Page 32 of Overprotected

With her, I didn’t take it lightly either. Emma felt better than any other woman and I hated the idea of living without her. I wanted to know where she was now and ask her to come back, but Emma needed her space. I just didn’t want her to have it. I wanted her here, in my bed and my arms, as we watched TV. I wanted to know more of the woman who I’d seen lately and bring even more of that out.

This was right. I needed to stop things and there was a chance that she’d come back once she had some time to think. Her stuff was still here, and she’d only packed some clothes and her computer. We still worked at the stadium together, or did we?

My phone rang. I grabbed it, hoping that it was Emma. It was Greg and I let the call go to voicemail, avoiding the issue for now, hoping that he didn’t know she was gone.

When it rang the second time, it was Nick. I was a few beers in by now and I answered, leaning back against the couch.

“How did it go?” Nick asked.

I tried not to remember the sight of her face falling with disappointment again.

“She left. She said that she’s going to move out,” I replied as he went quiet on the other end. “Did I do the right thing?”

“He’s your best friend, and she’s his sister. I think so. Just give her some time to cool off and see what happens,” Nick advised. I drained the last of the bottle. “You’re not getting drunk, are you?”

“I’m just having some beers. I need to relax and not go find her,” I replied as I considered the bottle of Jack in the kitchen. “I’m not going to throw away my whole career over this, Nick. I’m not an idiot, just an asshole. Just a big fucking asshole.”

“Is she going to keep working for the team?” Nick asked, and I again wondered the same thing.

“I have no idea. She made quick work of getting the fuck out of Dodge. I guess we’ll see, but I don’t see Em quitting one job without having another lined up. She’s too responsible for that.”

“I have never heard you talk about a woman with the familiarity that you do her,” Nick observed. I silently agreed with him. “Are you going to be at the gym tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there at eight. I am going to finish this show and hit the sack.”

We would be leaving for Oakland in a few days for a road trip. I was at one time happy Emma worked with me and I’d see her everywhere we went, but now I had no idea how things were going to be.

“Sounds good,” Nick said, cautioning me not to waste myself into oblivion. I watched the scores blankly on the TV, knowing full well that any time before this I would only be thinking of the stats. What the fuck happened to me in the last few weeks?

I did try to go to bed when the show was over, but it was too quiet. The silence was overwhelming, and her scent seemed to linger everywhere in the apartment. I tossed and turned as I thought about the times we were in bed together. When I was touching her and watching her break apart in front of me. It was the most addicting feeling in the world.

I found my phone, wanting to text her.

I did text her in the morning after barely sleeping at all. I just said that I wanted to know that she was okay and safe. We did still work together, as far as I knew. I just didn’t see her there at the same time on a daily basis.

I didn’t hear from her at all that day or the following day before we caught the bus to the airport for our flight. I felt a few of the guys looking at me as I tried to see if she was with the girls, but they arrived after us. I couldn’t see any of them, much less Emma.

Nick sat by me on the plane and I shot him a curious look. He shook his head, knowing how tense I was about not hearing from her for the last few days. He knew that I wasn’t sleeping well and regretting things more with each passing moment. He didn’t ride my ass about it, but I could see that he was surprised by my reaction.

“I didn’t see any of them. They might be running late or Coach decided to have them stay home.”

He glanced around at the other guys getting settled for the flight. “No word from her?”

“No. She’s shutting me out and I am avoiding Greg like the plague. I don’t know what he knows, and I don’t want to blow it if he doesn’t know anything. This is more complicated than if I’d kept things going with her.”

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