Page 46 of The Game

While hopping on one leg, he works the denim over his feet and up his thighs. Without fastening them, he snatches his t-shirt off the end table.

“I did something stupid. I’ll be there in under twenty minutes.” Every muscle in his body is tight enough that if he had coal up his ass it would turn into a diamond.

My fingers shake. Being with me is stupid. Fuck. It is. What if he misses the game? Will he get fired?

Tears spring to my eyes. He’s going to dump me. There’s no other way around it. He can’t be with me and focus on his career.

This situation is the reason he doesn’t date during the season. I could cause him to lose his career. I want to curl up in a ball and lose myself in pity and anguish, but that’s for weak people. I’m not that girl. I take responsibility for my bad decisions.

“I’ll be there. I’ve got to call Veronica and have her bring my gear to the stadium. I don’t have time to go home before the game.”

I slip off the bed and grab a robe. When I have the sash tied around me, I inhale and prepare for a wave of sadness to overwhelm me.

When he rolls his shoulders, and his eyes catch mine, there isn’t a hint of softness in them. He’s in complete game mode. No emotions. No weakness. Pure adrenaline. I shiver.

“I’ll see you there. Bye.” He hits the phone screen. “I’ve got to go.” He shoves the t-shirt over his head.

God, I’m going to die. I’ve got to protect myself and pretend it doesn’t matter. It’s the only way to survive. “Do you have time to get to the game?”

“I should.”

Thank God. I bite the bottom of my lip.

“We have a failsafe in place if someone is over thirty minutes late, we check-in.” He frowns. “Except, I missed the first two calls. So now, I’ve only got twenty minutes to get to the stadium.”

Shit. “It takes me thirty minutes to get there.”

“Okay.” He inhales and steadies his shoulders. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later.” He shrugs. “I don’t know when I’ll have time to get back with you.”

“Gunner.” I shake my head. He’s going to hate me. Lord, the whole town will hate me. “This is a mistake.”

“What?”

“This.” I raise my hands out in front of me. I’m not going to be the reason he loses his job or doesn’t achieve the dreams he’s envisioned. He’s put way too much into it. If he chose to be with me, he’d eventually hate himself for not putting his career first. I can’t live with his regret.

Fuck. That’s stupid. He’s already said I was a mistake.

“Dani, I don’t have time for this.” His jaw flexes as if he’s grinding his teeth together.

“I know.” Tears fill my eyes, and I blink them away. “Go on.”

“Shit.” He shakes his head, and his gaze narrows. “I can’t believe this.”

“Gunner. Go. It was fun. We had a great couple of nights together, but that’s it. I don’t do relationships, and you don’t have time.” I lick my lips. “Go.”

“Fine,” he spits out.

He slams the door against the wall on his way out of the bedroom. The sound echoes through the stillness.

When the front door snaps shut, I sag to the mattress. My entire body shakes like I’m suffering from a fever, and I can’t stop.

From the driveway, I hear the engine of his Mustang rev and his tires spin. Fuck. Tears pool against my lashes, and I furiously blink them away. I never stood a chance with him. He’s so far out of my league.

Why would something good happen? The tears I’d blinked away reproduce a tsunami of ones to replace them until they’re streaming down my cheeks and splashing on the fabric of my robe.

Why? Because he’s perfect. And I’m – me. It was always destined to be one-sided.

Chapter Twenty-Five

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