Page 264 of Don't Fall for the Goalie
Mark’s last email sits open.
My eyes skim over the words.
A promotion.
More money.
A new apartment.
A fresh start.
Everything I thought I wanted.
Everything I wanted my first night here.
So why does the thought of leaving make me feel sick?
My chest tightens painfully as I look around the cabin. The open floor plan allows me to see the living room, kitchen, and part of the hallway.
I lift my eyes to the loft.
My gaze sweeps over the blankets tangled on the bed.
I close my eyes, picturing Daltyn’s hoodie draped over the chair. My skincare products scattered beside his toothbrush in the bathroom. My clothing in his closet and drawer as he slowly moved me from the guest room to his bedroom.
My eyes pop open.
Somewhere along the way, our lives quietly began to exist together, and this stopped feeling temporary.
And maybe that realization should terrify me.
Instead? It feels like peace.
The final piece clicks into place so suddenly that it almost steals the air from my lungs.
Florida stopped being home the moment I started building a life here.
Not because of Vermont.
Because ofhim.
Emotion swells painfully in my chest.
Before I can lose my nerve, I close the laptop and head to the living room.
Daltyn looks up from the couch.
His eyes track me carefully as I walk toward him barefoot in one of his hoodies. Concern flickers across his face.
“You okay?”
Even now, he sounds braced for impact.
I stop in front of the couch.
My heart pounds so hard it hurts.
Daltyn slowly sits forward. “What happened?”
