Page 70 of The Chase

I shrugged and laid on the bench to run through a set while he spotted me. “I think so. She didn’t seem happy when I told her she should go to therapy.”

“It’s not a bad idea. D went to therapy after her husband died. She was really lost after that, and I know it helped her a lot. You want me to have her talk to Max?”

I shook my head. I was pretty sure that would have scared Max off even more.

I didn’t think going to therapy was weak. Like I told her, I had a sports psychologist when I was a rookie and struggling to find my footing. My dad suggested it because he went to one after his career prematurely ended. He was one of those rare old-school hockey guys who thought mental health was just as important as physical health. So, of course, I’d thought it would help my girlfriend. I wished she wasn’t being so stubborn about it.

“I told her I loved her,” I blurted out when I finished my set.

A big grin spread across Noah’s face. “Called it!”

I sat up and wiped the sweat off my brow. “Shut it!”

“What did she say?”

“That’s when she tried to break up with me!”

Noah frowned. “Why?”

I sighed. “Because she thinks she’s a burden, but bro, I love that woman, and I want to keep her safe.”

“I get that. I feel the same way about D. But are you guys okay, though?”

I nodded. “Yeah, she said she loves me too, and she’ll think about therapy again, but I think she just told me that so I’d stop pestering her.”

Noah and I switched positions so I could spot him again. “Maybe she will this time. But maybe you don’t press her too hard? I live with a stubborn woman who doesn’t want anyone to tell her what to do, so believe me, being subtle can be key.”

He had a point. I said what I needed to say to Max last night; I just hoped it resonated with her. I hoped she realized I wasn’t trying to ‘fix her,’ but I just wanted to take that pain away.

After we finished our training session, we went back into the locker room to grab our stuff. I checked my phone, and a grin spread across my face when I saw a message from Max.

BABYGIRL: Come over for dinner tonight? I’ll make your favorite!

ME: [cat emoji][tongue emoji]

BABYGIRL: Not that you perv!

ME: You love me!

BABYGIRL: I do! I’m making the lasagna you love.

ME: Sounds perfect. I’ll see you soon.

Noah nudged me.

“What?”

He gave me a cocky grin. “Now there’s a man in love!”

I grinned because I couldn’t argue with that. Things might not be perfect with Max right now, but it didn’t change how she felt like my home.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

MAXINE

I finished placing the last layer on my lasagna when my phone beeped again. I thought it was TJ again, but I frowned when I saw it was from Benny.

BENNY: Hey, TJ will be mad about this, but…here’s my sister’s number. She might have someone to refer you to.