Page 7 of Breakaway Hearts

Tonight is about supporting Reese and helping him get over the pain of a bad breakup. I know how they can fuck you up. After all, I haven’t gone out with anyone since my dickhead ex reminded me why the dating market is the worst place to end up.

The driver pulls up to the bar less than two minutes later, and I shoot Reese a quick warning text that I’m outside.

Maybe I should’ve dressed a little better,I think, suddenly regretting that I waited until the last minute to throw something on. Sienna is gorgeous and successful. If I’m supposed to be selling the story that Reese and I are somehow a couple, it would be nice to walk into The Hideout looking like a million bucks instead of something in the hundred dollar range.

There’s nothing to be done about it now though, so I slide out of the car. The driver pulls away, and I send him a hefty tip and a five-star rating.

“Alright,” I murmur, smoothing down my blouse. “It’s just Reese. We’ve known each other forever. Fake dating him for the night? This’ll be a piece of cake.”

My shaking knees and sweaty palms suggest otherwise, but I do my best to strut into The Hideout with an air of utmost confidence.

Almost immediately, I spot Reese and Sienna talking near the bar. He has a pinched smile on his face and is rubbing his thumb and forefingers against the fabric of his pants. I know that look. It’s the same look he had before his first professional hockey game.

I clench my fists, irritation prickling inside me as my gaze shifts to Sienna. Why is she even talking to him? It infuriates me that she has the nerve to just walk up to him like it’s nothing after breaking his heart.

The desire to protect him overrides any nervousness I was feeling outside. Not that he can’t protect himself, but even though he’s a machine on the ice and one of the most capable people I know, this is different. When it comes to Sienna, he wears his fucking heart on his sleeve.

I stride toward them quickly, calling out Reese’s name as I do. The look of relief that floods his face sets my heart skipping.

“Callie,” he says, straightening a bit. “Hey.”

“Hey… baby,” I squeak out.

Oh god. I’ve never called him that before in my life. It sounded so weird.

As soon as I reach the spot where Reese and Sienna are standing, he slings his arm around me and pulls me toward him. A hug? I try to wrap my arms around him, but we end up bumping noses instead. Shit, was he trying to kiss me? I flush and stumble backward a little, but Reese catches me.

“I’ve got you,” he murmurs.

His large hand splays across my back, steadying me, and my hands end up resting on his chest for support. It must look close enough to the type of embrace an actual couple might find themselves in, because Sienna doesn’t seem suspicious when I glance over at her.

“It’s nice to see you again, Callie,” she says, although even without the ruse of me dating Reese, I’m pretty sure that would be a lie.

“You too,” I say, turning toward her a little as Reese tucks me in against his side. “How have you been?”

“Oh, fine. Work has just been keeping me busy, you know.” Her gaze darts between the two of us, her perfectly styled blonde hair glinting in the light of the bar. “Reese was just telling me about the two of you, that’s unexpected! How long have you been together?”

Shit. I have no idea how to answer that question. I can feel Reese’s body tense up next to mine, and my pulse spikes.

“Just a few days,” I say.

“Two weeks,” he blurts out at the same time.

We both freeze.

“Two weeks,” I amend.

“Just a few days,” Reese says.

Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

Chapter3

Reese

Sienna raises an eyebrow at the two of us as she processes our jumbled answer. I squeeze Callie a little tighter, and she laughs.

“You know how it is,” Callie says, sounding surprisingly relaxed considering that I can feel her heart racing in her chest from where our bodies touch. “We haven’t really decided on an official ‘start date’ for our relationship.”

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