Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 52440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 262(@200wpm)___ 210(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 262(@200wpm)___ 210(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
"Is it true that Teo Kirby retired to go on tour with you?" someone shouts when I'm nearly to the car.
I stop dead in my tracks, my heart thumping against my breastbone. "What did she just say?"
"Uh, I believe she asked if Teo retired to go on tour with you," my guard says. "It's all over the news this morning, Miss Mikhail."
No. Oh, no.
I practically trip over my own feet, racing back toward the house. I don't breathe as I shove the key into the lock, frantically trying to get the door open. I fall through it, keeping myself upright with my hand clutched around the handle, and then stumble toward the living room.
"Please," I whisper, my hand shaking as I grab the remote and turn on the local sports channel.
Teo's face is the first thing I see.
"It's over for Teo Kirby," the reporter says. "His team announced early this morning that he's officially parted ways with the LA Sabres and the league, taking early retirement. No word yet on his plans, but I have a feeling we'll be seeing him on tour with a certain pop princess soon."
He gave up football. Why?
God. Do I even need to ask?
He did it for me. To give them something to talk about other than my past. Because that's what he always does. He protects me. Even when it means breaking his own heart.
My phone dings with an incoming message. I grab it, my vision blurry as I lift it toward my face.
Teo: I choose us, butterfly. Always.
I cover my mouth, dropping heavily to the couch as I fall apart, sobbing.
Chapter Fourteen
Teo
By the time my plane lands in Los Angeles, it's midafternoon, and I haven't talked to Nadia since before the game last night. I'm desperate to see her and worried as fuck that she's going to kick my ass for what I did. But there was no other choice.
I probably should have called her and explained, but there wasn't time. I had to move quickly to get to Coach and management to get ahead of the story about me and Nadia. Arguing about my decision took half the night. For a bunch of motherfuckers who wanted to fire me just a few days ago, they sure as hell didn't seem thrilled about letting me go now.
I didn't leave them much of a choice. They could either let me walk willingly or fire me after I trashed my reputation beyond repair and let the team's image take a hit, too. It's amazing how quickly people come around when they realize that you aren't fucking around. They knew I'd do it.
Hell, I've been walking the line for years already, slowly chipping away at my image since the moment I stepped onto the field for the first time after her accident. Slowly becoming someone everyone else disliked as much as I fucking hated the man staring back at me in the mirror every day. Burning it all down now to spare Nadia wouldn't faze me in the least. Whatever it takes to ensure our goddamn past is done hurting her, done hurting us.
She deserves better. I should have been there for her six fucking years ago, but I can't go back and undo the mistakes of the past. Neither of us can. But I can stop making the same goddamn ones that hurt her back then. I let her push me out of her life instead of fighting for her back then because I hated myself and what I'd caused. I couldn't get past my own fucking guilt, and she's the one who paid for it.
I almost did the same fucking thing last night—broke us all over again because I couldn't see past the guilt. I couldn't feel anything but grief. For a while last night, I was back there again, preparing to make the same fucking mistakes.
But the thing is…there's never been a choice for me. It's always been her. It'll always be her. I was just too goddamn stupid to realize back then that I couldn't cling to her and hate myself at the same time. It doesn't work that way. To love her, truly love her, I have to fucking let it go. All of it. That's the peace she deserves. That's the freedom.
The arguing dried up real quick with my threat echoing around us.
Crafting a goddamn statement took the other half of the night. By the time it was done, my phone was dead, and I was on my way to the airport. A free man.
I didn't see her texts or calls until Tyson let me use his charger. They fucking killed me. But what I need to say deserves to be said face to face. I sent her what I hope is a reminder that she's the only future I care about, and then got on the goddamn plane.