Breakaway

Chapter 20 - Breakaway

DANA

Eric spent longer kissing me before the guys left for morning skate than he normally would. I held on tight, wishing I could make the moment last forever. There were only so many more kisses I would get from him. Even when he broke off the kiss, he held me close to him for a minute.

It felt good to be in his arms. Too good.

"I love you," I whispered in his ear before he let me go. It wasn't fair of me to say that to him, to tell him the truth. I knew it. Love had never been part of the deal. I'd known before I ever flew all the way across the country that I might get hurt in the end.

Telling him I loved him wouldn't change how he felt about me. It wouldn't change how things had to be. It would only make things awkward between us when it didn't have to be that way. I should have kept it to myself.

He pulled me closer, held me tighter. "I love you, too."

But he didn't. Not like I wanted. He loved me like he would love his best friend's kid sister, nothing more. I had to keep reminding myself of that so I wouldn't hope for the impossible.

I couldn't miss the angry glares Brenden was giving him when they left. I guess they were inevitable. Things had been tense between them ever since Brenden found out I was here. He'd probably realized I hadn't been in my room last night when he and Babs got home. For all I knew, he might have heard what was going on in Eric's bedroom.

I hated that this had driven a wedge between them, but I didn't know how to make it better. Maybe once I left, once Eric wasn't touching me anymore—maybe then Brenden could see all the good Eric had done for me and ignore the parts that upset him.

"See you in a couple hours," Eric said. I nodded, and he closed the garage door.

After they were gone, I packed my suitcases and set them by the door in my bedroom. Then I waited.

I had to sit and wait far too long. I'd been traveling with the team so much that I'd become an expert at packing. It only took me about fifteen minutes to get everything I had with me situated. Even with walking through the whole house twice, looking to see if I'd forgotten anything, I had too much time on my hands before they would be back for lunch and their pregame naps. Too much time to think. Thinking was dangerous right now, because it could only lead to my getting upset.

I checked in for my flight. I texted Sara to make sure she could still pick me up and take me to the airport this afternoon. I wrote Eric a letter, then tore it to shreds and started over again. On my fourth attempt, I had something I didn't completely hate. I put it in my bedroom and came back downstairs to start making lunch.

The guys would be hungry when they got back. On game days, they usually liked to eat a big lunch and mainly just snack for dinner. I took out some chicken breasts and salad fixings and put a pot of water on to boil for pasta.

I'd almost finished cooking, and I looked up when the garage door opened. They were pretty quiet when they came in. Eric was last. He had a black eye like Babs had had on Casino Night, after I'd punched him.

"What—"

He just shook his head.

I didn't have to wonder much what had caused it. Not with the way Brenden kept flexing his fingers.

Babs came into the kitchen and helped me finish up the salad. "Smells good, Dee. You're going to spoil us."

I'd completely lost my appetite, though. 

ERIC

I pulled Dana into my bedroom with me when I went to lay down for my pregame nap. I usually slept during that time, but there was no chance I would actually sleep today. There was too much adrenaline coursing through my body, between everything that was riding on tonight's game and the fact that Dana had told me she loved me. Then there was the small matter of Soupy wanting to go a round during the skate this morning.