Page 62 of Keeping the Single Dad
Guilt made my chest tight. Poor Alex. He must have been so stressed trying to arrange childcare before a match.
“It’s fine. Gabe’s staying with me. I can come with you now, though?”
“Come with me?”
He hitched a shoulder. “You can look after me now you’re here. Gabe’s okay, but you’re more fun.”
No. Brodie couldn’t come with me. As much as I wanted him to, Alex wouldn’t want me to take him now. Heat pressed behind my eyes as the realization settled in. I hadn’t just lost Alex. I’d promised Alex that I wouldn’t hurt his son, but that’s what I was doing. Would Alex still let me spend time with Brodie?
I dropped to my knees. “You’re going to have to stay with Gabe. I’ll see you later.”
“When?”
A tear escaped my eye, and I brushed it away. “I don’t know.”
“After the match?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so.” Another tear fell down my cheek. “Your Dad and I need to talk.”
“Why are you crying? You’re still going to be Dad’s girlfriend, aren’t you? Why don’t we—”
“Brodie?”
The masculine voice made my heart contract. I straightened to see the tall figure of a man at the end of a corridor. The bright corridor lights glinted from Gabe’s chestnut hair. Relief flooded me. Good. Not Alex. I would have to face him soon, but not yet. Not that I wanted to see Gabe, either. If Claire was pissed off with me, then no doubt Gabe was, too. I hadn’t said a word about him to Karen Delaney, but she’d taken the opportunity to lay the boot into him. The media had always hated Gabe. Now, they’d had an opportunity to have another shot at his beloved team.
I turned Brodie by the shoulders and angled him gently back down the corridor. “Go back to Gabe now.”
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek. “Love you, Lana-Banana.”
Anguish wrapped around my throat, suffocating me. There was no hope for me and Alex after this. How could there be? Alex wouldn’t forgive me. This would hurt him so much.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “I love you, too.”
He twisted in my arms. “When will I see you again?”
Tears ran down my cheeks and I tried so hard to smother them but I couldn’t. A pulse beat in my temple. I’d said goodbye to my club. I’d said goodbye to Alex. Endings were too painful. That’s why I left before it got to that part.
?“I’ll see you soon.” I kissed Brodie on the cheek. “Now, go back to Gabe.”
I watched Brodie skip back to Gabe at the end of the corridor. Gabe lingered a moment before he escorted Brodie into his office and shut the door. My stomach felt hard and sour. Gabe was another person on the list I’d hurt today. Skylar and the entire team would be reeling. On trembling legs I walked out of Calverdale Ladies for the last time. I should have gone home, but I couldn’t face Mel. I couldn’t face any of this.
Instead, my legs carried me to the train station.
Instead, I did the thing I’d been doing for years.
I ran. ?
Chapter 37
Alexander
Lana’scheeryvoicemailmessagerang in my ears again. Where was she? I swung by Gabe’s office after the match to pick up Brodie. Gabe had spotted us walking into the training suite this morning and volunteered to watch Brodie. He wouldn’t have been my first choice, but only because I’d assumed he’d be too busy. He had a kid of his own, so at least I knew I could trust him.
Brodie sat in Gabe’s huge reclining chair, slurping a blue slushie through a long straw. Football cards lay strewn all over Gabe’s huge, immaculate desk.
“Thanks so much for watching him. You’re a lifesaver.”
Gabe smiled and ruffled Brodie’s hair. “We’ve been looking at this football card collection. I’m bringing out a range next year for the women’s team. It’s only fair.”
