Page 10 of Breakaway (Nashville Knights Hockey #3)

Chapter Ten

CHLOE

Dax

When are you meeting Duncan?

Chloe

In an hour

Leaving soon

You sure you don’t want me to go with you?

I’ll be fine

Besides, I don’t want you punching your brother in the face

He deserves it

Not debating that

But it’s time I had a conversation with him like an adult

Think he’ll be able to do that?

Well, if he can’t, end of conversation

Goodbye

The end

Never have to see that scumbag again

Call me after and let me know how it goes

I will

And if I’m not allowed to punch Duncan, you can’t either

how rude gif

Hey, you gotta protect those hands if you want to start your business

I hate when you make sense

One of us has to be calm and collected when it comes to my brother

No punching. Got it

Call you later

Good luck

G od, I wish my foot would quit shaking. The longer I sit here at this tiny little coffee shop waiting for Duncan, the more nervous I get.

Maybe I should have had Dax come as a buffer, but I know that would only piss Duncan off more. And if we’re going to have a conversation between the two of us, I need it to be a one and done.

Because it’s not something I want to have to do again .

Glancing at my watch, I shouldn’t be surprised that Duncan is late. He said to meet him at three, so I was here a few minutes early. Maybe he thinks it’s a power move to show up late, but I really don’t care. I just want this to be over.

As the minutes tick by, the nerves settle and the annoyance grows. This is just like Duncan to be late. He never had any sense of urgency to be anywhere on time. It was one of my biggest pet peeves about him. Something I overlooked when I agreed to marry him.

Another reason I’m glad to be done with him.

Before I can pull my phone out and call him, he waltzes in through the front door. His hair is slicked back and a dark pair of sunglasses covers his eyes. A tight black T-shirt shows off his biceps as khaki shorts cling to his thighs.

Ugh. I can’t believe I was ever into him.

Pulling off his sunglasses, he looks around the coffee shop. A smile is firmly in place until he locks eyes with me in the corner.

It softens, like he’s trying to butter me up.

There will be no buttering me up, Duncan. Save your butter for someone else.

“Chloe. Baby. It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you.”

He goes in for a kiss, but I turn away. There is no way in hell I am going to let him convince me to get back with him.

“Duncan. You wanted to meet,” I state, matter-of-factly.

I cross my arms and lean back in the chair. Tension and coffee perfume the air around us.

He tucks his sunglasses into the collar of his shirt and shoves a hand through his brown hair .

“You don’t miss me?” He aims another smile my direction. “It’s been months since we’ve seen each other.”

Nothing. I feel nothing but anger and bitterness toward this man.

“And whose fault is that?” I quirk a brow at him.

“You’re the one that ran out on our wedding, baby. Not me.”

“Don’t baby me,” I hiss. “You’re the one that was cheating on me. ”

“Who says I was cheating?”

He looks relaxed. At ease. Like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

What an asshole.

I hate that I let myself get so taken by him.

“I heard you talking to your side piece on the phone, Duncan. You really couldn’t keep it in your pants for a few hours?”

Although, it got me out of marrying him, so can I really complain now?

“You don’t know what you heard.” Duncan leans over the table, stabbing his finger against the mosaic surface. “You heard one part of a conversation that wasn’t meant for you.”

I roll my eyes. “I wasn’t supposed to hear you on the phone with your girlfriend? I’m so sorry.”

“Look, I’m trying to make peace here, Chloe. I am ready to take you back and marry you because I can be the bigger person.”

“Bigger person?” My skin is boiling I’m so mad.

He wants to be the bigger person? When he is the one that was cheating on me? Hell, no.

“Then tell me the truth.”

Duncan looks confused. “What truth? ”

“That you were cheating on me.”

His dark brown eyes study me. As if he’s trying to see what he can get away with telling me.

I don’t know what fantasy world he lives in, but if he thinks he can lie again and get away with it, he’s lost it.

Duncan takes my hand and I rip it away from him, trying not to let my blood curdle at his touch.

“There was only ever you, baby.”

“Unbelievable!” I scoff, throwing my hands up in the air, drawing the stares of people around us. “You can’t even tell the truth now. Was this how our marriage was going to be? Me, waiting at home for you, while you ran around with your tramp?”

“Grow up, Chloe. She’s not a tramp.”

“Oh, so there is a she now.” I cluck my tongue, shaking my head. “Finally owning up to it.”

“What’s your problem, Chloe? Everyone cheats on everyone these days. Who the fuck cares?”

“Who the fuck cares?” My voice sounds shrill to my own ears. Now I’m fuming. If smoke were to come out of my ears, I wouldn’t be surprised. “Silly me for thinking I’d want my husband to stay loyal to me.”

“Then why don’t you marry Dax?” Duncan bites out. “If you want someone to wait on you hand and foot, marry him.”

“What?” That shocks me into silence.

“You heard me. Dax is the perfect man who can do no wrong.” Bitterness oozes from his voice. “I’m tired of being compared to him.”

“Who compared you to Dax?”

“You always did.”

“I never did. You are your own person, Duncan, and you’re responsible for your own actions. ”

“Whatever.”

“I don’t know what I ever saw in you.”

“Then go be with my brother.”

I slap my hands on the table between us. “Why do you keep saying that? Are you jealous of him?”

I was always careful around Duncan to make sure I never brought Dax up too much. I didn’t want to get in the middle of the two of them, but leave it to Duncan to make it an issue.

“Why would I be jealous of him?”

“You sound like it to me.”

“Probably never even had sex before,” Duncan whispers.

“You’re just being mean.” I grab my purse and stand up. “We’re done.”

Duncan pulls his sunglasses from his shirt. “So that’s a no then?”

“The fact that you can ask me that with a straight face tells me everything I need to know, Duncan. It’s a hell no. If you were the last man on the planet, I wouldn’t say yes to you for anything.”

“Fine.” He stands, a solid foot and a half taller than I am. “I want my ring back.”

“No way. You don’t get to act like the wronged party here. Go cry to your girlfriend. Or your side piece. I don’t really care anymore.”

“And here I thought we could have an adult conversation.” Duncan shakes his head.

“If you could tell the truth, we would.”

“I told you the truth, Chloe. You’re the one that doesn’t want to accept it.”

“Fuck you, Duncan. I hope you get an STD and your dick falls off. ”

And on those parting words, I storm out of the coffee shop.

Was it the most adult of responses? No.

But damn, did that feel good.