His eyes narrowed. “Who else have you talked to?”

“Max, Leigh…” I gestured across the floor. “And I didn’t even say anything. They just knew. That’s why I went over to talk to Grace. I wanted her blessing for the relationship. I thought that would finally convince you we didn’t have to hide anymore. Because I’m not putting up with half a relationship anymore. I want the real deal.” He released me then, recoiling like I’d struck him, the color draining from his face.

“You didn’t actually talk to Grace about that, did you?”

My heart plummeted into my stomach. “Don’t you think it’s time that we?—”

“Did you tell Grace?” he demanded with such force I shuddered.

“No. God!”

He let out a sigh of relief, and his shoulders slumped like the weight of the world had been taken off them. But that weight had just dropped ontome.Was he really so horrified at the idea of Grace knowing we were together?

Because if so, how could we possiblystaytogether? His daughter was the most important person in his life. If our relationship wasn’t real to her, then maybe it had never been real at all.

I fought off a tremor. “If this is how you’re going to react to even the idea of Grace finding out about us, then maybe there shouldn’t be an ‘us’ anymore.”

Connor’s eyes flashed. I couldn’t tell if it was with warning or desperation. Did he want me or didn’t he?

“I’m serious,” I said, my words catching. “I’m ending this now. Unless you can give me a reason to stay.”

Tell me to stay. Tell me to stay. Tell me to stay,I silently begged.

Connor’s lips pulled into a tight line—and he shook his head. “I can’t.”

I scoffed, whirling around before he could see the tears well up in my eyes. I stalked off, head and heart aching. I needed to get out of here. I made it all the way out of the ballroom before I collapsed into Leigh’s arms.

“You’re bleeding,” she said.

“What?” I twisted my arm until I spotted the tiny cut on the side of my hand. “I nicked myself on glass maybe. It’s nothing.” I wobbled, off balance, my arm shooting out for her shoulder.