Page 100 of The Breakaway

Okay. So I’d stolen a truck. I was homeless. And I was sitting on the curb in front of a veritable party house full of guys who played on every Douglas sports team.

What. Was. I. Going. To. Do.

I jolted at a tap on my window and straightened, swiping the backs of my hands over my cheeks. When I finally looked up, relief swept over me like a winter Chinook.

It was Rob.

His eyes searched mine through the glass, and the tortured expression on his face made my heart ache. He opened the truck door, and I fell into his arms. For the first time I wasn’t holding him because I needed comfort. I wasn’t questioning whether it was okay to be this close to another guy or berating myself for feeling something for a person other than Logan.

I sank into him, burrowing my head against his chest and drinking him in. His scent, his warmth, his solid muscle and slow breath.

"I’m sorry," I mumbled into his shoulder. "I'm always such a mess when you find me."

Rob tightened his grip, his breath warm against my temple. "Can you stop being so Canadian? Apologizing for things you didn’t even cause?"

I laughed, twisting my fingers in his shirt. I wanted to crawl inside of it. To lie next to him, skin to skin. To talk for hours and tell him everything that was running through my head.

I’d never felt such a magnetic pull to strip down. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. It was terrifying and intoxicating, and I had no idea whether it was good or safe or smart. All I knew was that I wanted Rob to see every part of me. All the parts I’d hidden. All the pieces I’d pretended away.

“You’re in Logan’s truck.” Rob’s voice was low as he ran his hand over my back. I nodded. “But there’s no Logan.”

I exhaled. “Damn it, you noticed that?”

Rob chuckled, then stilled when he turned his head and looked in the back seat. “You have a suitcase.”

I pulled back, tilting my chin up to look at him. “I hoped?—”

“Are things with Logan . . . Does he know?”

I reached up and ran my thumb over his brow. “He came home today. We talked.”

Rob’s throat worked. “You saw the picture?”

I blinked. “Yousaw the picture?”

He grabbed my hand and moved like he was going to press my fingertips to his lips. Instead, he slowly lowered it back to his chest. “Everyone did. Rory had to tie me to a chair to keep me from breaking down your door and kicking Logan’s ass.”

I blew out a breath. “An hour ago, I would’ve let you.”

Rob wrapped his hand over mine and held it to his chest. “And now?”

I wet my lips. “I think . . . I learned a lot while he was gone. I think I was a little bit grateful to have proof that what I was feeling wasn’t just in my head.” I met Rob’s eyes. “It’s easy for me to question my version of reality. To wonder if I’m overreacting, especially when what I feel isn’t convenient for other people.” Rob listened, his eyes dark, liquid pools, and I knew I didn’t need to give more of an explanation. “I told him it was over.”

His nostrils flared, and he crushed me to his chest. “Did he believe you?”

I blew out a breath. “Maybe not until I stole his truck?”

Rob laughed, squeezing tighter. “You can stay.” His words came out in a rush, his chest rising and falling in quick succession. “Unless you were hoping?—”

“With you.” The words were a plea, the whispered prayer I’d kept in my heart the whole drive over.

Rob ran his hands over me like he was trying to memorize the shape of my spine, then released me so he could open the back door. I pulled out my backpack, violin case, and purse while he grabbed my suitcase, then we walked up the steps to the house.

The house was quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos in my mind. We stepped into a living room that looked completely different from Halloween. The furniture was back in place, and there weren't people dancing on the coffee table.

I stopped short when I saw a group of guys sitting on the couch and chairs in the living room. Rory and Axel looked up, and their faces immediately morphed from pissed off to concerned.

"Sharla, are you okay?" Rory shot up from the couch. "Where the hell is Logan?"

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