“I can get on board with that.”
“Yeah. It’s all great until it goes wrong.”
“He’s an asshole for hurting you, Freya. One day, he’ll wake up and realize what he’s lost.”
A laugh spills from her lips, but it’s heavy and full of pain. I hate it.
“I doubt that. He’s too busy being a superstar.”
“Is he…is he big?”
“You sound like a cheesy journalist wanting all the dirty details,” she teases, shooting me an amused look.
“I didn’t mean big like…his legit size. From the way he’s treated you, I’d be tempted to say he’s small in every sense of the word.”
“Well, I don’t want to kiss and tell, but …” I bark out a laugh as she lifts her hand and holds her forefinger and thumb about an inch apart. “Don’t tell anyone I told you that, though. It can be our little secret.”
“You got it. But in the superstar sense? Is he someone I might have heard of?”
“Probably, yeah.”
‘Well, if I ever see him in person, I’m going to let him know exactly what I think of him.”
“No, Cole, you can’t.” She stops walking, turns toward me, and rests her hand on my forearm. Her touch is warm and gentle—soothing for the anger racing through my veins as I think about what he’s done to her. It’s not even that he broke her heart. It’s the way he stripped her confidence and self-belief. I fucking hate him for that.
I turn to face her, gazing down into her light-blue eyes. They twinkle in the sunlight, drawing me in even more. I take a step forward, closing the space between us.
“I can and I will, Freya. No one gets to hurt you like he has and get away with it.”
15
COLE
The microwave pings and echoes around my silent apartment.
I know I encouraged Freya to take tonight off so she could get ready for her date, but I’m already regretting it.
The scent of her precooked meal fills the air. As always, it makes my stomach rumble and my mouth water, but it’s not the same without her here. And I don’t mean that because I have to warm and dish it up myself. I’m not that fucking lazy. I just…I like her company. I like hearing her noise, even if it’s just her complaining because she’s hurt herself again. I swear, I’ve never met anyone as clumsy as her. How she hasn’t already cut a finger off, I don’t know. The woman is a liability, but she’s a damn good cook, so I’m not going to stop her any time soon.
With a groan, I throw my legs off the couch and pull my aching body up to stand.
Coach really put us through it this morning. And then Bob Davids, our goalie coach, got his hands on me after a session in the gym. It was a long-ass day, and I’m exhausted. But as much as I might need an early night, I know I’m not going to be able to sleep. Not until I get a message from Freya that she’s home.
As I pad toward the kitchen to get my dinner, I wonder just how I went from not really caring for anyone, to needing to know she’s home safe after her date.
Selfishly, I tell myself that it’s because I need her to make me breakfast in the morning, but deep down, I know it’s more than that.
In a short space of time, Freya hasn’t just made a place for herself in my home, in my kitchen, but she’s become a big part of my life. A friend. Someone I look forward to seeing after a long day at work. Someone I want to talk to. I get a little shot of adrenaline every time I see a message waiting for me on my cell, even if it’s just a dog video. That’s a new development in our relationship. Every time she sees a cute dog, it comes my way. Of course, I appreciate a cute dog; who doesn’t? But I love that I’m getting a deeper insight into Freya’s life, even if it is through her love of fluffballs.
That’s all going to stop tonight, though. She’s going to be too busy to be watching dog videos. She’s going to be getting dressed up and spending her evening flirting with another man.
Something bitter and entirely unwanted twists my stomach as I tug the microwave door open and pull out my dinner. As I lift the lid off and peer down at it, I discover that I might have fucked up.
It looks dry as fuck.
Abandoning the mess I’ve made, I find the note Freya left.
“Shit,” I hiss, throwing it back on the counter.
