Page 228 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

Just...Jamie.

The tears begin before I realize they're there.

When he thanks me...

I cry.

When he admits he'd expected me to understand feelings he'd never actually put into words...

I cover my mouth.

Then he says the words I never imagined I would hear.

"Somewhere between therapy appointments, coffee after rehab, and your lectures about listening to my shoulder instead of my ego... I fell in love with you."

A broken laugh escapes through my tears.

"You stubborn man..."

He keeps talking. Not trying to convince me. Not asking for anything. Simply giving me the truth.

And when he says...

"I'm finally giving you that chance."

...something inside me breaks completely.

The voicemail ends. Silence fills the car.

Outside, sunlight dances across the lake.

Inside, nothing will ever be the same.

***

I don't start the engine.

I don't wipe away the tears.

I simply sit there with my hands wrapped around the steering wheel, staring through a windshield I can barely see.

He loves me. The words echo over and over until they almost stop sounding real.

He loves me. A shaky laugh slips out. "Oh, Jamie..."

For one impossible, beautiful moment, I let myself imagine saying the words back.

Jamie, I love you too.

The thought settles in my heart with terrifying certainty.

Because it's true. I do love him. I think I've loved him for far longer than I ever allowed myself to admit. Fresh tears spill down my cheeks.

And somehow...

That makes my decision even clearer.

Love doesn't erase reality. He's getting stronger every day. Soon his rehabilitation will be finished.