Page 3 of Breakaway (Nashville Knights Hockey #3)

Chapter Three

CHLOE

M y entire body feels like a lead weight. Mouth? Like sandpaper. My head? It feels like I was clobbered with a sledgehammer.

And then I remember why I feel so crappy.

Duncan is cheating on me and I ran away from my wedding.

I roll over on the soft bed, not caring where my phone is. I have zero doubt there are dozens, if not hundreds, of messages from my family wondering where I am and why I didn’t show up. Hell, maybe even Duncan. But wouldn’t he just go crying to his girlfriend?

I hate how I’m feeling right now.

Miserable, cranky, and hungover.

The worst combination possible.

I shouldn’t put it off. I already did the least adult thing and ran off on Duncan. I need to look and see. And as expected, hundreds of messages. Calls and voicemails from my parents. Texts from Duncan. A few voicemails.

Shit.

This is worse than I thought.

Duncan

What the fuck, Chloe?

You ran out on me?

I’m the best thing that ever happened to you and this is how you repay me?

I gave you everything!

Where are you?

Seriously, answer me!

Ugh. I don’t know what I ever saw in this man. The pressure from my family to settle down made me want to say yes to him. Was there any other reason I said yes? I tap over to the other text from my mom.

Mom

Where in the world are you?

The wedding is supposed to start in ten minutes

Chloe. This behavior is childish

If you don’t want to get married, you need to tell someone

Running out on Duncan? He’s devastated

Devastated? Really? I highly doubt he was devastated. Probably ran right into the arms of his girlfriend .

Another thought hits me. Oh God. Was I the other woman?

Shit. I go back to his texts, ready to fire one off to him.

Duncan

Baby. Where are you? I love you

You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.

I love you

Call me, okay?

I just want to know you’re safe

We can figure this out

“Fuck you! Figure it out with your tramp!” I yell, throwing my phone across the room. It clatters to the floor with an unsatisfying clunk. If I felt like getting out of bed, I’d go flush it down the toilet. I never want to speak to him again.

So much for responding like a reasonable adult.

“Seems like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

Sitting up—way too fast for the situation—I feel dizzy and sick when I see Dax, wearing a T-shirt that stretches across his chest and a pair of athletic shorts, standing in the doorframe of the room holding a tray.

“Ugh. Did yesterday really happen?”

“’Fraid so.”

“I wish we could rewind it so it never happened.”

Dax sets a tray down on the nightstand before walking to the windows and throwing the curtains open. A steady stream of rain is coming down.

“Then you’d still be getting married to Duncan. Is that what you really want?”

“No.” I flop back down on the bed and tug a pillow over my eyes. “I can’t believe I almost married someone who is cheating on me.”

“At least you ended it before you said I do. That’s one bright side.”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Have you heard from him?”

“Yes.”

Dax drops down onto the bed next to me and pulls the tray with two full plates over onto his lap. “And that’s why you’re throwing things?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe eating something will make you feel better.”

I sit up, inhaling the scent of bacon, hash browns, eggs, and coffee. “Doubtful, but I won’t say no.”

Grabbing a piece of crispy bacon from my plate, I bite a piece off.

“Better?” Duncan asks, taking the bottle of ketchup and squeezing it over his hashbrowns.

“Yes.” I lean against the bed, munching quietly. “When did you have time to make all of this?”

“Well, when you sleep in, it’s easy.”

“What time is it?”

“Almost eleven,” he tells me.

“Seriously?”

He nods. “I didn’t really want to wake you up after yesterday.”

“I can’t hide forever.”

“You can for a few days.”

“Really? ”

“It’s offseason; I have nowhere to be.” Dax nods. “You want to try those with mustard?”

I screw my face up in disgust. “Eww, no. Why would I do that?”

“Do you not remember our conversation last night?”

“About mustard? Why would we talk about that?”

“You said maybe if you were spicy mustard, Duncan might like you better.”

“I did? Kill me now.”

I wish I could drown in my coffee. These last twenty-four hours are not playing out at all how I imagined they would.

I’m not on a plane headed to my honeymoon.

There’s no ring on my finger.

I’m not married.

Instead, I’m hungover in my best friend’s cabin, debating if eating hash browns will make me want to puke.

Screw it. Might as well try to feel better.

I stab my fork into the fried potato goodness. Okay, this will probably make things a little better.

“Not even using ketchup?” Dax smiles at me.

The fork clatters to the plate as he stretches out across the bed.

“See? I am boring.”

“You’re not boring,” he says, nudging my knee.

