Breaking Elle (22 page)

“Elle?” Tyler whispers as the center comes into view. The sight of the crowded parking lot makes me nervous since I’ve spent the whole weekend in hiding. He gives me a hug and holds my hand, squeezing it every few seconds as we walk in silence. Not even the warm sun, the sweet air, or Tyler can lighten my mood. My mind is not here. If I’m in a dream, I hope to wake up in Cane’s bed, in his arms.

“Yeah T?” I sigh deeply, knowing Cane will not be easy to forget. I try to distract myself by admiring the blooming flowers in the park. I want to focus on something pleasant, but how can I, when all of those pleasant memories have been with the person that just broke my heart?

“Sorry.” Tyler says quietly, a slight frown on his lips.

“Why are you apologizing?” I gaze up at him and half-smile.

“You didn’t deserve that. I hate that he did that to you.” He answers softly.

“It’s okay. We’re still going to be friends. He has a lot of things to sort out and so do I.” I grab his arm and draw myself closer to him, needing my friend more than ever.

It’s going to be difficult working with Cane, but we need to move past this somehow. It’s hard to hear his voice and not want to be with him. He doesn’t want to believe that we’re over. He needs to figure out what he wants for himself. We both do before we can commit to anything with anyone. I’m scared to be on my own again, but for some reason, I know this will be good for me.

“I don’t know what Cane was thinking. Some people just don’t know how good they have it,” he mumbles, shaking his head. I choose to ignore his last comment because he’ll only question the reason why I took Cane back the first time he cheated.

“That’s part of the problem. I don’t think he was.” I hazard a tiny smile

“I want to be that guy, but I know we’re
just friends.
” He sighs and smiles looking down at me. As always, Tyler’s here for me.

I squeeze his hand reassuringly; his friendship means the world to me. “I want you in my life always, T. I don’t want anything to ruin that.”

“Yeah, me too, Elle. Me too.” He looks away and pulls me closer letting me know that he’ll never abandon me. At the same time, I know I need to find my own way.

“Miss Elle!”

I turn around as I’m leaving the women’s locker room to head to the lounge. Brandon, a little boy who regularly comes to the center, is dragging Reed behind him with the football snugly tucked under his arm.

“Hey, hey. What did I tell you about that little man?” His face lights up when he looks over at Brandon.

“Sorry.” He looks up at Reed, smiles, and then releases his hand.

“No worries,” Reed says as he looks over at me and back at Brandon. “So, what did you want to show Miss Elle? This big secret of yours?” He asks, emphasizing the word Miss.

“Reed is great, Miss Elle.”

“Did he pay you to say that?” I wink, kneeling down in front of Brandon. I glance back up at Reed whose sapphire eyes twinkle with amusement and I attempt to conceal my nervousness.

“Nope, he taught me how to throw a football like Tom Brady,” He says, his face glowing with pride.

“Well, I was thinking more Tony Romo or Troy Aikman, but Tom Brady will do.” Reed laughs.

“That’s great.” I smile at Reed. He sheepishly scratches his head as a small mischievous smile touches his lips. My stomach just did its fluttering thing again. I focus my attention back on Brandon, but I find myself losing focus, my thoughts wandering to other things like biceps and tattoos. “Can I see you throw it?” I ask as I slowly stand up.

“Sure. Reed taught me how to do this today, right?” He smiles up at Reed.

“Sure did, champ.” He grins as he takes a couple of steps back, preparing to take the pass. “Go easy on me.” He smiles and instantly I lose the ability to verbalize my thoughts. Not that I would want to since most of them are inappropriate. “No Hail Mary’s or anything like that. Those are for those big games. Remember what I told you?” Reed says.

“Yes, Coach. Can I call you that?” He asks.

“Sure. Now let’s show Miss Elle over here what you can do.” Reed motions with his head in my direction and winks.

Yet another weapon, and yet again, there’s that damn butterfly. There are so many facets to this guy that he has me stumbling trying to figure him out.

Brandon firmly places his fingers between the white piping, takes a step back, and pulls his arm over his shoulder. He tosses a perfect spiral that hits Reed right in the stomach. He plays it up by groaning. The expression on both of their faces is priceless. I watch Reed interact so sweetly with Brandon, sending a shiver that I can feel deep within my bones. It’s the most touching thing I’ve ever seen. It’s as if he’s somehow reliving part of his childhood with him. For a moment, I imagine what he would be like as a father and instantly, something inside of me kind of clicks. Whatever I thought I was missing before I just found.

“That was great, Brandon,” I say, clapping his hand.

“Thanks, Miss Elle,” He replies excitedly.

“Yep, this little guy is a natural,” Reed says as he cups the ball in his hand and smirks at me. “Heads up!” He unexpectedly tosses the football at me and I manage to catch it at chest level.

“Good catch, Miss Elle!”

“Yeah, good hands!” Reed laughs, his deep blue eyes slide from my hands up to my eyes, and his mouth lifts at the corners in a surprised smile.

