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Her face crumples.

"Then don’t do this."

"I’m proud of you too. You know that?"

"Wolf."

"The gala. Your shop. All of it."

"Stop talking like you’re never going to see me again."

The paramedic moves closer.

"We need to get you inside."

"Give me a second."

Baylor bends toward me, and I lift my good hand to her face.

She kisses me before I can say anything else.

I hold her there for as long as they let me.

When she pulls back, her forehead stays against mine.

"I’ll come to the hospital."

"Bay, don’t pick me."

"I’m not your mother, Wolf. You’re worth choosing."

The minute she says it, I know she’s right. There’s always been a part of me afraid to ask her to choose because I was scared of not being chosen… again.

But I’ve already hurt her enough. I can’t let her lose her family. She’ll never forgive me for that, and Beau will never forgive me for everything else.

Ellie steps closer when they start moving me. Baylor walks beside the stretcher until she runs out of room, her fingers holding mine until the last possible second.

Then I have to let go.

"You told me you loved me back there."

"I do. Which is why you need to open the new shop. You deserve this. Go make it happen."

Six years ago, I left an arena knowing I’d hurt her.

Tonight, I do it again.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Baylor

Beau calls while I’m pressing the Second Shift Sports Foundation logo into a circle of fondant.

I push too hard, and the stamp goes straight through. I was doing just fine until my brother started calling nonstop over the last five minutes.

I pull it free, look at the ruined circle, then turn my phone to silent.

"You can block him for the morning," Ellie says from the other side of the table.