Page 55 of Marring an Athlete

“Fake. Well, the diamond is real, but the meaning is fake.”

“So, you’re not married?” Sefina asked, leaning forward as if she’d finally regained her composure enough to make coherent sentences.

“No. Not at all. Michael is just a friend.”

He tried not to wince at the word friend. Even though he knew it was true, and that it was best for everyone involved if they just went back to friends, there was a part of him that realized that things could never return to normal.

They’d kissed and it caused feelings that he’d never had before. They’d talked and laughed. They’d shared too much together. But that wasn’t important. Right now, he needed to pull away. All he did was hurt Anna. It was evident in the pained expression she was trying so hard to hide.

“This is interesting,” Sefina said as she glanced down at her pad of paper. “I’ve never had something like this happen in all my years of being a therapist, I mean.” Her laugh came out squeaky. “You hear about these things from other therapists, but you never think it can happen to you.”

Her laugh died down to a chuckle. “You two really had me fooled. I would have guessed that you were married. In love, even.”

At the mention of love, Michael’s body tensed. Love Anna? That four-letter word sank around him and settled in his chest. His heart squeezed. He loved Anna. Loved her more deeply that he’d ever loved anything in his entire life.

And he had to let her go.

That thought caused his stomach to twist. He didn’t want to let her go. He wanted to put Daisy on the next plane out of here and focus his attention on Anna. To spend time with her during the day and hold her at night. To be the person who loved her fully.

A high-pitched laugh pulled him from his thoughts. Daisy was shaking as she glanced from Michael and then over to Anna.

“Michael love her?” She slapped her knee. “Oh, that’s a hoot.” She turned and snuggled her head-on Michael’s shoulder. “He only has eyes for me, huh, sweetheart.”

Michael swallowed back the words he wanted to speak. The ones that told Daisy to get out. Instead, he shoved them to the back of his mind and forced a smile. “Yes, of course.”

Fearing what Anna’s gaze would do to him, he kept his eyes forward, focusing on Sefina. She raised her eyebrows. “Is this true?” she asked.

Michael nodded. “We were only here to help my sister. I’m engaged to Daisy.” He brought up his arm and rested it around Daisy’s waist.

“Oh, Mikey-poo. I love you, too.” She reached out and sandwiched his face between her hands and brought her lips to meet his.

Despite the fact that his mind was screaming at him to pull away, he closed his eyes and forced himself to forget his feelings for Anna and focus on Daisy. But Anna was a part of him. And he feared he was never going to be able to let her go.

“I think that’s my cue.” Anna’s voice cut into his thoughts.

He pulled back from Daisy to see her stand. As if she sensed his gaze, she turned around. “I’m really happy for you, Michael.” Her voice trailed off as she made her way to the door and out into the lobby.

As he watched her slip around the corner, his heart began to pound. He couldn’t leave things this way. He had to talk to Anna. It was the least he could do.

He pushed Daisy onto the couch next to him and stood. “I’ll be right back,” he said, not waiting for anyone to answer him. In a matter of seconds, he was outside, racing after Anna.

“Wait!” he called out, reaching to grab her elbow.

Anna had her head down and was speed walking around the building.

“Anna, wait,” he said, pulling gently on her arm to get her to stop.

“What, Michael?” she asked as she slowed, but didn’t turn around.

When he felt confident that she wasn’t going to take off again, he dropped his hand and pushed it through his hair. Why had he raced after her again?

If he were kind, he would have just let her walk away. It kept her safe from him. But, instead of doing what was right for Anna, he was following her. Trying to explain to her what he’d done. Force her back into his life.

But she was standing here, he might as well continue. “I’m sorry.”

She sighed and glanced up at him. “For what? For lying to me and failing to tell me that you have a fiancée. Or for kissing me when you were engaged to someone else.”

Just hearing what he’d done made his stomach churn. He really was a terrible person. She deserved so much better than him. “For it all.”

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