Page 107 of The Breakaway

An hour and a half later, I sat in front of Rob’s house. That’s what I called it now. It wasn’t the “Guys’ House” or the “Halloween Party House.” It was all him. After leaving Logan’s, I’d dropped my stuff off at Lily’s, and then, instead of driving the truck back over, I found myself winding to the west side of campus.

Practice was barely ending, so Rob wouldn’t be there for a bit. I popped his mix tape into the cassette player and leaned back in the seat, listening. The music filled the cab of the truck,and I smiled to myself. Each song sounded just a little bit different knowing it was Rob who’d picked them.

I’d realized something during my conversation with Logan. Rob was the one who told him I’d be there. Considering how much he wanted to kick Logan’s ass after he heard what happened, I knew he didn’t do that for himself.

Once again, he did it for me. He knew what Logan wanted to say, and he knew I needed to hear it, even if the idea of putting the two of us back together—alone—in the house we’d slept in probably created his own personal hell.

As I unpacked my boxes, I realized that two weeks was plenty of time for me to know exactly what I wanted. I wasn’t jumping into this with Rob because I was sad or lonely. It had been him that I’d loved all along, even if I didn’t know it.

An engine sounded behind me, and I shot up, looking in the side mirror. Rory’s car pulled up, his headlights shining through the back window of the truck. Had they ridden together? I hadn’t even checked to see if Rob’s truck was parked somewhere on the street.

The passenger door opened, and my heart leapt into my throat. Rob stepped out, his hair damp and tousled, his hockey bag slung over his shoulder. I turned off the truck and stepped out, closing the door behind me. Rob rounded the front of Rory’s car and stopped in front of me, his eyes locked on mine. For a moment, neither of us moved, even with Rory and Axel’s catcalling.

I waited for them to file past us and go inside the house. “I talked with Logan.”

Rob nodded to the truck. “Did you get this in the divorce?”

I smirked. “Asshole.” I walked forward, stopping when I had to look up to keep eye contact. “Thank you.”

Rob’s jaw tensed. “He better have been a gentleman.”

“He was. He loaded my things and lent me his truck.”

“And apologized?”

I nodded. “And apologized.”

Rob adjusted the strap of his hockey bag. He was so hot like this. Freshly showered after practice, wearing sweats with or without a T-shirt, his whole body worn out and relaxed.

“I don’t care if you wear a shirt anymore,” I murmured.

Rob raised an eyebrow. “Amending the rules?”

“Mmhmm. Maybe all of them.”

“Don’t we need a pen and paper for that?”

My eyes narrowed. “What should we call it this time?”

“I don’t know, but you’re not choosing the title.”

I scoffed, throwing out my hand to smack his shoulder. He caught it and pulled me to him. “I thought it was a very functional title.”

Rob’s lips twitched. “Okay. What would be your functional title now, then?”

My heart skipped like a kid doing hopscotch. Just like the last time, my emotions were too heightened to be witty. “I was thinking something like ‘Sharla and Rob’s rules for an exclusive relationship?’”

Rob’s breathing slowed. “That is much improved from the original.”

“I thought you might like it.” I swallowed hard, my pulse rushing in my ears.

Rob stepped forward, pushing me along the truck until I was past the driver’s door. He opened it and reached in, retrieving the keys, then closed and locked the door.

“There’s something in there.” I pointed to the back door.

Rob inserted the key and opened it, then snorted and pulled out the toilet cleaner. “Finally. I’ve been waiting on this.”

I laughed. “Just spreading out the Christmas joy.” I was trembling. Not only because I’d forgotten my coat at myapartment, but because I knew what came next. Or at least what I hoped came next.

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