"Perfect." Eliza smiled. "And maybe if I'm extra nice, you'll slip me an advance copy of the next book."
They all laughed. "Get in line," Quinn said. "She's got it under lock and key. No spoilers allowed."
Fiona, her publicist, nodded vigorously. "Last year someone leaked an advance copy of the Julia Chambers book. People posted the ending all over social media. It was a disaster!"
"You mean people found out they all lived happily ever after? Gee, what a surprise."
They all turned at the sound of Cooper's scathing comment.
Poppy tensed. "He's more of a non-fiction guy," she said quickly, trying to smile it away, but Cooper shook his head.
"I don't have any problem with fiction, but it should be based in reality, right?" He looked around the table. "People just don't act that way. The books should carry a warning: 'Will give you delusions of romance.' It's setting you up for disappointment."
"You mean I am," Poppy said clearly.
There was an awkward pause, and then Cooper looked away. "You said it." He drained his beer and got to his feet. "Bar's in the back, right?" he asked, then walked away before she could answer.
Humiliation flushed hot on her cheeks. Poppy wished the floor would open and swallow her up.
"If I had a dime for every time a guy complained about romance novels," Quinn spoke up quickly. "I say there's nothing wrong with raising the bar. If they had it their way, romance would mean taking the trash out once a week and leaving the toilet seat down!"
The table laughed, and Quinn steered the conversation on, but Poppy's heart was aching. She'd heard Cooper's tirade against her work before, but she'd thought it was behind them. That the time they'd spent together had changed his tune, and opened his eyes to the real life love stories happening all around them.
Like theirs.
"Excuse me," Poppy said softly, pushing back her chair. "I'll be right back."
She wove through the dining room. There was no sign of Cooper at the bar, but she glimpsed him through the window, pacing in the alleyway out back. She opened the door and stepped outside, and the cool air hit her in a rush.
She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering.
"What was that?"
He turned, his expression tight. "What do you mean?"
Poppy exhaled. He was standing right in front of her, but somehow, it felt like miles between them. "I don't want to do this," she said, trying to be strong. "Bicker about why you just attacked me in front of everyone. Because we know that's not the real problem here."
Cooper's shoulders seemed to slump.
"No. It's not."
And with those simple words, her worst fears were confirmed. It wasn't all in her mind. This was it, she realized. The edge of the cliff.
Pain sliced through her chest, but she couldn't walk away. "What happened?" she asked softly, her heart aching. "What did I do wrong?"
Cooper looked up. "You?" he said, and she saw the pained regret on his face. "No, Poppy, this isn't about you. I'm sorry, but . . ." He stopped himself, and Poppy was left to fill in the words he couldn't bring himself to speak.
But this was just a fling, after all.
But she never mattered to him the way she'd so desperately hoped.
But Poppy was all alone, again.
She swallowed back the tears already stinging in the back of her throat. "You said you wanted this," she argued. "You were the one who kissed me, made love to me. Was it all a game to you?"
Cooper flinched. "No. God, no. I'm sorry." He looked at her, so anguished it made her want to take his hands and hold him tight, but it was like there was a force field around him, keeping him back. "I don't know what to tell you," Cooper said with a sad smile. "Maybe we're just not meant to be."
"No." Poppy was surprised how loud her voice rang out, but she wouldn't let him do this. "You don't get to say that. We've barely even started. We haven't tried-"
"What's the use?" Cooper cut her off, harsh. "This can't go anywhere. Isn't it better just to call it quits now, before anyone gets hurt?"
Poppy stared at him in disbelief.
The breakups she'd written in her books were always big, dramatic scenes. Shouting and weeping, begging and rejection. But now she realized she'd gotten it all wrong.
Her heart was breaking, and it didn't make a sound.
"Is that what you really want?" she whispered, holding back tears. It felt like yesterday that she'd woken, curled in his arms as the sun rose outside the windows. For a moment, she'd been suspended in that golden, sleepy haze, not sure if she was awake or still dreaming, until he'd pulled her closer and buried a kiss against her bare shoulder, and she'd realized that for once in her life, the dream of feeling so safe, so connected, hadn't melted away with the first dawn light.