“I am. And I need to break out of my shell.”

“How are you going to do that?”

Dax leans on one elbow, sipping from his own coffee mug. Black, how he always takes it.

“I’m going to make a to-do list.”

“A to-do list to make you less boring? Isn’t a list boring to start with?” Dax laughs.

“See if I let you help me with it then.”

“What is going to be on this list? ”

I take another bite of the hash browns, thinking it over as I chew. “Do you have a pen and paper I can use?”

He hops off the bed and walks over to the desk in the corner. A tiny notebook and pen are thrust into my hands.

“Thanks.”

“Does this mean I get to help now?” he asks.

“Maybe.” I wink at him.

Flipping open to the first page, I start writing things out. Anything that comes to mind. Things Duncan always shot down whenever I brought them up.

Chloe’s Anti-Boring List

Ride a hot-air balloon

Go zip-lining

Try pole dancing

Go skinny-dipping

Run a marathon

Write poetry

Have sex at a sex club with a mustached stranger

Break a world record

Let someone make all my decisions for the day

Try roller derby

Open my own jewelry-making busines s

I think that looks like a good list. I underline a few things to make a point. All things I’ve wanted to do but never thought I could because I didn’t have the courage. Duncan told me they were boring. In other words…they were meant for other, more exciting people.

Not me.

Enough of that.

Any random thing I’ve ever wanted to do, I’m doing it.

Duncan be damned.

“Are you going to show me?” Dax asks.

“Here.” I push it toward him and take a bite of the bacon and eggs. I watch as his eyes read over the list. When he nearly chokes on his coffee, I know exactly where he is.

“This is what’s on your list?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Going to a sex club? You can’t do that,” Dax hisses.

“Says who?” I set my fork down on my plate and sip on my coffee. So good. Dax knows exactly how I take it—with more creamer than coffee. “Haven’t you been to one?”

That earns me a look of shock. “Why would I have gone to one?”

“I don’t know. You’re more experienced than I am.”

“Not in that way.” Dax guffaws. “Have not been to a sex club. Doubt I ever will.”

“Will you help me with the other things?”

Dax holds the list in his hand, gaze flitting between me and it. “You know you don’t have to do these things to make yourself less boring, right?”

Biting into a piece of bacon, I chew while thinking about what Dax says.

Do I have to do these? No, of course not. But it’s because of Duncan that I’m going to.

“I know I don’t. But this is going to be a new era of me. A new Chloe. Someone that does what she wants instead of just dreaming about it.”

Dax smiles at me. “Are you really going to open your own jewelry store?”

That pulls a huge grin to my face. “Yes. I’m going to make it happen.”

It’s the one thing I’ve always loved doing, but never had the courage to make happen. Both Dax and Duncan—even though I hate him now—chased after their dreams of playing hockey.

So why can’t I do it?

“Whatever you need, I’ll help, Sunshine. We’re going to make it happen.”

We .

Within a minute, Dax is already plotting how he can help. Duncan? He could never be bothered with it because he was too busy with hockey and trying to get back to the NHL.

Something he still hasn’t done.

At least that’s gratifying to me.

“Thanks, Dax.” I peck his cheek and watch as a blush creeps over his cheeks.

“Don’t mention it.”

“I’m serious. Your brother never did anything to support me, so it means a lot that I have it from you.”

Dax sighs. “I’m sorry my brother wasn’t a better guy for you. If I’d have known what he was doing?—”

“I know.” I pat his arm. “At least I don’t have to go through a painful divorce.”

“Enough about my brother.” Dax gulps down the rest of his coffee. “I was going to suggest a hike after breakfast, but I don’t think this weather is going to clear anytime soon.”

“I don’t think I could take a hike. I’ll be lucky to manage breakfast and going downstairs to the couch. Although…”

Dax groans. “What?”

“If this rain lets up, maybe I could start with skinny-dipping in the lake out back.”

“I won’t stop you.” Dax hops off the bed with all the grace of a professional athlete. “Now, eat up, Sunshine, because I don’t want you getting sick on me.”

“Yes, Dax.”

I watch as he walks out of the room, shaking his head. I stuff another piece of bacon into my mouth and lean back against the headboard. The steady drum of rain against the window could easily pull me back into sleep.

For the first time since I ran out on Duncan, I don’t feel the weight of the entire world on my shoulders. And it’s all thanks to his brother.

Thank God for Dax, because otherwise, I don’t know where I would be right now.

Oh, I do know.

Married to a cheater.

At least that didn’t happen. One small win for the day.