Page 30 of Breakaway to You

Seth laughed and not just a little laugh but a loud laugh that filled the room and was probably floating down the hallway.

I crossed my arms and waited for him to finish.

“You actually believe that,” he said, still catching his breath. “If that’s what you want to tell yourself, I cantryto go along with that story.”

I pushed him toward the door. “Let’s just go.”

He kept chuckling, but I ignored him.

Okay, fine. Maybe there was a little something between Zeke and me, but that didn’t mean anything was going to happen between us. I’d been doing my best to keep my distance from him, to keep things professional. I guessed I needed to try harder. Although Zeke didn’t exactly make it easy for me—the flirty comments, the cocky smile, the heated stares. Those might have been easy for me to ignore, but when you added the vulnerable moments when he’d share things with me, the way my body reacted to the smallest of touches, and how he seemed to effortlessly put a smile on my face, and it was difficult to remember why I wanted to put space between us.

But I didn’t tell any of that to Seth while we drove to Chatters Bar. Instead, we caught up on his life and how happy he was in both his job and his relationship. I was happy for Seth. Really. The ache in my chest had nothing to do with jealousy and everything to do with longing. I hurried to squash that feeling. I liked my job too. And I had Quinn. That was as good as if not better than what Seth had. I’d always wanted to work for the Wolves, and it really was a dream come true. And Quinn was the perfect companion, one who would never break my heart.

Seth opened the bar door for me, and as I stepped inside the scent of whiskey and something faintly smoky lingered in the air. Dim, golden lighting cast soft shadows across the exposed brick walls, where framed hockey jerseys and black-and-white photos of past games hung in tribute to the sport. The long wooden bar gleamed under the glow of hanging bulbs, rows of liquor bottles reflecting amber hues. Memories of hanging out here with Seth and the team flooded my mind, bringing back the fun times we’d had here after the home games.

Wait. The team. How could I have forgotten? The Blue Jays always came here after a game. I knew this. I’d come here many times with them.

As I walked to one of the empty round hightop tables, I recognized several faces.

The greetings all seemed to come at once. “Hey, Piper.” “Long time no see, Piper,” “Yo, Piper!”

I said hello to everyone and genuinely enjoyed seeing them after so long. But there was a particular defenseman I hoped by some miracle had decided not to come tonight.

When Seth and I finally reached the table, I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Jordan had been too sad or upset to come hang out with the guys tonight.

Thankfully, we’d stopped by the hotel so I could change into black jeans, a white top, and a short leather jacket to fend off the chill of the autumn night, saving me from standing out in my scrubs. I hadn’t had time to style my hair, but my usual high ponytail complemented the jacket, so I was happy with my look.

“Pipes,” a voice behind me said. That voice used to make me smile, but now it made me cringe. And his stupid nickname for me wasn’t helping.

I glanced over my shoulder, giving him a quick nod. “Jordan.” I turned back around, hoping he’d get the hint and walk away.

“Where’s your boyfriend?” he goaded, his tone clearly stating that he didn’t believe Zeke and I were a couple at all.

“Hanging out with the team,” I said, not even turning around.

He came to stand next to me. “Interesting that you wouldn’t go with him. That you chose to come out to a place where you knew I would be.”

I glared at him. “I didn’t come here to see you. I came to catch up with Seth and hang out like we used to.”

“Oh, c’mon, Pipes.” He nudged my arm. “We both know you just wanted an excuse to see me, to play it off as a coincidence. You like seeing me grovel to get you back.”

How was he so delusional? Did he really think, in some twisted way, that I was hoping he’d take the bait and sweep me off my feet?

I turned to face him, looking at him with what I hoped was disgust. “I don’t know how else to say this,” I said slowly as if possibly slowing down my words would make him understand. “I. Do. Not. Want. To. Get. Back. Together. With. You.” How much clearer could I get? “Please leave me alone.”

“Why are you playing so hard to get?” he asked. “I’m better thanLawson. He doesn’t even know how to be in a relationship. Or play good hockey anymore.”

His words lit a fire in me. I would not let him talk bad about Zeke. “Zeke is twice the man you’ll ever be.Andhe’s twice the player you are,” I yelled. “You’re just jealous that not only do I want him, but you know you’llneverbe as good as him on the ice.”

Anger, frustration, and adrenaline swirled inside me, and if Jordan wasn’t careful, there was a good chance I was going to use force to make him leave me alone.

His eyes held anger too, but his only fueled mine.

The door to the bar banged open, slamming against the wall. We all turned to see who had arrived, and my heart leapt at the sight. Holden and Ryder walked in, with a tall, dark, curly-haired man entering behind them.

Zeke.

My body was moving across the room toward him before I had a chance to think about what I was doing.

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