24. Chapter 24
Chapter twenty-four
Parker
Just saying his name has my pulse rising.
Laiken’s hands come up to cover her face, a sob ripping from her throat before she drops them back down to her sides.
“When I got to town, Cooper told me.” I look away because deep down, it still fucking hurts. “I was so angry at myself. So angry with you. With him.”
“I’m so sorry.” Laiken wraps her arms around her waist. “I was so heartbroken. I just wanted to not feel the pain anymore.” Her hand presses to her chest. “I didn’t want to love you while you loved her.”
My hand reaches out, cupping the nape of her neck as I tug her gently into my chest.
“I’ve never loved anyone but you. It’s always been you, Firefly,” I say against her hair.
Her tears meet my shirt as we stand in the middle of the pasture, our emotions raw.
“I won’t lie and say it didn’t damn near kill me to know you were having a baby. Especially with him,” I admit. “I was a wreck. But I knew it was my own fault. I pushed you away. I had already made my bed, and I can be man enough to lie in it.”
She cries harder, so I hug her tighter.
“Why did you wait so long?” Her voice is muffled against my shirt.
She lifts her head, her red-rimmed eyes so full of sadness.
“I thought you were creating a life with someone else,” I choke out. “You were having his baby.”
“I never had a life with him.” She shakes her head. “I don’t even remember much from the night it happened. When I found out I was pregnant, he thought we would be one big, happy family. When I told him that would never happen, he wanted nothing to do with Trace.”
I wipe a tear that trails down her cheek.
“I was drunk.” Her expression is riddled with guilt. “I haven’t had a drop since. Not until last night.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m so sorry I did this to us.
” I caress her cheek with gentle hands. She’s the most precious thing I’ve had the privilege to touch.
“My contract is up. Seven fucking years I played his game. I’m done.
The NDA is trash now. But I came out okay.
I’m walking away with three world championships.
My mom is set for life with the best home health care money can buy.
But even with all of that…the victory isn’t as sweet.
It’s not the victory we planned out,” I tell her. “It’s not the same without you.”
She closes those gorgeous blue eyes.
“I know I messed up. I own that. I was a kid with too many fears and I let that fear tarnish what we had.” My confession has her eyes popping open.
“It’s a lot to process. I don’t expect you to forgive me right now.
I don’t even expect you to forgive me this week or hell, ever.
” I cradle her face. “But I’d like a chance to fix what I broke. ”
“What if it can’t be fixed?” she asks. “What if we can never get back to us?”
I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Five more weeks. Will you give me that? If at the end of those five weeks you decide we can’t fix it and if it’s really over…I’ll let you go.”
Even saying the words has my mouth twisting into a scowl. I’d never really let her go. But if she needs to hear it, I’ll tell the lie.
“Five weeks. For what exactly?” she asks with a weak sniffle.
I drop a kiss to her forehead, then walk backward a few steps. “To prove what we both know, Firefly. It’s always been you and me.”