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I gasp. “I never would have!”
“I know that. But he didn’t, and his distrust of your entire family was only compounded by your father’s actions where Rivalry was concerned. Up until that point, I thought maybe, just maybe there was some shred of hope left. That we’d find our way back. But after that, I knew it was really over.” He chugs down half his water, and I watch his throat as it moves around the liquid.
Even his freaking throat is sexy.
“You didn’t answer my question,” I remind him.
He nods as he sets his water down and fixes his eyes on the glass. “No. I wouldn’t do the same thing now.”
I wait for him to add more to that—to explain why, or maybe to defend why he did it in the first place, but he remains quiet.
“Why not?” I finally ask.
He shakes his head a little before his eyes lift to mine again. “Because I was wrong to let someone else dictate my actions. If we weren’t meant to end up together, I should’ve been able to discover that on my own terms. But I was a dumb kid who allowed my father to run my life, and now I’m a dumb adult who still does everything to seek the kind of approval he’ll never give.” He mutters the words, almost as if he’s saying it to himself as much as he’s saying it to me, and for a beat, I’m not sure what to say.
I don’t have to say anything, though, because he continues. “So maybe it’s time I stop trying.” His eyes lift to mine, and fire burns between us. “Maybe it’s time to take the risk and go after what I want instead of what I think he wants for me.”
“What do you want?” I whisper.
His gaze is so intense, so full of fire, that he doesn’t need to answer.
I know what he wants.
And I know what I want.
We’re two consenting adults now sharing a hotel room thanks to a total fluke, and maybe this is the only time we’ll have to lay it all out on the table.
The waitress drops our food, breaking up the intensity between us.
“Whoa, that was fast,” he says to her with a quick smile, and we dig into our food.
The moment is lost. For now.
It’s not forgotten, though.
CHAPTER 13: LINCOLN
What the fuck am I doing?
Aside from, you know, walking into a lion’s den.
I’ve never admitted any of that out loud to anyone before, but Jolene somehow has this ability to pull things out of me in a way nobody else can.
Maybe I’m just nervous to give this speech.
I’ve spoken in front of large crowds before, and I typically maintain my cool. But this is different. I’m speaking from the heart today as I share something I’ve written with the large crowd who will be gathered here today. Some people here love me because I’m a hometown hero while others hate me because I’ve coached or played on a rival team.
And maybe the worst thing of all is that I’m talking about overcoming struggles and creating the type of future you want for yourself…but I can’t say I’ve done that myself.
Is this the future I dreamed of?
I nailed down the dream job at thirty-six. I have money in the bank.
But I also have nobody to share it with.
I don’t even really have a group of friends to rally around. Jack is my boss. Steve is a colleague. I don’t fraternize with players since there needs to be a different level of respect between us. Coaches I’ve worked with on previous teams are rivals now.
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt such a sting of loneliness, and the woman sitting across from me seems like she could be the answer to all of it.
