Page 105 of Mine Forever
“With a woman like that, you do whatever you have to in order to keep her. And if you have that chemistry? When you find one, you hold on and don’t let go.”
“I know. Fuck, I know. But the media?—”
“Fuck the media, man. Are you going to let those fair-weather fuckers dictate your life forever? Look,”—he moves to the edge of the sofa—“the truth is, your career as a ballplayer is over.”
I know he’s right, but hearing it from him, hearing the reality of it even after a few years, hurts my chest.
He continues. “Which I’m sure is tough to hear, but here’s the upside. Who cares what the media says anymore? It isn’t like it’s going to tank your career. And not being an active player anymore means they’re usually looking for a guy who is andhas screwed up somehow. That poor sucker is a bigger story than you these days.”
I rub the cat’s head, letting her purring soothe me.
Lucas’s words sting but he isn’t wrong.
“One more thing,” he says. “No one here in Cape Sands believes any of that shit the media has said about you. You don’t have to worry about sponsorships and money. So, what are you so worried about?”
He has a point. WhatamI worried about?
My father is dead. Heather’s family has stayed out of the public eye since I paid them a healthy sum.
There’s no one left to come out and call me a killer anymore.
And even if there is, like Nate says, I’m not tabloid news anymore.
Have I been so stuck in my past that I’m letting go of my future?
“I need to do the charity ball.”
“Is that the event she asked you to help her with?”
I side-eye him. “How did you know about that?”
“The speaker thing? Charley.”
“Of course.” I sigh and rub the back of my neck, sweat a sheen on my skin. “I can do this, right?”
“Hell, yeah, you can. It all comes down to what you want. A life alone on the island or a life with the woman who will stand by you no matter what—heal your wounds.”
He points at me. “Because I saw you guys together only once and that’s all it took to see you two could light up the Eastern Seaboard with the chemistry. Plus, you may not know it, but you get this wistful look in your eyes when you look at her.”
I scoff. “You’re full of shit. I do not.”
Do I?
“Whatever you say, man.” He leans back, stretching an armout across the back of the loveseat. “Listen, don’t be like me, Hanover. Believe it or not, I wasn’t always a playboy. I’ve only ever wanted one woman in my life. And I had the love of my life once. I fucked up big time and let her go. Evelyn was the best thing I ever had. But even with it right in front of me, I couldn’t see through my own bullshit to keep her.”
I’m stunned to hear the guy known for his bedroom prowess was once a one-woman man. “Where is she now?”
His sigh is heavy with sadness. “Last I knew, she’s in Phoenix and married to a physical therapist.”
If I found out Eden was married, I’d be gutted. “I’m sorry, man.”
He shakes his head. “Neither here nor there, now. But you know what it’s like to have that special woman who you want to fight the whole world for. Eden is special. Hold on to it with all you have.”
He smirks. “If you don’t go get her, I’m going to go to New York and get her myself.”
My jaw muscles bunch and my eyes narrow.
With a snap, he points at me. “Gotcha.”
