Page 26 of Breakaway (Nashville Knights Hockey #3)

Chapter Twenty-Six

DAX

“ I could get used to this.”

Chloe burrows into my side as the sports channel plays quietly in the background.

“Get used to what?”

“Lazy mornings with you.” She steals a strawberry from the bowl but I steal a kiss from her.

“Don’t worry, there will be plenty more where this came from,” I say.

“Too bad hockey is going to get in the way.”

“Well, we’ve got a lot of hockey left to play.”

Chloe’s legs tangle with mine as we eat breakfast together on the couch.

“Well, on the non-hockey days, I want to get used to this.”

“I can promise you that,” I say, dropping a kiss on the crown of her head.

Is there anything better than being wrapped up with the person you love? One of these days, I’m going to tell her, but for right now, I’m happy with the way things are.

The doorbell rings, echoing off the app on my phone .

“Who’s here?”

“I don’t know.” Grabbing my phone, I check the camera app, but it just spins as it tries to load, not showing who’s on the screen. “Of course.”

I drop the phone and hop off the couch. Swinging open the front door, my blood runs cold at the three people standing at my door.

Fuck.

This can’t be happening. My parents are on my doorstep with Duncan right behind them.

Guess the team is in town already.

Mom looks shocked to see me opening the door in nothing but a pair of sweatpants. My dad is typing away on his phone, no doubt attending to some business, and Duncan looks like he’d rather be anywhere else.

“What are you guys doing here?” I ask in way of greeting.

“Is that any way to say hello to your family?” Mom chides, brushing past me to walk inside.

Fuck. This is the last thing I want right now.

“Is everything okay, Dax?” Chloe’s voice calls out.

What am I going to do? Before I can say anything—before I can warn her—she bounds around the corner and comes to a dead stop when she sees who’s standing here.

In nothing but my T-shirt and a pair of shorts, it looks exactly like what we were doing.

Spending the morning together after spending the night together.

“What the fuck? You really were cheating on me?” Duncan’s voice is dead calm. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard it like that.

I thought we’d have more time before Duncan learned that we were dating. Considering that I see him all of three days a year—two holidays and a random birthday—I didn’t plan on being face-to-face with him so soon .

Seeing him in my entryway breathing fire, casting angry glances between me and Chloe?

Not how I saw my day going.

“So this is why you ran out on me?” Duncan huffs a breath.

“Do we really have to go over this again?” She’s exasperated. “You were cheating on me.”

“Clearly because you were cheating on me.”

“That’s not what happened,” I interject.

“It doesn’t look that way.” Duncan crosses his arms, taking a step closer to me.

“Dax, do you care to explain exactly what is going on?” Dad asks. “Because your brother has a point here.”

It figures they would take his side. They always have. It’s why I’ve never really gotten along with my parents—hell, any of my family.

“I don’t care what happened. Dax,”—Mom turns her attention to me—“you cannot be with this woman.”

“Says who?”

My annoyance at their presence turns to anger. Who do they think they are, coming in here and telling me who I can or can’t be with?

“Chloe left poor Duncan at the altar and ruined his life.”

“Oh, is that what he said? In his big ‘interview?’” Chloe spits out. Well, I’m guessing she saw that. No sense in hiding it.

“You’re the one that is lying, Duncan.” I take a step closer, but Dad steps between us. “Tell everyone else what they want to hear, what you want to believe, but we know the truth.”

“You only know Chloe’s truth.”

“And I believe her.” There is no doubt in my voice. Out of everyone in this room, I would trust Chloe over all of them combined.

“What happened to the tramp?” Chloe crosses her arms over her chest, the hem of the T-shirt riding up ever so slightly.

Damn it, I wish we had more clothes on right now. Again, wasn’t planning on my family showing up on my doorstep today.

“Chloe, is it really appropriate to be calling another woman that?”

“When she’s sleeping with my fiancé, I can call her whatever I want.”

I love that she doesn’t back down from my mother.

“Dax Thomas Fletcher.” Mom turns her ire to me. “It is obvious that you are the one that was cheating here. I cannot believe you would do that to your brother.”

“Stop it!” Chloe snaps. “We were not doing anything behind Duncan’s back. He was the one in the wrong here. Not us and I will not let you stand here and make us out to be the bad guys.”

“Are you going to allow her to talk to us like that?” Dad asks.

I pull Chloe next to me. “It depends. Who do you believe?”

“This is a conversation that needs to be had when cooler heads will prevail,” he says, the response not surprising.

“What, so they can get their stories straight?” Duncan throws a hand in our direction.

“Fuck off, Duncan. There’s nothing to get straight because we’re not lying about anything.”

He eats up the distance between the two of us. He is a good head taller than I am. Another annoyance I have with my brother .

Taller. Better at hockey. He took to hockey like a fish to water whereas I had to work harder to get ahead.

“Fuck you, Dax.”

“Get out.”

“Are you going to treat us like this and kick us out of your house?” Mom looks stunned, appalled.

“Yes.” I flit my gaze to her. “I am not going to sit here and let you treat the woman I love like this. Duncan is not the victim here, and if you believe him, then you’re not welcome here.”

“Dax.” Chloe grabs my arm.

“No. You can leave,” I say to them again.

“Seriously?” Duncan fires at me. “You’re choosing her over us?”

“There was never a choice.” I nod. “Now get out.”

Mom storms out, Dad following behind her.

Duncan gets dangerously close, voice dropping low. “This isn’t over.”

And then he’s gone.

“Fuck.”

Chloe pulls me in for a hug, squeezing me hard.

“Did that really just happen?”

“Yeah.”

She rests her chin in the center of my chest, staring up at me. She looks sick. “Are you really choosing me over your family?”

I tuck a loose strand of soft hair behind her ear. “There’s no question, Chloe. I really didn’t want to say it this way, but I love you. I’ve always loved you, and nothing Duncan or my parents say will change that. Truth is, I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember.”

“Say it again.”

“Which part?” I smile down at her, relief flooding my body .

“The part about you loving me.”

“That’s easy. I love you, Chloe Davis. And I will do everything in my power to protect you from whatever Duncan throws our way.”

“Do you think it’s going to get worse?”

I shrug a shoulder. “I don’t know, but with him, you never know. I mean, I never expected him to blatantly lie on TV like that.”

“So much for fact-checking.” Chloe snorts. “You know, you could be with anyone. Why me?”

“It was never a question for me, Chloe. It was always you. I don’t care what Duncan throws at us. I love you , Chloe.”

“I love you too, Dax. I realize I was never in love before. Duncan gave me just enough to think it was love, but it wasn’t. I know that now. Thanks to you.”

I crush my lips to hers, a surge of happiness washing over me. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy in my life before. Hearing Chloe utter those words is everything I’ve always wanted.

No matter what happens, as long as it’s the two of us, we can face it together. Face Duncan together.

I’m sure of it.