A great cry spilled from her very center. She heard a dim, answering roar and felt his fierce shudders. Spinning free of gravity, they hurtled into oblivion.

13

13

Phoebe’s cheek was stuck to Dan’s chest and her leg was twisted at an uncomfortable angle, but she didn’t care. As she lay in his arms, her heart was filled with gratitude toward this tender warrior who had done so much to vanquish the enemies of her past.

The air conditioner hissed. In the hallway someone slammed a door. She waited for him to speak because she didn’t know what to say.

He shifted his weight and rolled to the side. She felt chilly air on her bare back. He pulled his arm from beneath her and sat up on the edge of the bed, his back to her. She felt the first wisps of uneasiness.

“You were great, Phoebe.”

He turned and gave her a fake, too-friendly smile. A chill shot through her as she wondered if it was the same one he’d given all the football groupies when he was done with them.

“I had a real good time. Really.” He reached for his jeans. “Tomorrow’s a big day. Got to get up early.”

Every part of her had grown cold. She fumbled with the covers. “Of course. It’s late, I—” She slipped out of bed on the opposite side. “Let me just—” She grabbed for her clothes.

“Phoebe—”

“Here. I’ve got it all.” She made a dash for the bathroom. Her cheeks burned with shame, anger, and hurt as she pulled on her clothes. How could something that had been so earth- shattering for her have been so meaningless to him? She tried to force air past the knot in her throat. Her teeth began to chatter, and she clamped her jaw shut, determined not to let him know what he had done to her. She wouldn’t fall apart until she was alone.

When she emerged, she saw that he had pulled on his jeans. He faced the bathroom door. His hair was tousled, his expression guilty. “You want a drink or something?”

Drawing on the same bravado that had kept her sane for so many years, she tossed her ugly white bra at his feet. “Add this to your souvenir collection, Coach. I don’t want you to lose count.”

Then she was gone.

As the door shut behind her, Dan cursed under his breath. No matter how much he wanted to rationalize, he knew he had just acted like a first-class heel. Even so, he rubbed his arm and tried to tell himself that what he’d done wasn’t all that bad. Phoebe knew the score, so what was the big deal?