Page 107 of Break my Heart

There’s no turning back now.

He glances at me, surprise flickering in his eyes. “Hayes? What are you still doing here? I thought everyone cleared out.”

I stuff my hands into the pockets of my joggers, unsure where to start. “Yeah, they did. I just... needed to talk to you.”

He clicks off the computer screen and swivels in his chair to give me his full attention. “Take a seat. What’s going on?”

My mouth turns cottony as I drop down on the chair opposite him. “It’s about Ava.”

“My daughter?” His brow furrows, and I can feel the weight of his scrutiny. “What about her?”

Fuck.

This is more difficult than I anticipated. I hate that I’m betraying her trust. Especially when it wasn’t easily given.

I drag a hand through my damp hair, trying to figure out the right way to say this. My gaze bounces around the room before settling on a photo of Ava with him and her mother. They’re all smiling, looking as if they’re on top of the world.

“Hayes?” he prompts, drawing my attention back to him.

“Her former coach has been texting her,” I blurt, needing to get it out. “It’s been going on for a while now, and he won’t leave her alone.”

There’s a long silence, the kind that stretches and twists in the air between us. Coach’s face goes stone-cold, his expression unreadable. “How do you know about this?” he asks, his voice tight.

“Ava told me,” I admit, knowing this conversation is about to take a turn.

“Why would she do that?” His gaze sharpens, like he’s piecing something together.

“Because…” I take a deep breath, preparing myself for the fallout. “Because we’ve been seeing each other.”

“Let me get this straight.” His jaw tightens. “You’ve been seeing my daughter?”

“Yes, sir,” I say, my voice steady. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but I’m concerned. He’s sending harassing messages every day.”

He leans back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face. “Why didn’t she come to me herself?”

“She didn’t want to worry you,” I say quietly. “But it’s bad. The other day, at the rink… I saw a guy taking pictures of her. When I went to talk with him, he took off.”

Coach’s hand falls from his face, his eyes narrowing. “Taking pictures of her?”

“I can’t be sure who it was, but it looked suspicious.”

He swears under his breath, pulling off his ballcap and dragging a hand through his hair. “Does Ava know you’re here?”

“No.”

Even though his shoulders relax just a bit, thick tension continues to vibrate off him in heavy waves. “I appreciate you making me aware of the situation.”

“Keeping her safe is my number one priority.”

Coach studies me in silence. “It sounds like you really care about my daughter.”

I meet his gaze with an unwavering one. “I do. And I don’t want to see anything happen to her.”

He nods, his eyes softening. “I believe you.”

I stand, ready to leave, but Coach’s voice halts me in my tracks. “Did Ava mention that a very prestigious skating coach is interested in training her?”

I blink, thrown off by the shift in conversation. “No, she didn’t.”

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