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NAVY

8 MONTHS AGO

“You’re gonna regret this, you bastard. I’ve got fuck around or find out wired in my genes. I am…I am a catch! You, sir, are missing out on the best thing that ever happened to you!”

Ugh. I stomp my feet in frustration. I need to remain frustrated or I’ll cry. Not because things are now over between me and my boyfriend of almost fifteen years, but because the poor excuse of a man threw my things outside.

Outside.

It took him less than an hour after our breakup to toss my things outside his apartment door and have the locks changed.

Leaving me to my current predicament.

I finally put on my big girl pants and ended things with Luke, yet now here we are. Let’s just say he handled me breaking up with him in a less than stellar way.

No regrets, though. Our relationship was dull and lifeless. Essentially, we were playing house. I did think, or hope, I should say, we would be able to end things amicably and be peaceful in these next steps for the both of us.

We weren’t married and didn’t have kids together, which I see now worked out in my favor.

That’s part of the reason I ended things. I don’t know if I ever want kids, and Luke enjoys pressuring me to do things I don’t want to. Hence, our fifteen-year stagnant relationship.

I glance down at my abundance of things: clothes, shoes, blankets, pillows, kitchen utensils, he even tossed the hand towels.

What am I supposed to do with all of this?

I drive a Mercedes, not a pickup truck.

This is laughable. If my best friend, Kodi, could see me now, she’d be on the ground laughing her ass off.

I look down and realize I’m still in my school drop-off mom clothes. I’m not a mom, but I’m excelling at the look. My hair is in a mangled messy bun—lopsided. I’ve got on my dancing shark socks with purple star sleep shorts and a stained white T-shirt that says “ honk if you love hookers .”

I see why Luke loved me so much.

And here I am telling him what a catch I am.

I can’t believe I ever felt remotely bad about breaking up with him. God, I practically cried myself to sleep at the thought of hurting him. When you invest so many years in someone—and fifteen is a lot of years—they become your comfort and not always in a good way.

Pacing the hallway of Luke’s apartment, I lift a bag and say to myself, “I’ll take one bag at a time. It’ll be fine. My car may be small, but this has to work. It has to?—”

“Navy?” A masculine voice cuts off my thought process.

Uhh… “Yes?” I say on a slow rise, my voice hesitant to meet the stranger behind me.

“Are you alright?” he asks me, and I recognize the voice right away.

Bodhi St. James. My brother’s best friend and the man whose shoulder I’ve cried on far too many times this past month.

Of course the hottest man I’ve ever laid my hungry eyes on is the one who gets to witness me like this—vulnerable and face first in fiery chaos.

I legit look homeless.

Deciding I have no other choice but to greet him, I turn to meet Bodhi’s piercing green eyes—they resemble the tranquility of a hidden spring.

Uniquely his, and I decide then I want to get lost in them.

I’m terrible with directions, but I could navigate through his emerald green forest any day of the week.

“Bodhi, hi. Yes, I’m okay.” I perk up at the sight of sweat pouring down his tan skin. Copious amounts of slick sweat, and he’s never looked more gorgeous. I’ve seen this man in tight baseball pants and the fanciest of suits, but nothing compares to the version of Bodhi that just finished a workout and is glistening with sweat.

I’m a dirty woman.

“Are you sure? Is this all of your stuff?”

“Uh, yes.” Shit. He can’t tell Callaway about this.

“Why is it outside your apartment?” He’s onto me, I know it.

Bodhi knows I live, now lived, here. Jethro, the team’s newest rookie, signed a lease in the same apartment complex.

Bodhi has been here, helping Jethro get settled.

Which explains why I would run into him, of all people, outside the doors of Luke’s place.

“Oh…uh. Luke put it there for me. Nice guy.” I’m a terrible liar.

Bodhi walks closer, eyeing me top to bottom like he knows I’m full of shit. “How kind of him. What for, Navy?”

Intuitive caveman.

“You know Luke…he knows how much I love my…hand towels.” I look at the miscellaneous bag in my arms.

