She turned back to the table and met Ian’s gaze.
“Ri? You want to talk to him?” He probably figured as Alex’s closest friend, Riley was the obvious choice to deal with him in his furious state.
Not happening, Madison thought, jumping up from her seat. “I’ll go.” If anyone was going to talk to him, it was Madison.
They had more to resolve between them than just the issue of the PR campaign … and she was feeling a bit territorial at the moment.
Riley nodded at her, a slight grin on her face.
“Can you handle Derek Fine?” she asked, ignoring her friend and approaching Ian instead.
He nodded. “I like the proposal, but I get where he’s coming from,” Ian said, surprising her.
She narrowed her gaze. “I thought he might be surprised, maybe have to be talked into it, but I didn’t anticipate such anger.” She was still shaken by his reaction.
“You didn’t see him after he was told he couldn’t play anymore,” Riley said, coming up beside them. “I mean, I know you did, but not the fallout after.” Riley touched Madison’s shoulder. “Go talk to him. He’ll listen to you.”
With a nod, Madison headed out.
She reached their office in time to catch him in the hall, car keys in hand. “We need to talk,” she said before he could speak first.
He shook his head, every muscle in his body tight. “Not now. I need to cool off first.”
Now she was the one who was annoyed. “I thought you did that last night.” She pinned him with an angry stare of her own.
She remembered the last time he’d been hurting and angry. He’d thrown her out of his room and his life, and she’d let him. This time, she would be proactive, and she intended to have her say.
“Fine.” He turned toward their office and strode inside. He walked to the small window and looked out before turning toward her. “I was an ass last night, and I’m sorry.”
She’d been ready for a fight. Instead she’d received an apology? “What?”
“You heard me.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I was planning to talk to you this morning, but you weren’t here. Then I was blindsided by the proposal—”
“You wouldn’t have been if I’d either seen you last night as planned or if you’d called to tell me you needed a night alone.” She folded her arms across her chest, self-protection at its finest, she thought.
“I realize that now. At the time, I needed time alone.”
Hurt flooded every inch of her being. “Well, it’s not like I was the one who practically seduced you into agreeing to spend the night together. That was all you.” It was important to her that he knew she didn’t need him. That he’d been the one pushing for more time together. She’d never be the woman who wanted too much from him. Or from anyone.
“I know.”
“Well, it would have been nice if you’d informed me that you’d changed your mind. Or that you needed space.” She hated the hurt in her voice, the power any show of emotion gave him over her, but she couldn’t control her feelings from escaping.
“I didn’t need space from you, Angel.”
“Right. That’s why you didn’t call.” She shook her head. “I was there, remember? You got a phone call, your mood changed, and suddenly the sexy, teasing Alex was replaced by some ice-cold version who just walked out. You didn’t think I’d notice the change? Or that you ignored our plans?”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “I wasn’t thinking clearly.” He ran a hand through his hair, clearly debating with himself in the silence that followed. “The phone call was from an ex I haven’t seen or heard from since college.”
She looked up at him in shock.
There was an ex who sent him reeling. That could only mean one thing. “She means something to you,” Madison said, hearing her voice as if from a distance.
He inclined his head. “I thought she did once. It was a long time ago. I haven’t spoken to her since college.”
“This is the first time I’m hearing about her.”
He swallowed hard. “We were together almost four years and I thought we’d be together through whatever happened with my career and hers.” He didn’t look at Madison as he spoke. “It turned out she was never comfortable with the idea of living my kind of life, the drafts and the potential trades to different cities. She wanted more, and she broke up with me after graduation.”
Madison lowered herself into the nearest chair, unable to fully comprehend what he was telling her. The takeaway, however, was clear. He’d been in a serious relationship once. Had planned on spending his life with one woman. And he’d been so devastated when it ended he’d steered clear of serious relationships ever since.
“What does she want?” Madison asked.
“She left messages, all vague. She just said she wants to talk to me. She didn’t say about what.”
Madison nodded. “I see.” And she did. A call from this woman was enough to have him pulling away from her.
“I don’t think you do.” He stalked over to her, bracing his hands on the arms of her chair.
He was too close, smelled too good, made her want too much.
“Hearing from Rachel brought me back to a bad place.”
She swallowed hard. “I got that much.”
“Not for the reasons you think. I’m not pining over some lost love. Hearing from her reminds me that I wasn’t good enough for her. Just like I wasn’t good enough for Ian to want anything to do with me. Just like I’m no longer good enough to play ball.” He swallowed, his strong throat working up and down. “I indulged in self-pity last night, and I hurt you in the process. I screwed up and I regret it.”
Her hand rose of its own volition. She cupped his clean-shaven jaw in her palm and studied his sincere expression. She’d heard his words, understood he’d just bared his soul, and her heart softened despite her fear. And she was afraid. Every time she rebuilt her walls, when he chipped away at them, he took them down even farther. The fall would be that much harder when and if it came. But this ego-driven man had apologized to her twice, and she couldn’t deny that showed change.
“I’m human, Angel.” He let out a self-deprecating laugh, his face inches from hers.
“Yeah. I get that. And so am I.” Which meant she could be hurt. So easily if he did a sudden one-eighty on her again.