Page 122 of Breakaway Hearts

“Most boys are.” She’s being dismissive, and I want to bite her head off for it, which tells me I probably need to cool it.

“Is he why you asked to switch to the afternoon class?”

“I usually go to the library,” I explain between punches.

“Which is where you two hang out.”

“Which is where he stalks me,” I correct.

“What exactly are we mad at him for?” she asks gently, but I know it won’t make sense if I tell her without telling her. “Or we can just punch it out of our system,” she offers.

“That would be perfect,” I say gratefully.

I forgot leaving from the gym instead of the library means I need to shower before showing up for my shift at the shelter. Luckily, Megan is playing in the yard with the younger kids, so she doesn’t mind the delay.

“Take your time,” she assures me before I go put my bag in a locker and grab some snacks for her. She always forgets to eat, then we have to stop every fifteen minutes for her to get food. Which I get, she’s very pregnant, but now she won’t go hungry.

“Would you be able to help if I wanted to get my GED?” someone asks just as I’m about to head back outside.

“Studying for it, or—” I turn to face her and stop when I see the woman standing in front of me, barely. She’s holding her side like she might have a broken rib, her face is bruised, and her eye is bloodshot. Not like she hasn’t slept, but like someone hurt her so bad the vessels inside it burst.

“Didn’t mean to scare you.” It’s not an apology, more of a reproach, and I feel terrible.

“No, you didn’t. I’m sorry. I…I know a lot of the women here are victims of⁠—”

“Oh, sweetie, I’m not a victim,” she tells me, cutting off whatever excuse for an apology I was piecing together. “I’m a survivor.”

I smile at her conviction and am surprised to find myself wishing I was that brave.

“You are,” I agree, but she looks at me and shakes her head like I’m not getting it.

“He tried to bury me like garbage, and I rose from the ashes like his worst nightmare. He thinks I’ll come crawling back, that I’m nothing without him. I can’t wait to get out there and live my best life, do all the things I thought I’d never be able to when I was lying on that floor.”

I nod and set up a time to go over the requirements with her next week, then hurry to get to Megan. She’s waiting on her favorite bench in the park, which means I have to walk past the basketball court, where Owen is with a bunch of the kids, shooting hoops.

I can’t help but smile at how much fun he seems to be having, how good he is with them…with everyone. It does something to my chest that I don’t want to look into.

I usually sort of linger when I’m done, let Owen walk me home, maybe get in a few orgasms before I send him away, but I feel like a bitch taking sex when he wants more; things I can’t give.

I wish I could be brave like that woman, but I don’t ever want to be back on that floor. Or bed, as it were.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Owen

Never want more

Iskate toward Gravy’s net and see an opening over his right shoulder, but before I get close enough to shoot, fucking Vale takes the puck from me and passes to Colt. Not that I have anything against Vales, but I stay late almost every practice to work on his puck handling, so to have him steal it from me…I’m way off my game.

“Fuck,” I curse when it happens again, this time with Shawn.

“You okay?” Gravy asks as I skate around his net to cool off.

“Fine,” I grumble before getting back into position, but the rest of the practice sucks just as much.

“What the fuck was that?” Colt asks when we get to the locker room after practice. Not upset like he might be if this was a game, but I think his concern is worse.

“We all have off days,” I say dismissively.