Page 259 of Don't Fall for the Goalie
I force my face to stay neutral. Force my breathing to be steady.
Because the panic rising inside me feels ugly. Selfish. Wrong.
Peyton finally speaks softly. “That’s… wow.”
“You don’t need to answer right now,” Mark says kindly. “But we’d love to have you back, Peyton. Everyone here misses you.”
Back.
The word slices straight through my chest.
All I can think about is her side of the bed, empty.
Her coffee mug sitting on the shelf, unused.
The silence inside the cabin.
No laughter.
No warm body tangled with mine at night.
No Peyton.
Something dark and terrified twists violently in my chest.
Not again.
Not when I finally found something good.
Not when she became my home.
Peyton glances at me again.
And I hate myself a little for the fear she notices on my face.
“Can I think about it?” she asks quietly.
“Of course,” Mark says warmly. “Take your time.”
The call ends.
Silence crashes down around the booth.
The diner noise fades strangely into the background.
Neither of us speaks for a second.
Finally, she says softly, “Daltyn…”
I force myself to look at her.
And the worst part? I already know what I’m supposed to say.
What a good man would say. What someone who loves her correctly would say.
Even if it destroys me.
“You should do what’s best for you, baby.” The words scrape their way out of my throat like broken glass.
