Page 73 of Pucking Fate

I give him a half-hearted smile. “Sorry, just distracted.”

He raises an eyebrow. “You’ve been MIA all week. Snap out of it,Captain,” he says, emphasizing my leadership role on the team. “Coach isn’t gonna go easy on you because you’re daydreaming about a woman.”

I nod, trying to force myself to focus as I turn up the speed to finish my third mile.

The Bobcats are getting ready for a hell of a season, one where we make another run at the playoffs and the championship. As a team captain, the last thing I need is to let my teammates down.

But as much as I try, Maya’s face keeps flashing in my mind, distracting me. Her hesitation to move down here with Finley, to give us a real chance, to trust me, is killing me slowly from the inside out.

After practice, I head for the locker room, peeling off my sweaty clothes with a sense of detachment. The only thing worse than practice is my lonely ass apartment.

The adrenaline from training doesn’t hit me like it usually does. Instead, there’s just this dull ache in my chest. I don’t even want to know what the guys would say if they knew how torn up I am about a woman. They’d probably tell me to suck it up and focus on the game.

As I head for my SUV in the arena parking lot, I hear someone, a woman, call my name from the gate. At first, I ignore it, since there’s only one woman I want to talk to. But then I hear it again, and I’m certain I’m imagining it. I turn around, my heart doing an odd flip, and there she stands.

Maya.

She’s waiting with two guards just outside the entrance, looking hesitant, her arms crossed over her chest, wearing a light blue dress that shows off her sexy tan legs. For a moment, I can’t quite believe she’s here in North Carolina. She told me she would think about coming to visit this weekend, but never confirmed and I didn’t want to push her.

I jog over, my pulse picking up speed, a mix of hope and dread swirling in my chest. “Hey, baby,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “What are you doing here? Where’s Finley?”

She smiles, but it’s a small, uncertain smile. “He’s with Elle. I… I wanted to talk to you alone first.”

My mind races as I lead her away from the security guards. “Okay. Let’s talk. I’m so fucking happy to see you.”

She takes a deep breath, looking up at me with those brown eyes that always seem to see right through me. “I’ve missed you this week. So much. Finley has too, of course, but…”

“But you missed me too?” I say with a grin.

“Yes.” Maya bites her lip, clearly struggling with what to say next. “I know that things are…complicated between us, but maybe we could give this a real try?”

“You want to give us a try?” I repeat, uncertain I heard her correctly. I mean, that’s already what I was doing, even after she tried to end things and said she didn’t see us ever happening.

“We would have to take things slow…”

“Consider me a sloth,” I tell her, making her smile, loosening her up a little

“And make sure Finley doesn’t find out about us…”

“I’m a sneaky fucking sloth.”

“I’m serious, Christian.”

“Baby, I’m serious too,” I promise her. Stepping closer, it’s nearly impossible to be near her and not touch her, but I’m waiting for her to initiate it. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be here in Greensboro, either training or sleeping, or alone in my apartment every single night. I want to be in Finley’s life and yours, baby. Permanently. All you have to do is let me in.”

She looks up at me, her eyes filled with uncertainty. “And what if things don’t work out between you and me?”

“We will,” I say confidently. “But if we don’t, we sure as shit aren’t going to go five years without seeing each other again. If you agree to date me, to take this chance, then you can call it quits whenever you want. I’ll still be around in Finley’s life, even if you’re not mine, no matter how much it hurts. I can promise you that if we split, it won’t be my decision.”

When Maya doesn’t speak, I cave, reaching for her arm to uncross it and take her hand. “I’m Finley’s father.Nothingwill ever come between me and my son, not even us.”

There’s another long pause between us, the air thick with unspoken fears and emotions. I watch as she processes everything, her face a mixture of conflict and hope.

“Then, I want to try again,” she finally says, her voice soft but determined.

Relief floods through me at her words, but I know this is just the beginning. We still have a long way to go. But she’s here. She’s ready to give me the chance I’ve always wanted.

“I’m so excited to give us a real shot, baby.”

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