Page 169 of Home Game

She shook her head. “Probably not.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

She shrugged. “Thanks for your help.”

I was dismissed.

With a heart so heavy, I thought it’d stop beating, I walked to the door. She reached up and gave me a little hug.

I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her tight against me.

When I felt her body relax against mine, some of the cold black ice that encased my heart melted. There was a little bit of her that still trusted me. And that meant everything.

Everything.

“Zoey.”

She stepped back. “Thank you for what you did tonight.”

“Zoey, can we…”

“Have a good night.”

And then, just like that, I was standing on the other side of the door.

“How’s she doing,”I asked Mica as we ran along the beach.

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

I stopped running, breathing hard. “She doesn’t want me in her life.”

He stopped and circled back. “Did she say that?”

“No. But I can tell.”

“You wanted her to stand on her own two feet, right?”

“Yeah.”

“She’s standing.”

“I know. Fuck, you should have seen her the other night. She was a warrior.”

“So, what are you waiting for?”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?

“I…” I looked at him. “Yeah.”

He gave me a wicked grin. “Zoey’s never been romanced. Don’t you think she deserves that?”

“You mean, I should woo her?”

“Woo her like she’s never been woo’d before.”

CHAPTER 34

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