Page 67 of No Headlines Please

"Cancelled by you? Or by her?"

His gaze met mine. "Does it matter?"

How could it not? "Of course it matters. I'm trying to figure something out."

"Which is…?"

"Well…I guess…whether somebody broke your heart or you broke somebody else's."

"Trust me," he said, sounding far too jaded. "Nobody's heart was broken."

I didn't believe it. Either Maddox was downplaying his own pain or minimizing someone else's.

I wasn't even sure which was worse.

If he was pining over the girl who got away, that would be a tough act for anyone to follow. But what if it was the opposite? What if he'd left someone devastated and refused to accept that he'd hurt her?

Either way, it would be a glaring red flag for anyone who found herself falling for him. And yes, embarrassingly, that someone was me, which of course, made no sense.

I barely knew him.

I was still sorting through my feelings when Maddox said, "I know what you're thinking."

Good Lord. I sure hoped not. "Really? What?"

"You're wondering whether you should feel bad for me – or worried for the next 'bride' who crosses my path."

At that word – bride, dripping with sarcasm – I tried not to flinch. But it was hard not to. In my mind, I could totally picture her, a stunning woman in white, waiting for her groom. And not just any groom – Maddox, who, honestly, seemed like a pretty incredible catch.

He was obviously successful – and beyond sexy, too. But even more than that, he was a catch on the inside – smart, funny, and thoughtful in all kinds of little ways.

How would it feel to lose a groom like that?

My heart clenched at the thought.

When I made no reply, Maddox said with a smile, "You can deny it if you want, but it's written all over your face."

I tried to smile back. "Well, I never claimed to have a poker face."

"A good thing, because I'd be cleaning you out."

I couldn't even tell if he was teasing. There was something new in his voice, something colder and harder that I prayed had nothing to do with me.

The knot in my stomach tightened. "So…when you say a cancelled wedding, do you mean like…a broken engagement?"

"No."

I forced a laugh. "So…you already had a caterer, huh?"

"Yes."

I winced. "And what about the food?"

"What about it?"

"It wasn't…like…already made?" I tried not to swallow. "Was it?"

"Probably."