Page 95 of Dream Girl Drama

Chloe.

“Yes, that’s correct,” said his agent. “We’ve had several organizations reach out to us.”

Reese narrowed her eyes at Sig. “You told my father once upon a time that you never want to play anywhere but Boston. That you wanted to start and end your career as a Bearcat.”

“I don’t feel that strongly about it anymore.”

I don’t feel anything except pain.

“What changed?” Reese asked, though he could tell she already knew. Or, at the very least, who had caused his change of heart. “I knew approaching you about... the situation with Ms. Clifford was going to be delicate, but I hope you understand that I had no choice. And the issue has been resolved, as much as possible. The press appears to have dropped the story and we’ve blocked any mention of her on the message boards—”

“What issue are we discussing, exactly?” asked his agent. “Is there something I should be made aware of?”

Reese and Sig ignored him.

“How can you be so sure it has resolved itself in the space of two weeks?” Sig asked. Reese didn’t have an answer for that. “More than likely, I’ve just been playing so well, you no longer have a choice but to lock me down, skeletons and all.”

“There is a certain risk involved,” Reese said, her words clipped.

“Not anymore.” His vocal cords were charred. “Not anymore.”

Reese knew his father had married Chloe’s mother. He could see that knowledge in the tilt of her head, the wringing of her hands. She’d been keeping tabs on him—and really, he couldn’t blame her. She had a lot to prove and didn’t want to make a bad investment.Washe a good investment, though? A hockey player needed heart to sustain greatness and his had been ransacked.

David smoothed his tie, laughed a little uncomfortably. “Can someone fill me in on the subtext here?”

“I want to play somewhere else.” He dropped the words like a bomb, but he was too numb to feel any of the reverberations. “Anywhere but Boston. I need to get out of here.”

“Sig,” Reese began, panic beginning to creep around the edges of her cool exterior. “We do not underestimate your incredible value to this organization and thatisreflected in what we’re offering—”

“Yeah? It’s two weeks too late.”

His agent was already on his feet, moving swiftly out of the room. “I’m going to make some calls.”

“Get me out of the division, too. I don’t want to come back here. I don’t want any fucking reminders of... this place.”

“Don’t throw away what you’ve built here,” Reese said quietly, closing her eyes, as if she knew she’d already lost, but didn’t know how to quit. “We’re offering you a uniform with a C on the shoulder. You’re not going to waltz onto a new team and automatically get the patch.”

“I probablyshouldn’tbe anyone’s captain right now.”

She allowed some incredulity to bleed into her expression. “Don’t you think some time is going to make it easier? Being without... her.”

“Not a fucking chance.” Reese couldn’t fathom the devastation inside him. That was obvious. “I hope you never have to feel anything like this.”

“I won’t.” She opened her mouth, closed it, sputtering slightly. “I wouldn’t let myself.”

Now, Sig did laugh. And it was as ugly as he’d imagined. “Good luck with that, Reese.” There was nothing left to say, so he stood on sore legs. More so than usual, because he’d been pushing himself in practice like a demon, almost hoping for an injury. Some pain to distract him from the agony. But now, he was thankful to be healthy and uninjured. That was going to be his ticket out of here. Out of Boston.

Away from the only girl he’d ever love.

“You’ll hear from my agent, I guess.”

“Don’t do this, Sig. With Burgess retiring...” She held her hands up, palms out, in an imploring gesture. “Don’t gut the team.”

He was already walking out the door, nothing but the howling of wind in his ears.

CHLOE DROPPED HERfingers from the harp, accepting murmurs of welcome and congratulations from the musicians exiting the stage around her. Her very first practice sessions had just ended, but there would be three more over the course of two days to prepare Chloe for her first performance with the orchestra. Yes, in two days’ time, she would debut as the first chair harpist, right there on the stage in Symphony Hall.

Her mother would be there. With her new husband.

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