Page 265 of Don't Fall for the Goalie
I swallow hard. “It’s a really great opportunity…”
The second the words leave my mouth, I see it happen.
His entire body stills.
I see the tension in his jaw. The slight withdrawal in his eyes. The way his shoulders lock. The careful expression he puts on when he’s trying not to break.
And suddenly I realize something awful.
He already thinks I’m leaving.
Pain slices through my chest. “Daltyn?—”
“You should take it if that’s what you want.”
The words come too quickly. Too rehearsed.
Like he’s been forcing himself to practice them in his head.
My throat burns.
Because he means it.
Even if it destroys him.
I move closer.
“Hey,” I whisper softly.
His eyes finally lift to mine. Guarded. Terrified. But trying so hard not to show it.
And God, I love this man so much it physically hurts.
“I’m not taking it.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
Daltyn just stares at me like his brain genuinely cannot process the words.
“What?”
“I’m not going back to Florida.”
His breathing changes, becoming sharp and uneven.
“But your job?—”
“Isn’t my dream anymore.”
He blinks, like he’s trying to process my words.
Emotion climbs thickly into my throat. “Honestly?” I laugh shakily. “I don’t think it ever really was.”
Daltyn watches me carefully, like he’s afraid this is some kind of cruel trick.
“I thought losing my apartment was the worst thing that could happen to me,” I admit quietly. “But somewhere along the way…”
