It brought me back to another time something awful had happened that I hadn’t seen coming—and how it had obliterated my life as I knew it.
That hadn’t happened today, but for thirty very terrifying seconds, I had felt as if it had.
I’d vowed to never love and lose anyone else, but it was too late.
I already loved Stella enough to freak out over losing her. Not just as a friend. I hadn’t seen her as “just a friend” for a while now, regardless of what I’d admit to myself.
I was fucked in every way imaginable, yet I couldn’t move or let go.
Stella brought me closer, resting her forehead to mine.
“Shh,” she crooned, drifting her thumbs back and forth over my cheeks. “It’s all right. I’ll be ugly for a few days, but I’m okay.” She dipped her head, a watery chuckle falling from her lips while her eyes glossed over. “Again, I’ve had worse blows than this.”
“You’re beautiful,” I told her, my voice raspy, my racing pulse halting my words. “So damn beautiful.”
I dropped my hands from her neck and found her waist, pulling her closer.
My chest rose and fell against hers while I tightened my hold, willing my racing pulse to slow.
“You’ll be bruised for a little bit,” I whispered, running the back of my hand down her cheek. “But nothing about you could ever be ugly,” I said, skating my thumb over her bottom lip. Her mouth parted as her jaw dropped, and I could almost feel that line I’d feared to cross but now did not give one single fuck about.
“Fuck, Stella,” I whispered, inching closer as she leaned in. “I can’t…” I trailed off, not even sure what the hell I was saying. Before, I’d meant that I couldn’t lose someone I loved again. Now, I didn’t know if I meantI can’t do thisorI can’t stop, my lips so close to hers I could taste her.
It was both, because I wanted her too much to think of anything else but closing that last little bit of distance.
“Lee, the car is at the back exit for you.”
We broke apart at Silas’s voice at the doorway.
“Sorry,” he said, his face twisting in a grimace while he padded toward us. “Claire called ahead to the ER, so they’ll take Stella right in.”
“I said that you probably didn’t need an ambulance since you were alert,” Bailee said, coming in behind him.
“No, please,” Stella said with a whimper, the paper crinkling under her. “Getting hit was embarrassing enough.” She eyed me as she slowly pushed off the table to stand. “You don’t have to come.”
“The game is almost over, and the guys are fine. Lee can cut out of work a little early.”
I gave Silas a quick nod. “Thanks.”
“You can walk, right?” Bailee asked, looping her arm around Stella’s waist. “Just lean on me.”
Stella found my gaze over her shoulder as she shuffled out of my office with Bailee, slow but steady.
“Sorry, man,” I said to Silas. “I hate to leave before a game is over. I’ll follow up with Chris about his knee tomorrow.”
He held up a hand, shaking his head.
“If Rachel got hurt, the last thing I’d be thinking about is work. Go. How are you doing?”
“Me? I’m fine.”
The corner of his mouth twitched.
“The way you catapulted over the first base railing, maybe you want to play on my team instead of staying in sports management.”
I shrugged, a surprising chuckle escaping my lips.
“I was an athlete once upon a time. A long time.”