“ Hmm. ” His graveled hum worries me. I’m caught and he’s deciding how to handle it—handle me.

“Anyway, it was great seeing you, B.” I do my best to dismiss him so I can get out of here, spinning in a hurry. Bodhi is a busy guy. Chances are, he’s got somewhere to be.

The feeling of Bodhi hovering behind me halts my retreat. He hovers, not touching. But I feel him all over. I’m taller for a woman, and Bodhi still manages to tower over me. His chest meets my head, and I can feel the heat radiating off him. “I’ll ask one more time, Navy. Why is your shit outside the apartment door?”

I can’t avoid this. Bodhi is too stubborn to let me go that easily. Especially since he knows all the problems I’ve had with Luke over the past few months. Bodhi has been such a great friend to me, listening and offering advice when needed.

When Kodi and my brother officially started dating, I saw her less. Rightfully so. She has a lot on her plate and was working really hard on bettering herself, so I knew I could never burden her with my problems.

Unexpectedly, Bodhi found me in a situation where I was falling apart. He helped me. He comforted me. And we’ve been friends since.

I take a deep breath and answer him, “Luke tossed it out here.”

A conniving smirk ghosts his face. “I’m sorry, I thought for a second you said Luke threw your things out here. Tell me I’m wrong.”

My stomach drops. “You’re not. I’m sorry you had to see this.”

I don’t want him to be angry with me. I tried to talk to Luke but it was useless. I’d never want to disappoint Bodhi, and for some reason, I feel like I now have.

I almost turn around to face him and apologize, but I don’t have a chance. Strong arms wrap around my chest, wrapping me in his hold as his low voice finds my ear. “Don’t you dare apologize for a damn thing. You are not at fault here. You are not the problem—he is. Never apologize for doing something about it.”

My body freezes at the weight of his words, and I’m hit with a wave of unfamiliar emotions. All this time, I’ve felt like the problem. Like the reason Luke and I didn’t work out is because I’m too much to handle. I let myself soak in Bodhi’s caring affirmations and fall into his embrace.

If I’ve observed him correctly, Bodhi doesn’t make an effort to hug anyone. He has mild social anxiety, but he’s hugging me by choice right now and it feels nice.

I can’t remember the last time someone hugged me without me being the one initiating it. God, it feels so good.

Bodhi makes no move to let go, holding me as long as I need—until I finally pull away. I turn to face him. “Thank you, B.”

A smile lights up his handsome face. “Anytime. Now, let me help you get this shit out of here before I get myself back in the slammer for pummeling Luke to the ground.”

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” I joke.

I feel shy around him. Lately, he’s seen so many different facets of me that him seeing me like this—mistreated by a man—has me avoiding eye contact with him. Bodhi is a stand-up guy, so I know he considers what Luke did disrespectful.

Cal would too. I will be telling him eventually, but not yet.

The mention of Bodhi in the slammer, however, makes me curious as to what exactly has happened to him. I know Bodhi was arrested not long after he and my brother started playing for the Strikers, but what I don’t know is why. I remember Callaway visiting him, but nothing past that.

That was all I got to see or hear until he was released two years later.

The media had a field day with his story, but Coach Leggins did everything in his power to shut them down and make the story ghost.

In my experience, there’s always a cost.

I have questions. Questions I’m not quite comfortable enough to ask.

Despite my need to know more about the mysterious man who showed up for me today, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude.

Bodhi seems to always be here when I need him the most. Similar to the way he held me in the parking garage while I cried my eyes out over the same man—the same pathetic, lowlife man.

Never again.

After one load, Bodhi carries the last of my things to the elevator before turning to look at me. A bright smile lights up his face. “You hungry?”

You have no idea.

“Starved,” I reply, letting him lead me to where our cars are parked.

Despite breaking up with my boyfriend of fourteen years, I feel free and finally like I have a chance at real happiness. I’m not sure what that looks like yet, but I’m excited to find out.

“Good. Let’s eat.”

Yes. Let’s.