Page 10 of My Athlete Neighbor

He stepped closer, his broad shoulders blocking out the kitchen light. "Was that too much?" A furrow creased his brow.

"No, it's just..." Allison's voice trailed off as memories of Jesse's betrayal flashed through her mind. The sting of humiliation. The crushed dreams. The whispers and pitying glances that had driven her from Boston.

Kane's calloused hand cupped her cheek, his touch impossibly gentle for a man who commanded the ice with such authority. "Talk to me. What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?"

Allison leaned into his touch for a moment before pulling away. "It's complicated. I want to trust this, to trust you, but..." She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold despite the warmth of the kitchen.

Kane ran a hand through his tousled brown hair, his trademark crooked smile absent. "But you've been hurt before." It wasn't a question.

Allison nodded, her throat tight. She turned to make herself a cup of coffee, needing something to do with her hands. As the Keurig gurgled, the comforting aroma filled her nostrils as she breathed deeply, trying to center herself.

"I get it," Kane said softly. "The ice isn't the only place where people can get blindsided."

Allison's hand trembled slightly as she handed him a cup of coffee. She wanted to fall into Kane's arms, to believe that he was different. But Jesse's betrayal had shattered her trust, leaving her wary of letting anyone close again.

Kane leaned against the opposite counter, giving her space. His blue eyes were soft with understanding, not pushing, just... there. Patient. Present.

She made herself a cup and took a sip of it. The bitter warmth grounded her. "I'm sorry, Kane. You deserve better than my baggage."

He shook his head, a hint of his usual charm returning. "Hey now, I'm the king of lucky charms and superstitions. A little baggage doesn't scare me." His smile faded into something more serious. "I'm not going anywhere. Not unless you want me to."

Her heart ached with longing and fear. Kane was kind, driven, thoughtful. But the scars left by Jesse's betrayal ran deep. She set down her mug, the clink of ceramic on granite echoing in the charged silence between them.

Allison's fingers traced the cool edge of the countertop as she gathered her courage. "I used to love hockey, you know," she said softly, her gaze fixed on the swirling patterns in the granite. "When I got involved with an up-and-coming player, my grandfather was over the moon."

Kane shifted, his broad shoulders relaxing slightly as he listened.

"Jesse seemed perfect at first," Allison continued. "He was talented, ambitious. I thought we were building something real."

The kitchen suddenly felt too small, too warm. Allison moved to the window, pushing it open. A frigid blast of winter air was enough to clear her head.

"But I was just a stepping stone," she said, staring out at the city below. "Once he got called up to the NHL, he..." Her voice caught.

Kane's presence behind her was a tangible thing, solid and reassuring without crowding her. "He dumped you," he finished quietly.

Allison nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. "For his social media planner, Vanessa. It became this whole spectacle in Boston. It seemed like everyone knew. Everyone pitied me." She turned, meeting Kane's intense blue gaze. "That's why I left. Why I came here."

The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken emotions. Kane's hand twitched at his side, as if he wanted to reach out but was holding himself back.

Allison took a deep breath, the crisp air from the open window filling her lungs. She studied Kane's face, the way his brow furrowed with concern, the gentle curve of his lips. Her fingers itched to trace the scar on his chin, to feel the story etched into his skin.

"But you're not like him," she said softly. "Jesse only ever thought about himself, his career, his image." She stepped closer, close enough to catch the faint scent of his aftershave. "You go out of your way for others."

Kane's eyes widened slightly, a mix of surprise and something warmer flickering in their depths.

"I've seen how you are with your neighbors," Allison continued. "Mrs. Donovan told me how you shovel out her car every snowfall. And last week, when Mr. Chen's car wouldn't start..."

She trailed off, remembering how Kane had spent an hour in the frigid morning air, helping to jump-start the elderly man's ancient sedan. The memory of Kane's easy smile, his patience, warmed her from the inside out.

"That's just being a decent person," Kane murmured, running a hand through his tousled hair. A faint blush colored his cheeks.

Allison shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. "It's more than that. You care, truly care, about the people around you. It's refreshing."

The air between them seemed to thicken, charged with an electric tension that made Allison's skin tingle. She found herself swaying slightly towards him, drawn by some invisible force.

They were interrupted by a frenzied tattoo of knocking on her door. Feeling self-conscious, Allison pushed by Kane and answered the door. Ethan Reeves, the team's rookie sensation, stood there, looking like he might throw up.

"Kane, I was hoping to find you here." Ethan's normally styled blonde hair stuck up in wild tufts. "I really messed up. Like, really messed up."

---