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"I know, champ." I smirk. "And I know I don't deserve you."
She wants to argue, but I place my finger on her lips to make her stop.
She smiles. "But why did you quit the school? I mean, you could've just said no to Meredith."
"She threatened me with your reputation," I finally confess, and Gabi's face changes into a sad one. I knew that her reaction was going to be exactly like that.
"I'm sorry..."
"No, don't be." I shake my head, interrupting her. "Now I can kiss you and make love to you whenever I want. I'm the winner."
A smile appears on her face again, and it makes my heart rejoice.
"What will you do now?"
"Well, I'll be your coach," I laugh, even though it's true. But I still need to make it clear for her. "A couple of sports companies want to work with me. I refused for years because their condition was that I must go back to swimming. And now I feel like I'm finally ready to do that. Also, three publishing houses contacted me this weekend, asking me to write my story."
"But you hate even giving interviews. Why did they call you?"
"Meredith told some reporter that I had a girlfriend who died, and that's why I quit. And now I have to tell the truth,my truth. The one that Rory's family deserves. The one thatAlisondeserves."
For a couple of minutes, we stay silent, looking at each other. I know she has so much to think about before agreeing to marry me, but I'm ready to sacrifice whatever I need to in order to be with her.
"Where were you the past couple of days?" She finally asks the question I’ve been waiting for. I know it bothers her the most, and I know that she's afraid to hear the answer.
But I don't want Gabi to be afraid, especially with me.
"I was at Rory's parents’ house, apologizing." I exhale deeply, happy that I finally confessed.
For the rest of the day we talk, make love, sleep, and then make love again. We stop only once to order pizza, then come back to bed, make love, and talk more. It’s the best day of my life.
I finally give her her birthday present—Michael Phelps’ swimming goggles that he used when he won his first gold. She is over the moon, asking me how I got them. I confessed that we're kind of friends. She screams joyfully, begging to meet him. At first, I agree, but then she admits she had a crush on him when she was younger. Then I tell her that I will never introduce them to each other. We laughed.
It's so easy to talk to Gabi. I couldn't even imagine that I'd find someone who could love me and accept me the way I am. I’ve always thought it was impossible. And that's why I preferred to act like an asshole rather than show everyone who I really am.
I was wrong, so wrong. When you find the right person, you stop pretending to be someone else. And you do it unintentionally; it just happens because you've found your soul mate, and soul mates never lie to each other; they never pretend. They live to make the other person happy, not themselves. That's the difference between love and passion. True love is always ready to sacrifice even though it is never required.
I know that this day is the beginning of the happiest part of my life.
Epilogue
Gabi
Eleven years later
?
I rub my ring finger out of habit, searching for the engagement ring and then remind myself that I took it off this morning before I started baking the pie. I should put it back on before Alex comes home. He doesn't like it when I take it off, saying it's like an invitation for men to start flirting with me. He's so funny when he’s jealous.
I always laugh when he says so, telling him to stop acting like a caveman, but to be honest, I'm pretty flattered that after ten years of marriage and three kids, he still feels jealous from time to time. That means he still loves me.
We still make love almost every day. That's more proof of his feelings for me. My love for him, in turn, only grew through these years.
I never won a gold medal at the Olympics. I became a world champion once, but that's my most significant success in sports. My older son says that my most important achievement is him.
My parents got used to me living with Alex almost right away. They sold their house in Malibu since they always traveling for work, but they come to our house from time to time.
We moved to Florida after my graduation. The weather is hotter here, but the ocean is warmer. And almost all year round, Alex and I swim in it every single morning.
