Page 93 of Broken Saint

“The best Italian in Seattle,” Colt finishes for me when my words trail off.

“So you’ve been here before, then,” I surmise.

“Yeah, with Luca, Peyton, Kane, and Letty. Ella…” He sighs, killing the engine before twisting to me and reclaiming my hand. “You are the only woman I’ve ever dated. I might have done plenty of other things, but this…what we’re doing here…it’s only you, Bombshell. It’s always only been you.”

He lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses my knuckles.

The move is so innocent, so un-Colt-like that an ugly sob erupts and my eyes flood with tears.

“Don’t you dare make me ruin my makeup before I even get in there, Rogers,” I warn.

“Nah, you’re all good, baby. Later though, I promise to completely fuck it up.”

A laugh erupts as my issues battle with the joy of sitting beside him once again, feeding off his energy.

“Some things never change,” I mutter as he pushes his door open and hops out.

I’m about to do the same when he rounds the front of the truck and pulls my door open for me.

“Wow, I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Neither did I. Now hurry before some pap captures it for the world to see.”

Something painful twists up my stomach.

“Ashamed of me, Colt?” I ask, my mouth running away with me.

“Never,” he says, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me into his body. “I just want to keep you to myself as long as possible.”

The thought of what the media will do when they get their hands on this makes a wave of unease rush through me.

But then again, is there really an us to get their hands on, or is Colt just having a nice little trip down memory lane?

25

COLTON

I’m on a date.

A fucking date.

And not just any date. A date with Ella fucking Myers. In my hometown.

She’s here. She’s really fucking here, and her warmth is burning down my side as I lead her toward the secluded restaurant in front of us.

She’s nervous, that much is more than obvious. And despite the fact she looks fucking mind-blowing, her insecurities are fighting to get the better of her.

She’s trying to resist. I can see her desire to wipe away this new version of herself in favor of the old, fun-loving Ella I remember all too well. But as much as I miss the girl from my past, I’m also a little bit addicted to this new version of her. The shyness in her eyes, the coyness she’s found that she never used to have…both are endearing in a way I never knew could be.

But her unease has nothing on mine.

Usually, I’d be spending the night alone, sitting at home watching tapes, getting ready for Sunday's game against the Chiefs…against my little brother. But all of that was forgotten the second I saw her up in the stands. I’ve been fully focusedon the task at hand since before pre-season started, but one look into her honey eyes and suddenly football, our games, the league, the fucking Super Bowl, are further from my mind than they’ve ever been.

I would say that she shouldn’t take up so much of my headspace, but I can’t say I’m surprised. I always did lose my head when it came to Ella. Since that very first time I saw her on Sawyer’s arm.

“Are you okay?” she asks as I slow down, approaching the door to the restaurant. “You’re tense.”

“I have never, ever been better. This is us,” I say, reaching out to open the door, proving in an instant that my previous words were nothing but bullshit, because my hand visibly trembles.

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