Page 57 of Breakaway to You

I needed to talk to Piper.

But what I was really worried about was that I already knew my answer…and what I really needed was just Piper.

Chapter22

Piper

My cheeks were still heated from getting caught making out with Zeke on the treatment table.

Gah! How could I have gotten so lost in Zeke that I’d forgotten I was at work and that we could be interrupted at any moment? What if it had been my boss, Raymond? Gosh, even Coach Hill would have been so embarrassing. It had been extremely unprofessional of me to be kissing one of the team players.

See? This was why I couldn’t date another hockey player. Hadn’t I learned my lesson the first time? Yeah, Zeke wasn’t going to go cheat on me. At least, I didn’t think so. But there was still the issue of working on the same team. It was against the rules for us to be dating. I couldn’t lose this job. I’d already gotten in trouble once for dating a player, and if I got caught again, that reputation would follow me around forever. Who would ever hire someone who couldn’t stop themselves from dating one of their patients?

Ugh. Just hearing that sentence made me sick.Imade myself sick. How could I have been so stupid to do this a second time?

I gathered my things, rushing to get out of here before Zeke came back. I couldn’t think straight when he was around. For all I knew, he would waltz back in here, and I would start making out with him on one of the mats. I was not to be trusted.

As soon as I got home, I had to figure out a way to purge Zeke from my system. The first step would have to be talking with him and telling him that whatever this thing was between us, it couldn’t go any further. We needed to end things now before either one of us got in trouble. But right now, I didn’t have the strength to have that conversation.

I hurried out of the room and down the hall, but a voice called my name, stopping me in my tracks.

“Piper, can I see you in my office for a minute?”

I froze, but I forced a smile on my face. My stomach twisted as I stepped into Raymond’s office, the door clicking shut behind me. He sat behind his desk, arms crossed, his usual easy demeanor replaced by something more serious.

I forced myself to stand tall. “You wanted to see me?” I asked, my voice extra chipper.

Raymond exhaled heavily, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “I did. Look, Piper, I’m just gonna get right to it.” He leaned forward, elbows on his desk. “I saw you and Zeke at the gala.”

My breath hitched. “Oh.”

“I saw the kiss.”

My heart plummeted to my stomach. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Heat crept up my neck, embarrassment and panic tangling in my chest. The fears I had just been playing out in my mind were now coming to fruition.

Raymond sighed. “You know the rules, Piper. Staff and players—there’s a line. A hard line.” His voice softened. “You’re damn good at your job. One of the best physical therapists I’ve ever worked with. But if this becomes a thing, if it interferes with work, you’re putting yourself in a tough spot. And I really don’t want to lose you.”

My fingers dug into my palms. “I—” I swallowed hard. “It was just…It wasn’t?—”

But I cut myself off, not knowing how to finish that sentence. It wasn’t what it looked like? It was exactly what it looked like. Yeah, our first kiss had been under the pretense of a fake relationship, but the kiss we’d shared on the dance floor at the charity foundation gala had been completely real. I’d been so swept up in the moment, I hadn’t thought about people seeing our kiss. Later, I’d hoped that nobody had been paying us any attention, as crowded as it had been at the gala. That kiss had been the start of something, no matter how much Zeke and I had been trying to deny it.

Raymond gave me a knowing look. “I don’t care what it was. I care about what it could turn into. And I know you, Piper.” He hesitated, his expression unreadable. “This isn’t the first time you’ve been in this position.”

Shame curled in my stomach. He obviously knew I’d changed jobs once already because of a relationship with a player. I couldn’t let it happen again. I promised myself,never again.

Raymond sat back in his chair, giving me a moment. “I’m not saying you’re fired. I’m saying keep things professional. If you can’t…” He let the words hang in the air.

I forced myself to nod, even as my throat tightened. “I understand.”

Raymond studied me for a beat, then nodded. “Good.” He exhaled and smoothed a hand over his black hair. “Look, I like Zeke. Heck of a player. But you know as well as I do—hockey doesn’t make relationships easy.”

Tell me about it.

I plastered on the most professional expression I could muster. “It won’t be a problem.” It couldn’t be.

Raymond didn’t look entirely convinced, but he let it go. “All right. That’s all.”

I turned, my pulse hammering as I walked out of the office. I barely made it down the hallway before pressing a hand to my chest, inhaling deeply.

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