Page 136 of Breakaway Hearts

It’s too big. All too big.

“I saw the post-game interview,” I say instead of any of that.

“You did?”

“Yes.”

More silence. I wonder if he can hear my heart beating over the background noise of the locker room. It must be loud enough for him to pick up the sound.

“I’m truly so sorry,” he tells me, his voice hoarse. “I hate that things got fucked up between us, and I didn’t say half of what I wanted to say to that reporter. I miss you. I miss you so much, Firefly.”

I put a hand over my mouth to hold in a sob, the dam of my emotions breaking.

“Is it okay if I come over?” he whispers. “Can I come see you? Please.”

I drag in a shaky breath. There’s too much going through my head right now. A hundred different thoughts are turning over in my mind, but there’s only one thing that sticks out to me clearly. My heart is desperate, and that’s what drives the next words out of my mouth.

“Yes,” I whisper. “Yes. Come over.”

Chapter47

Reese

I tell Callie I’ll be right over and then drop my phone into my bag, hoisting it over my shoulders and waving goodbye to Owen, Theo, and Maxim.

“Hey, man, where’re you going?” Noah calls. “We’re all gonna—”

“Sorry, but an emergency came up.” I can’t help the nervous grin from spreading across my face, and he raises an eyebrow. “I’ll see you later.”

Before he can offer anymore protests, I practically sprint out of the locker room and to the parking garage. My hair is still damp and I’m still sweating lightly from the exertion of the game, but I don’t care.

All that matters now is seeing Callie.

She saw the interview.

Hope lights in my chest at the knowledge that she was watching the game in the first place. That means she’s been thinking about me. She wanted to see me, even if it was through a screen.

She still cares about me.

I speed out of the parking garage and try my best not to break any traffic laws in my rush to get to Callie’s apartment.

As I drive, I realize I don’t have a speech prepared. There’s a whole slew of things I want to say to her. A lifetime worth of things. But I haven’t organized them into any sort of coherent monologue.

I didn’t think she would call me right after the interview. I was hoping she would, but I also thought she might take her time mulling it over. Callie isn’t the impulsive type. And I wanted to give her the chance to think about what I said.

Is it a good thing she called me right away?

Please, let it be a good thing.

After what feels like an eternity, I arrive at Callie’s apartment, which still looks shabby, even after the “improvements” the landlord supposedly made after the fire. I called him after Callie left my house that day and insisted he let me hire a building inspector to make sure there were no hazards anywhere in the entire apartment complex. I promised I wouldn’t let her move back into a dangerous environment, and even though I wouldn’t force her to stay with me, I had no intention of breaking that vow.

But even if I’m no longer worried about the apartment burning down, I still don’t like the idea of her living here. She deserves so much more than this.

I park the car out front, but when I move to open the door, I freeze for a moment.

I stare upstairs, where I can see the light on in her window. The last time I picked her up here was for that charity event. It wasn’t the first time I saw Callie as a woman, definitely not. But it was the first time I let myself admit just how attracted I was to her.

She looked gorgeous in that dress she wore, with her carefully arranged updo of fiery curls, and her soft, sumptuous curves.

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