Page 72 of Tough Score

"And it was the last time, wasn't it?" I ask, even though I know her answer.

"It has to be."

It doesn't have to be but it's her decision.

"You slip out first. I'll give you a head start."

She nods, a somber expression across her face.

"I'm really proud of you, Reeve. I hope this doesn't take away from that."

"It doesn't. Nothing takes away from this," I say, referring to what we just did.

There's an agreement in her eyes, and then she turns to the closed door and opens it, walking out and gently closing the door behind her.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Keely

The dim lighting of the upscale restaurant that Jaxson brought me to goes a long way to help quiet my mind and settle my nerves. The first date jitters are part of it, but what really has my brain reeling is the moment Reeve and I shared in the supply closet at the Hawkeyes stadium after he was cleared by the doctor.

I'm disappointed with how easy it was for Reeve to pull me back in.

I should have been strong enough to put space between us and keep it there, but I let my emotions get in the way, and the desperate need to be with him again clouded my judgment.

I don't regret what we did.

I just regret the look on his face right before I walked out of the room, closing the door between us. And I regret that by feeding my need for one more time, my ability to think of almost anything else this whole week has been shot to hell.

At least the team has been gone the last few days for out-of-town games. I've been able to use the time to get myself setup in my new office right next door to Dr. Omar without having to see patients yet. And not having to worry about bumping into Reeve has helped me focus on my tasks.

Seeing a plaque with my name on the door each time I go to work has been the thrill of my life. And spending my lunch hour at Serendipity Coffee Shop with the girls is an unexpected perk.

"How's work going? Are you all settled into your new office?" he asks, after we've ordered our food.

The menu looks amazing, and I wish my mind hadn't drifted off to thinking that Reeve would love this place.

Maybe he's already been here before with a date?

The thought of Reeve with someone else turns my stomach but I do hope he finds someone to be happy with even though it will be painful at first to see him with someone new. But then I'll get used to it; we'll settle into a new routine and accept that our futures don’t include each other. Then it will be easier to digest.

"It's better than I could have imagined. And Dr. Omar is the nicest guy. He's been filling me in on what to expect and building up my confidence for the crazy schedule I have ahead of me. I have to go through each player's chart, get caught up on their injuries and current therapy plans from the PT who's leaving, and then I have to meet with each player next week when they get home from out of town."

"Sounds like a busy schedule. I'm glad to hear that Dr. Omar is easy to work with. He seems like a good guy from the limited correspondence that he and I have had about Reeve."

My eyes drop from his and focus on the silverware on the table at the mention of Reeve's name.

I can only hope that I'm not as transparent as I feel.

"Can I ask you something?" Jaxson asks.

"Yeah, sure, anything," I tell him, my eyes finding his again.

"Did you and Reeve have a thing for each other?"

"A thing? Reeve and me? Why do you ask?"

I already feel outed but confessing that Reeve and I hooked up while he was my PT patient is not something I'll be giving up freely.

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