Page 4 of Trapped and Tackled

His mouth turns up at the corners, and he releases my hand. I slip it behind my back, aware it still tingles from his touch.

“Your dad’s thrilled you’re back,” he says kindly. All it does is make me feel worse for staying away as long as I did. Talon holds the door open and glances at me. “Are you planning to stay in Knoxville for good?”

Already, the questions start. I know he means them harmlessly—he’s just making small talk. But my heart thumps in my eardrums, and my vision narrows.

Yes. I can’t go back to the city.

The words spin in my mind and sit on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t say them aloud.

I shouldn’t let a breakup keep me from a city I love. But it’s more than that, and no one truly understands.

I slip inside, and he follows.

For good. It sounds so permanent, and yet… I guess it’s the truth. I haven’t had much time to process this new life change.

“That’s the plan,” I reply, my tone too bright. Fake.

He bumps his arm lightly against my shoulder. I stiffen from the contact, a rush of nerves skittering through me. “Happy about it? Or was it hard to leave the big city lights behind?”

I glance up at him, unable to tell if he’s teasing me. His tone is too familiar—after all, we’ve never met. And yet, his questions already prick at things I’m hiding beneath the surface.

He gazes down, his eyes sincere.

“A mix of both,” I answer honestly. “It’s…bittersweet.”

He sighs and nods as if understanding the meaning behind my words. “Hopefully, more sweet than bitter.”

“We’ll see,” I breathe out.

He regards me again, his eyes studying my face, perusing my features as if he’s searching something out. What? A reaction, an emotion?

Does he know? Can he tell?

My eyebrows tug together, confused by our exchange. It’s nothing, and yet…it feels like something. I can’t figure it out. Can’t figure him out.

“Well, your timing is perfect,” he says as he presses the call button for the elevator. Lowering his voice, he quips, “Your Dad went a bit easier on us today.” He grins, and his eyes spark. He’s playful and easygoing, so different from the intensity Craig always exuded.

“Glad I could help,” I reply, surprised by how comfortable I feel around him.

The doors open immediately, and we step inside.

Talon tilts his head and presses the button for floor three. “He missed you.”

I look up, taken aback again. It’s an expected remark, yet Talon says it as if he truly knows Dad. As if he understands Dad’s joy at having his daughter back home.

“Yeah,” I agree. “I missed him, too.”

Talon nods, his grin growing. “Now, if your sister decides to return from Germany, Coach may dance in the end zone.”

I chuckle, the sound jarring as it falls from my lips. I press my fingertips to my mouth. When was the last time I laughed? About anything?

Talon grins back and widens his stance, casually crossing his arms over his chest.

His body heat skates over my skin, and his scent—soap, a hint of cologne, and mint—washes over me. Enclosed with Talon in the elevator, I realize how close we’re standing. I wrap my arms around my middle.

“I’ve always wanted to go overseas,” he offers, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“You’ve never been?”

---