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“Yes, but she’ll get over it.” She releases a slow breath. “I think that has more to do with her feelings for Tony than anything else.”
I slip my hand from beneath hers until I can cover her warm flesh and squeeze tight. “They don’t deserve you.”
“What Kylie deserves is a shot at a normal life, and I’m her best bet at achieving it.”
I huff out a breath. It’s hard to argue with that kind of logic, but that doesn’t mean I like it. “When are you going to call the transplant center and tell them your decision?”
Her teeth sink into her lower lip before she admits, “I already did.”
“Are you serious?” My brows slam together as the corners of my lips sink. “When?”
“A few hours ago.”
Everything in me stills. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
Her gaze drops to her untouched tray of food. “Truthfully?”
“Yeah, I want the fucking truth,” I growl.
She sucks in a deep breath before slowly forcing it out again. “I was afraid you’d try to talk me out of it.”
Damn straight I would have.
When I remain silent, her voice drops. “Please, Asher…say something.”
It takes effort to shove down the mix of emotions that pounds through me. The last thing this girl needs to deal with on top of everything else is me being butthurt. I have to get over myself and give her what she needs most—my support.
“Okay.”
She blinks, as if she didn’t hear me correctly. “You’re…not angry?”
“No. And you’re right. If you’d told me beforehand, I would have tried to talk you out of this decision.” Since we haven’t opened up and shared our feelings, I say carefully, “I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”
I lift her fingers to my mouth before brushing a soft kiss against her knuckles.
Maybe I’ve been too chickenshit to say the actual words out loud, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t tried to show her how I feel through my actions. I’ve never taken more care with another human being then I have with Lola.
Her shoulders loosen as relief floods her expression. “Thanks for being so understanding.”
It’s only now as her body wilts that I realize how much tension had been radiating off her. It makes me feel like a real piece of shit. Here she is, thanking me for not being pissed off when she’s doing something so selfless.
“When’s the surgery?”
“January ninth.” She picks up her fork and spears a piece of chicken and lettuce with the tines before popping it into her mouth.
“The ninth?”
With a nod, she continues to chew. After swallowing, she adds, “That’s the earliest date the surgeon had available.”
I drag a hand through my hair as that new bit of information circles through my brain. “That’s the same date as the championship in California.”
“Oh.” With a frown, she drops the fork to her bowl. “Sorry, I must have forgotten.”
Fuck.
Now what am I going to do?
How can I take off and leave her here?
Sure, Mariana will be with her…
But her mom can’t always be counted on.
What if something happens and I’m halfway across the country? There’s no way in hell I’ll be able to concentrate on the game. My mind will be solely focused on her. I need to know Lola’s getting the best care possible.
“Everything will be fine,” she says quickly, attempting to downplay the situation. “I’ll be in the hospital for a couple of days. And the surgery is done laparoscopically, it’s not really that big of a deal.”
My gaze sharpens. How the fuck can she even say that?
“Everything will be fine if the surgery goes well and there aren’t complications.”
She shifts and says quietly, “There won’t be any issues.”
Even though I’m trying to remain calm, my voice turns sharp. “Oh? Do you have a crystal ball I don’t know about?”
If that were the case, she would’ve seen me coming from a mile away and run for her fucking life.
“Of course not. But I’m healthy and—”
“That doesn’t mean something can’t go wrong.”
“Maybe,” she concedes. “But it does lower the chances.”
This girl…
She’ll drive me batshit crazy.
And I love her for it.
Fuck.
Did I just think that?
Yup, I did.
I love Lola.
That’s all it takes for me to realize what needs to be done. “I’ll tell Coach that I won’t be playing in the game.”
Her eyes widen as she straightens on her chair like someone just rammed a two-by-four up her ass. “You can’t do that.”
“Sure, I can,” I say calmly. “I can do whatever the fuck I want.”
“No, you have to go. I don’t understand exactly how the draft works, but I realize it’s important that you play in this game.” Her dark eyes plead with mine. “You’ve worked so hard to get where you are, and it’s your last college game. You have to go, Asher.”
I fold my arms across my chest, prepared to dig in if it becomes necessary. “Do you really think I’m going to travel out of state if you’re having major surgery?” Slowly, I shake my head. “No way.” Lola’s not the only one who can make a decision without input.