“Why thank you, guys.” I turn away from him and toss the ball back to Brandon. “Make sure Coach over here teaches you how to play fair.” I smile. I want to stay, but I need to walk away from his intense gaze because it’s making me feel emotions that I haven’t felt in a very long time.

Reed laughs as he steps closer to Brandon and me. I can smell him now, spicy and masculine. Could he be any more enticing to the senses?

“Reed’s the best coach!” Brandon grins, tucking the football under his arm again like he never wants to lose sight of it.

“Thanks bud. I think you’re gonna play in the NFL someday. Guarantee it.” He says ruffling his blonde hair.

“That would be awesome!” Brandon says as he looks over at me. “Thanks, Miss Elle.”

“For what?” I raise my eyebrows and look down at Brandon.

“For hiring Reed. He’s awesome.” I look up at Reed and smile softly. He crinkles his forehead and smirks. I don’t want to make a big deal about not being the one that hired him so I play along. He seems to be the perfect package and not just with the kids.

“I’m glad you like him.” I answer. This is great. I’m already having strange feelings about him just from looking at him, and now he had to go and do this. Seeing him with this little boy pulls at my heart.

“Can you be my big brother at camp, too?” Brandon looks up at Reed.

“Of course,” He replies as he glances up at the clock. “Well, we got to go out on the field and Miss Elle may have things to do,” he says as he places his hands on both of Brandon’s shoulders and twists him towards the exit. “See you later, Elle.” Reed smiles as if he has a secret and walks out the door.

I smile because what I just saw was something I never expected from Reed. Who says a guy that looks like him is bad news? I did, but maybe he’s not. Not only is he smart and sexy, but he’s sweet too. He’s a triple threat, which makes him more off limits, more dangerous and simply more attractive. I walk into the lounge, grab a magazine, and throw myself on the couch. What is with these butterflies? What is going on with my head? I feel like a teenager. This isn’t happening. This guy is too perfect, but he must have a flaw somewhere.

The first day was hard, but by the end of the week, things are more relaxed between Cane and me. Sometimes I find myself staring at the phone waiting for his call, and times that I dial his number but don’t hit send. It’s hard to let go of someone when you spend two years of your life with him. I don’t know where all of this strength is coming from, but maybe the shock to my system is what I needed to get over my fears and insecurities.

Reed is still gorgeous and distracting, but I’ve been able to keep a healthy balance with him most of the time. It’s still hard being around him at work. If he’s in the room, I try not to take his clothes off with my eyes, and then when he’s not in the room, I imagine undressing him. I know he’s trying his best to be discreet about things since Cane and I’ve broken up, and I’m sure that is why he’s keeping his distance.

“Hey Boss.”

There’s that drawl that sends chills down my spine. He couldn’t have come at a more awkward moment; I’m standing on my tiptoes trying to grab a binder from the top of the bookshelf. The first thought that comes to my mind before I spin to face him is that I hope my ass looks okay in my shorts. What is it about him? Sure, he’s gorgeous, but something about him that I can’t explain beckons me even though I’m fighting it. I feel connected to him in some way, which is totally crazy because I don’t even really know him.

“Hi, Reed.” I smile, tugging down my tank top that rode up my stomach as I turn to face him. I can tell by his smile that flashes across his face that I was too late.

I eat him up as he stands in front of me with his legs slightly spread and his muscular arms crossed behind his back. He’s wearing his usual white t-shirt, and basketball shorts. His brown hair is damp and disheveled like he just got out of the shower, and those damn blue eyes that could make any girl drop her panties in a second pierce me like an arrow.
Seriously Elle. Seriously.

“If you need any help with that, let me know.” He lifts his eyebrows, looking towards the bookshelf, eagerly stepping closer to me. I automatically feel that connection, that tingle that bites.

“I’m fine. It’s not a big deal.” I pause, sitting down at the desk still buried in paperwork and reports. “Did you need something?” I ask casually, though I’m feeling overwhelmed and anxious by him and all of the work I need to catch up on. I notice the definition of his abs underneath his t-shirt and the way his muscles flex when he runs his hand through his hair. A flirtatious look shoots across his face and it makes me blush
everywhere.

“Sorry.” He clears his throat and chuckles. “I was just thinkin’ about something. Kind of lost track of what I was gonna ask you.” Very slowly, his lip curls into a wicked smile. “But I think I remember now.” It’s not hard to figure out what it was. The sexual tension in the room is so damn thick you’d need a power saw to cut through it. “I forgot about a doctor’s appointment today. I need to leave early. I just wanted to let you know before anyone came looking for me or said I skipped out.”

“Oh. I hope everything’s okay,” I say, masking a tiny smile created by his mere presence.

“Yeah. Just a regular checkup.” He finishes as he hesitantly turns to head out.

“So you’ll be in tomorrow?” I ask, wishing he wouldn’t leave so soon so that I can stare just a little bit longer and soak in all that I can. Better to look at him than the pale yellow office walls and the pile on my desk.

“Bright and early, ma’am,” he says. His drawl curls around his words, making the hair on my neck stand on end. I can only watch as six feet two inches of pure sex appeal walks out the door. I drop myself into the chair, frustrated by my inability to communicate with him.