Page 5 of Breaking Away

“Little—” He smiles. “Aren’t photographs usually small? That’s what I meant. Either way, I missed you.” He leans closer. “And having you supportmeis important. Don’t you think so? You know how much pressure I’m under and what I earn per minute. That’sourfuture, babes. Tonight it was my turn to be supported. But you weren’t there and look what happened.”

Talking about my photography with Tyler always spins my head around a bit. Technically, he’s right. My work… isn’t really work. It isn’t until someone genuinely wants your work, and, so far, no one has.Because you aren’t good enough yet.

Instead of dwelling on that, I focus on his last words. “You think if I’d come tonight, Lokhov… wouldn’t have fought you?”

How? I’m not a testosterone whisperer!

“You got it wrong, babes.Ifought Lokhov and for good reason.” His eyes slide toward mine. “Both teams were trash-talking like normal, but he said some unforgivable things.”

“Like what?”

“About you.”

I rear back, heart thumping. “Me?”

What? Why? That makes no sense. And hadn’t Lokhov been the one to throw the first punch? I must look as confused as I feel because Tyler keeps going.

“He knew it would get into my head. Because my love for you is sensitive.”

My entire body churns. “What kinds of unforgivable things?”

“No, they’re too ungentlemanly for me to repeat. You just have to trust me. It was worth fighting him for.”

Shame tentacles curl around me. Now I’m left wondering about my worst qualities. What would Dmitri Lokhov say aboutme? The idea of him aiming ugliness personally at me… it…. it hurts worse somehow. Not that we were ever friends, but the last time we met, he helped me puke. I thought the night at prom meant a little truce between us. But does Dmitri hate me this much? What have I ever done to him?

Because he’s so sensitive, Tyler senses my distress and hugs me. And then he abruptly lets go when the dressing room door opens and a teammate—Sutton—walks out.

He gives Tyler a bro nod, but doesn’t acknowledge me. I don’t get offended since I’m used to it. My dad, their head coach, doesn’t interact with me in front of the team, so that set the precedent. Even when I come for Tyler’s games, I’m by myself in the stands. You don’t want your personal life and work to mix is what my dad says to me and my mother all the time. It’s not that he doesn’t love us, it’s that this separation keeps him focused with no distractions.

But also, I can’t help but want to check in on him. The Blades are the defending champions and they’ve lost against their rivals. Knowing him, he’ll be really stressed. Maybe he won’t mind a ten second interruption? I could give him a quick hug?

“Is my dad inside?” I ask Tyler after Sutton leaves.

“Sorry, babes.” Tyler gets up, putting the crutches under his armpits. “But he needs alone time to focus. The guys do, too. That’s why I’m going out with them tonight.”

I blink up at him, still sitting on the bench. “So I came here to check on you… and now I should go home by myself?”

He shoots me an eager smile. “Yes please, but cancel your photography gig tomorrow. You can come over to my place and nurse me back to health.” He winks.

The smile-wink duo is usually a stunner of a move. It’s dazzled me many times, but doesn’t seem to be working. For one, I don’t want to cancel the three-year-old’s birthday party I promised to photograph. And second, Tyler’s sexynursingcomment should be, in fact, sexy, but my stomach isn’t fluttering at the idea. It’s gone rather sloth-like. Almost turgid.

I could blame the cookie I ate earlier, but when is a cookie truly at fault for anything?

As if reading my expression, my fiancé tuts, leaning heavily on one crutch. “Sorry, babes, but with the loss tonight, I can’t miss going out with the guys. As their captain, it’s my duty to build up morale. It’s what your dadneedsme to do. If I can’t do that, and we keep losing, then it comes down hard on him, you know. But if you need me to cancel…” Blue eyes search mine.

“No—No. Of course not!”

What’s wrong with me? My dad and Tyler work so hard! I should support them.

Ignoring my embarrassment and wincing regret, I send a message to my mom’s old coworker, telling them I can’t make her son’s birthday tomorrow, but that I can send her recommendations for other photographers in the area, covering the last minute costs. Then I get up and kiss Tyler. “You haven’t even told me how badly you’re hurt. So I–” My brain scrambles for an attempt at flirting. “—know how much nursing you’ll need tomorrow.”

He bravely tells me it’s only a sprained ankle, but that he was lucky. His career could have ended tonight with the way Lokhov was going after him. Not that he would ever regret defending me.

With an affectionate (I think) pinch of my bum and more reassurances, I’m sent home.

That night, I’m in my apartment. Well—it’s the one Tyler’s friend gives me a great deal on. The rent is heavily subsidized. It was Tyler’s idea for me to move out of my parent’s place. We can hook up here without worry, and I feel more independent this way. Not like I’m a leeching burden.

Tonight, I message Julia. She’s another Blades girlfriend who tells me all the time that we should hang out, and then goes,We’ll definitely have to find the right timewhen I ask when.

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