Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 116231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
The television switches back to the game, and I see him blinking quickly as they get him to the bench. The trainers are there waiting for Kirby and Jaxon to hand him off. “That looked scary for a moment,” the announcer says. “We will keep everyone up to date.”
“Will you let me know?” I ask her, sitting back down on the couch.
“As soon as I know anything,” she assures me. “I’ll call you as soon as I can.” I nod my head and she hangs up on me. I hold my phone like my life is depending on it.
My eyes are glued to the screen. She calls me back twenty minutes later. “Hello.” I put the phone to my ear.
“They are doing tests on him. They think it’s a concussion,” she explains. “Nothing is broken.”
I close my eyes. “Okay,” I reply softly and my hand falls from my ear as they replay the play over and over again. Each fucking angle you see that the defenseman’s shoulder got him in the cheek and his head shot back.
The game finishes and I text Lexi, knowing if she knew anything she would call me.
Me:
Can you have Kirby call me when he comes out?
Lexi:
Yes.
I sit with my legs tucked under me, watching the television, or better yet, the television watching me. I wipe the tears off my face as I think about him being hurt.
The soft knock has me looking over to the door, and I wonder if I’m hearing things. Until it happens again. I get up, rushing to the door, thinking it’s Lexi who is coming to check on me. I pull it open, and I gasp when I see Knox standing there. Exactly like he was when I broke up with him.
His hands hold onto my door frame, his eyes come to mine and I don’t even think I’m breathing at this point. “I’m miserable,” he states, his voice thick with emotion.
My chest is rising and falling as if I just ran a fucking marathon. “Okay.” I lick my lips, afraid he’s going to tell me he hates me.
“Tell me you don’t feel the same.” He stands up and runs his hands through his hair and then holds the back of his neck, his blue suit fitting him perfectly.
“I’m scared that loving you will break me,” I say the words. “I’m scared.” I can’t help the tears. “I’m so scared.”
thirty-three
Knox
The elevator door opens and I step out, never in a million years thinking I would be back here. When I walked out of the dressing room, Lexi was the first one who came to me. She had tears in her eyes. “Go to her,” she said. “We’ll drive.”
I didn’t say anything, I just got in their SUV and they brought me here. I walked in, my head pounding like a motherfucker. But it was no match for the way my heart was pounding. I knocked on her door, holding out my hands to grip her doorjamb and I closed my eyes, listening for her footsteps. I don’t know how long I waited until I knocked again.
She pulls open the door and everything inside me comes alive. I stare at her and say the first thing that comes to my mind. “I’m miserable.” I watch her face, the face I’ve dreamed of for the past fucking week. The face I’ve wanted to come home to. The face I want to spend every fucking day looking at.
Her chest rises and falls, almost panting. “Okay.” She licks her lips.
“Tell me you don’t feel the same.” I push off from the doorjamb, run my hands through my hair, and squeeze my neck instead of rushing to her and trying to hold her.
“I’m scared that loving you will break me.” Her words are like an electric shock to my heart, and I finally feel it beating normally in my chest. “I’m scared.” The tears run down her beautiful face. “I’m so scared.” She trails off, her hand falling from holding the door.
“I’m scared I’ll never love anyone the way I love you,” I tell her and her breath hitches. “I’m in love with you,” I say what I vowed I would tell her if I got one more chance with her. If I got one more minute with her. “Never thought it would happen.”
Her head falls forward and I see her shoulders shaking. Even though I know I have to let her come to me, I have to let her make the first move, I need to hold her. I wrap my arm around her and pull her to me, her face planting into my chest. I close my eyes and my head falls forward onto hers, and I breathe her in and silently kiss the top of her head. “I’m so scared,” she repeats it again, “but I don’t want to be without you.” She looks up at me and my head moves down to the side, and I kiss her softly.