Page 34 of Kicked in the Heart

He stepped closer to her to keep their conversation private. “I see how he looks at you, he’s in love with you or at least he thinks he is. Most people wouldn’t notice it, but I know him better than anybody else does. Am I wrong?”

“You’re not wrong,” she said as they walked down the jetway. “Please don’t say anything, we’re trying to figure things out.”Crap, Trey and Kylie both knew. How many other people had noticed them sneaking around?

“You know I won’t.”

“Thanks, Trey. I really do love him,” she said as they walked to their seats.

Chapter Seventeen

Rocky

Saturday night she sat at the bar, a glass of ice water in front of her. A waiter brought the sandwich she’d ordered and she picked up a French fry. She was tired but she didn’t feel like getting room service. Being around other people would help take her mind off the game tomorrow and the fact that she wanted nothing more than to snuggle up with Butch. She picked at her food, staring at the mirror behind the bar as she daydreamed.

Something caught her attention. She focused on the reflection and saw Butch sitting at a table by the door, alone and nursing a beer. She almost got up to go talk to him until she saw a beautiful redhead slide into the chair next to him. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t look away.

The redhead pulled out her phone and showed something to Butch. He smiled at her and hugged her.

What little she’d eaten threatened to come back up. Jumping off the stool it scooted across the floor loudly. It felt like everyone in the bar stopped to stare at her. She thought heloved her but here he was hugging another woman at a bar. The woman looked familiar, where had she seen her before? Was she a fan? Or had she seen Butch out with her before? She didn’t know and she didn’t care. She just needed to get back to her room where she could let her heart break in peace. How could he do this to her the day before the Victory Bowl? She knew she shouldn’t have given him a chance but he’d acted so differently with her when they were alone.

Tears blurring her vision, she hurried out of the bar, leaving her phone and her room key on the bar.

“Miss…” she heard behind her but she couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop to let everyone watch her heart break. She ran toward the elevator hoping no one stopped her for an autograph.

The elevator door opened and a couple stepped out. She lurched in and stabbed the button for her floor. The doors were almost closed when someone stuck their arm into the gap, making the doors slide open. Great, she really didn’t want company right now.

Butch stood there, holding her phone and key card. “Rocky? You forgot your phone…”

She grabbed the phone and key card out of his hand and pushed him back. “I don’t want to see you right now. Leave me alone.”

He stood there staring at her as the doors closed.

Her knees threatening to buckle, she grabbed the rail and leaned against the wall as the elevator carried her up to her floor. Just a little farther until she was alone. With a ding, the doors opened on her floor and she stumbled out and down the hall, hoping to get to her room before the tears began in earnest. She didn’t hear the other elevator ding as the doors opened and Butch stepped out.

It took her two tries to get her keycard to work, she was sobbing when she finally got the stupid door open.

Finally, she was alone.

The door started to swing shut behind her but it stopped and reversed.

Butch

He thought maybe she’d forgotten her phone and key card on purpose so he’d have an excuse to follow her out of the bar. But then she’d shoved him out of the elevator. Something didn’t make sense. The other elevator seemed to take forever to get up to her floor. His fingers tapped against his leg, as if that would make the elevator go faster.

Her door was almost closed when he got to her room. His hand on the door, he pushed it open and stepped into her room. She stared at him in disbelief as her eyes filled with tears.

“Who made you cry?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

“You have the balls to ask me that? Get out of my room or I’ll call security.”

He wasn’t moving until she explained what was going on.

“Fucking asshole,” she uttered.

She was mad at him? For what?

“I saw you. Hugging that woman,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “How could you do that to me? Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

What the hell was she talking about? He hadn’t been alone with any other woman since they decided to give this thing between them a try. Best decision he’d ever made.