Page 109 of Beg Me

“Yeah,” I say, nodding. “I do. I love her.”

“Then our son is right and you need to go. That drive is going to be awful, but such is the adventure when you’re in love.” She wraps her arm around Gus’s shoulders. “He can rest at my sister’s. I have lots of family here to entertain him. And once this is all over, maybe I can bring him back to you or meet you halfway or something. That is, if you want to finish the summer out there, Gus.”

He nods. “For sure, I do.”

Excitement begins to stir inside me. “You’re sure?” I ask my son. “I’ll stay. I’m happy to stay.”

“If you stay, I’ll be stressed out. So, please go. You can still make it for the tournament, right?”

I take out my phone and check the time. “Maybe,” I say. “Barely. If I can get enough coffee and not hit traffic.”

Gus gives me a hug. Then I give Deidre a tight squeeze.

“Call me if you need anything,” I whisper in her ear. “I’m a phone call away.”

She pulls back and smiles. “Go get our son’s stepmom. That’s the best thing you can do for all of us right now.”

I kiss the top of Gus’s head. “I love you, buddy. More than you’ll ever know.”

“Yeah. I know, Dad.” He grins. “I love you, too.”

I wind my way out of the hospital with adrenaline flooding my veins, hitting a full sprint as soon as I’m in the parking lot.

Time waits for no man, and with this second chance, I refuse to be another notch of disappointment on Markie’s conscience.

CHAPTER

THIRTY

Markie

“Ouch,” I mumble, squinting as I try to open my eyes. They’re puffy. Swollen. I can tell that without looking.

I groan, dropping my hand over my face. The light streaming through the bedroom windows is too bright and the sound of the ceiling fan is grating. This is worse than a hangover.

My phone buzzes somewhere in the pile of pillows and blankets that I apparently fought throughout the night. I rummage around with my hand until I find the device halfway off the bed under a sock.

“Looks and feels like there was a party here last night,” I say, unlocking the screen. “Too bad I missed all the fun.”

I was up to see the sunrise and even had a cup of coffee, figuring I wasn’t sleeping. But I must’ve passed out around eight or eight thirty this morning. The last thing I remember is my alarm going off—the one I set a couple of days ago so I could get up and make a hearty breakfast for me, Jory, and Gus before the tournament started.

There are three unread messages staring back at me. One from Adam, one from Audrey, and one from Jory. Of course, Jory’s is the one I want to read first, but I know once I read it, I’ll be unable to process anything else. So, I start with Adam.

I click on his name and his message pops up on the screen.

Adam: It’s game day! Kick ass! I’m pulling for you.

I smile sadly and try to decide what to say. Do I tell him that I’m not playing? If I do, he’ll surely want a reason, and I have zero desire to get into that with him.

Me: Thanks! Hope you’re having fun.

What I really want to say is, Thanks! If you’d just played with me, I wouldn’t be in hell right now.

I hit send and move on to Audrey’s.

Audrey: Hey, it’s Brooks. I heard about what happened with Jory. If you need a partner, call Aud. I’m more than happy to come play with you. I haven’t played pickleball in forever, but I am a professional athlete. I got you. And if Gray volunteers, remember that fighters have more dexterity and think quicker on our feet. I’M the better choice.

“No,” I say, laughing through the tears that flood my eyes from Brooks’s sweet message. “I’m not crying today. I’m not a crybaby.”