When Stars Collide (Light in the Dark #2) - Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,23

I can. It’s difficult, considering there’s a lot of people out there who know I’m on the team—and this is my home state, which increases the odds of someone recognizing me. My college coach and teammates all know—all except Cade. I know Cade won’t understand when I tell him—which I will, I’ll tell them all—but I hope he’ll be able to forgive me since we’ve been friends since we were in diapers. Although, I conveniently forget that I married his sister—yeah, after he finds out about that and coupled with this … I might lose my best friend.

A sharp pang pierces my chest as I head for the showers.

I remind myself that even if he gets pissed—which he will—he’s a pretty chill guy and he’ll eventually come around. Unfortunately, I’ll probably have to let him punch me before he feels better.

I finish my shower, change my clothes, say my goodbyes to a few of the guys, and head out. I’m exhausted and my body aches all over. All I want to do is get home and tumble face first into bed.

I yawn as I head to my bike with my gym bag slung over my shoulder.

Bed.

I am going home and going to bed.

Forget dinner. All I need is sleep.

Unfortunately, I’m going to hit peak traffic time, which means the normal forty-five-minute ride home will be closer to an hour and a half.

I fix my bag onto the bike, slip on my jacket and helmet, and get out of there.

An hour into my drive, I watch, stunned as the fluffiest dog I’ve ever seen darts out into the road and into traffic. I slam on my brakes and the car behind me honks its horn. The car in the lane beside me doesn’t see the dog in time and hits it.

Time seems to stop.

My bike passes the dog, lying there on the ground, and I see the blood matting its fur, and something inside me breaks. I can’t leave this dog here to die alone. I veer off the road and park on the side. People honk at me as I run across traffic to get to the dog but I don’t give a fuck; I’m not leaving it there.

I pick the dog up in my arms and carry her over to the side by my bike. She looks up at me with big, pleading, brown eyes and her breath is labored. “I’m going to help you,” I tell her, and she blinks like she understands.

I fish around in my bag for my phone and call the most recent contact.

“Hello?” Thea picks up.

“Thea,” my voice cracks.

“Xander?” She sounds worried. “Where are you? Are you okay? Oh, God, please tell me you haven’t been in an accident.”

“I’m fine,” I assure her. “But there’s this dog, it got hit by a car and-and I can’t leave her here to die, I need to get her to a vet. I can’t take her on my bike, though. I need you to come to me.”

“I don’t have a car,” she reminds me.

“You can borrow my truck.”

“Oh, right. I guess so. Text me where you are. I’ll be there as quick as I can.”

“Thank you.” I breathe out a sigh of relief.

“And Xander?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

I chuckle. “Never.”

She hangs up and I text her my location before I put my phone away.

I look down at the helpless dog in my arms as the traffic passes us by.

“It’s going to be okay,” I tell her, searching for the spot where the blood is coming from. I lay her down and remove my jacket and then my shirt so I can use my shirt to help stop the bleeding. I’m not sure if that’s what you’re supposed to do, but it seems like the logical thing to do, so I’m going with it.

Her tongue lolls out of her mouth but her eyes stay firmly fixed to my face.

Since I have the best fucking luck in the world, it begins to rain. It doesn’t take long for me and the dog to be drenched, but I don’t care. I’m not leaving her.

When my Nissan Titan finally pulls up, I breathe out a sigh of relief.

Thea hops out and shrieks, “Where’s your shirt?” while waving her hands wildly at me.

“I used it for the dog.” I stand with the dog in my arms and head to the backseat of the truck to put her in. Thea gets the door for me and I lay the dog across the seat. Her