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“You do?”
“Of course.” She bit her lip. “So, after you retire…would you be open to the idea of love then?”
“I can’t say I really think about it. I’ve never been one to want someone with me, and I don’t feel like I’m missing out on something because I don’t have a partner at my side.” He twisted his lips. “I’ve never wanted those things. Family. Love. Marriage. I don’t think I ever will.”
“I…I see.” She reached out for her glass, but he hurried to beat her to it and hand it off. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he murmured. “How about you? You want that special someone?”
Licking her lips, she glanced away, her cheeks flushed. “I guess, yeah. I haven’t exactly been out there, dating or anything. It’s been five years since I had a partner, as you called it.”
He drank, taking a moment to reflect on that. “May I ask a personal question?”
“Sure.”
“Why so long?” he asked slowly. “What happened?”
“Uh…well, to be honest, it was because of a guy.”
“It’s always because of a guy,” he said drily.
“Yeah, I guess.” She focused on the fireplace, even though it wasn’t lit. He watched her. Her lashes were long and dark. “We started dating in high school. We chose the same college. Made plans. We were going to graduate and move in together, then get engaged after a year. Married a year after that. Kids two years later. Three—two boys and a girl.”
Damn, he’d never sat and planned out his life like that. All he knew was that he wanted to play ball, and he wanted to do it alone. Hell, most of the time he had no clue what he was going to do when he woke up on his days off, let alone for his whole life. “That’s very…precise.”
“I’m not a very impulsive person,” she said, stating the obvious.
“I am. I don’t really plan out things besides plays.”
“I plan everything. Overthink everything. Go through every single scenario and the hundreds of ways it could end before making a choice. I don’t jump into anything. I walk slowly, carefully, and am always ready to back out if needed.”
He nodded, studying her, letting her gather her thoughts.
She smiled sadly. “Ever since he left, I stopped living. I haven’t done anything risky or even slightly adventurous in a very long time.”
The way she said it made him think she was trying to change that. “Why not?”
“Because of him, I guess. And me. And…life.”
He shook his head. “What did he do to you?”
“Nothing, really. Like I said, I overthink everything. One day, he just had enough of me thinking all the time.” She bit her lower lip. “He said I was boring him to death, and that if I ever decided to stop overthinking every single thing, to come find him. If I ever decided to step outside of my comfort zone, and maybe decide to be fun for once in my life, then he’d consider taking me back. Until then…he’d be with Becky.”
He winced. “Who’s Becky?”
“Some girl with big boobs and even bigger hair.” She smiled, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Someone who wasn’t afraid to live. So, I decided, then and there, if I was so boring that I could make the man who’d sworn to love me for the rest of my life turn away from me…I just wouldn’t date at all. I’d stay on my own. Take care of myself. And do things my way.”
He shook his head. “The man was clearly a fool. You’re not—”
“Yes, I am. Or, I was.”
“And now?” he asked hesitantly.
“Now I want to live. Right before I met you, I promised that I’d s
top hiding behind my past and the asshole who hurt me. I’m ready to move on. To try new things. To get back out there.”
His chest tightened. “As in, dating.”
