Page 96 of Revenge Puck

“I find that very hard to believe. He’s turning you against me, just like he did with Maya.”

“That’s still your version of what happened, not either of theirs.”

“Then ask Maya! She knows I tried.”

“Does she?”

“Yes!” he shouts. “When my calls and texts stopped getting through to her, I wrote her actual fucking letters.”

“Letters? You wrote letters?”

He nods. “Every day for weeks until I got called up to the majors.”

“You wrote her every day, huh?”

“Handwritten letters every single day. And she never responded to any of them. I haven’t spoken to her since the day she told me…since the day she told me she was pregnant.”

I hate to admit that he actually sounds believable, like he may have really cared about her, especially if he wrote her love letters.

Jesus. The only time I’ve ever seen him with an actual writing utensil in his hand is when he’s using one to sign autographs.

Still treading very carefully, like I’m walking on a frozen lake in spring, I ask, “Did you happen to see Maya at the D.C. games?”

“Of course I saw her. It was the first time I had seen her since that day. I don’t know how many years it’s been, five or six maybe. She wasn’t at Preston’s away games where we fought. At least I don’t think she was…” He says this as if he looked for herin the stands those games. Was he unable to resist asking about her? If so, is that what set Preston off both times?

“You didn’t notice anything different about her?”

Christian’s golden brow furrows. “What do you mean? Maya looked exactly the same as she did the day we met.”

“Forget it,” I say before the subject of Finley comes up. “We got way off topic. You and I are done, so you should leave. Preston will be here any minute.”

“He will, huh? Maybe I’ll wait around to say hello.”

“Christian, please go.” I walk past him to the door, holding it open, hoping he’ll take the hint.

“Fine. But I’m not giving up on you. I won’t let him screw things up for me again. Just tell me what it will take, Ellie.”

“Just so you know, I hate the name Ellie. It makes me feel like a cow,” I inform him, even if it’s adorable when Finley says it. “And there’s nothing you can do.”

“Do you want a ring? Is that what it will take? Because I’ll do it. I’ll buy a diamond and ask you to marry me if that’s what it will take to prove I’m serious about giving up other women.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I tell him with a roll of my eyes. “You are nowhere close to being ready to marry any woman.”

“Oh yeah? Well, I stopped fucking around. I haven’t been with anyone since the night we broke up.”

“You mean you ended things with me that morning and slept with someone else hours later?” I ask.

Christian winces. “Yes. But that was the only time. After I was with her, I realized how much I missed you. That was before I heard anything about you and Preston. I was going to come see you after the first game, and you were waiting for him at the gate. Now I know that you actually cared about me. You didn’t want me just because I’m a millionaire athlete. You knew me better than anyone. I could just be myself with you.”

“Stop stalling and go. It’s too late. There’s absolutely nothing you can say or do to change my mind. Goodbye, Christian.”

“This isn’t over,” he says as he thankfully walks away.

I wish I knew if he meant even half of what he said to me.

Not that it matters. I’m with Preston now and I…I think I’m falling in love with him. Even if I still cared about Christian more than a tiny teaspoon amount that he occupies in my heart, he wouldn’t deserve a second chance.

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