Page 85 of Dream Girl Drama

Sig’s eyes collided with Chloe’s.

There were too many emotions to name in that look. Hunger, concern, apology, misery.

“I wasn’t going to play,” Sig said, shrugging off his jacket. “But the possibility of hitting you with a line drive between the eyes it too tempting.”

Elton smirked. “My sister, Skylar, is pitching and she’s D1 all-American. You’re welcome to try.”

Sig started to respond, but Skylar appeared out of nowhere, slapping her brother, apparently, in the chest with her glove. Hard. “Asshole. Can’t believe you pulled something like that.” She hit him again for good measure, before heading for the pitching mound and calling over her shoulder, “I’m telling Mom.”

Frowning, Elton stomped after her. “You better not.”

Everyone dispersed around Sig and Chloe, but they didn’t move.

“Hey,” Sig rasped, a muscle sliding up and down in his throat. He took his cap off and slapped it back on. Then he took a giant step away from Chloe, nearly causing her stomach to land in the grass, the distance between them—and the act of him putting it there so viscerally—nearly intolerable.

It’s the right thing.

She’d done the right thing.

He obviously realized that, too.

Why was that so blindingly painful?

“I’m sorry that happened to you. For him to have the freedom to call you like that... andsquanderit?” He massaged the center of his forehead. “I’m sure you’re dying to get out of here. Away from all this testosterone.”

“And miss Elton’s comeuppance? I don’t think so.” She lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “If they start to win, just incite a brawl.”

Affection warmed his face. “Once a hockey girl, always a hockey girl, huh?”

Chloe swallowed a painful lump. “Yeah.”

“Yeah,” Sig said, sounding winded. “Stay where I can see you.”

“Okay.”Hug me. I can’t stand this. We’ll try again tomorrow tostay away from each other. Please, everything hurts so bad. I need you.“Sig—”

A shrill whistle came from the pitcher’s mound. “Are we going to play baseball, or what, boys?”

Sig gave her a final, long look, his hand flexing at his side... nodded once, firm, and walked away. Chloe followed, dragging her broken heart behind her like a string of noisy tin cans that only she could hear.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Sig had learned to block out fear a long time ago. Fear that his mother wouldn’t be able to make ends meet and they wouldn’t have dinner on the table. Fear that he wouldn’t get drafted, be able to provide for her. Fear of serious injury while playing hockey. Fear had ceased to be part of his emotional vocabulary—until Chloe.

Since meeting her he’d learned what it meant to be scared. Of something happening to her. Of losing her. But right then, as she stood at the end of the dugout, nervously playing with the end of Pierre’s leash, he could admit to full-on terror. Because he’d been walking around with no pulse for the last week, and it had only started beating again when he saw her reading Elton the riot act.Oh, thank God.There’s my girl.

She wasn’t his girl now, though, and he was too scared to face the rest of his bleak existence in this new reality.

Pierre plopped down and rolled over at Chloe’s feet, offering his belly to her with his tongue hanging out the side of his panting mouth... and she made this adorableh’awwwsound, shooting Sig an amused look. And at the same time, a gust of wind slapped him across the face with her scent and he swore his lungs started to cry. To shut down out of self-preservation.

Was it possible for love to be so severe it caused organ failure?

“All right,” Sig said, hoarse. “What’s the lineup?”

Everyone looked at Burgess.

“You clowns think I’m risking another back injury for baseball?” Burgess spat. “I’m just here to break up the inevitable fight. Ask Sig for the lineup—he’s your new captain.”

“Not yet,” Sig responded automatically, feeling Chloe’s gaze on him. There hadn’t been any communication with the front office since his initial meeting with Reese, but David had called this morning to inform Sig the Bearcats wanted another sit-down. Sig’s agent even predicted that an offer was on the horizon. Sig definitely should be more excited about that, right? “Either way, I’m going to go ahead and take the lead on this. Since I’m here and everything.”

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