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“Hey, Kitten,” he says softly. His eyes are red, and his jawline is scruffier than I’ve ever seen it.

“He just got here,” I say to Darcy, not taking my eyes from him as he walks into my room and sets down a bag of something by his feet.

“I’ll be right back with drinks and food.” Mom’s still smiling as she closes my door behind her.

“Does he look apologetic for whatever he did?” Darcy’s deadpan tone pulls my lips upward.

Clearly hearing her, Jack rolls his eyes and shoves his hands into his jean pockets.

I chuckle and feel the butterflies as they react to seeing him for the first time in days.

“Okay. I’m going to go and let you talk out whatever it is you need to. But let me finish with this: There’s no way I’m letting go of you now—you got that? Even if my brother’s a big enough asshole to lose you, then I sure as shit am not. Understood?”

I smile at her positivity. Just like her brother, she’s infectious. “Loud and clear,” I reply.

I look up at Jack as he takes a single step toward me, his eyes burning into mine.

“Okay, cool. Make him grovel, babe. Lots of love. Bye!”

When the call disconnects, Jack reaches down and takes the phone from my hand, setting it on the nightstand. He takes a seat on the bed next to me, the mattress dipping with his weight as he rests his elbows on his knees.

“You’re on an away series.”

He pulls off his cap and runs a hand through his hair. “Technically, yes. I have forty-eight hours before I need to be back. Well, more like thirty-six now.”

The energy between us feels awkward, though not in the way I can’t stand. More like there’s so much to be said, and he’s nervous to approach it. The conversation I just shared with Mom has brought me some clarity, but I need to hear his uninterrupted thoughts. I need him to show me what I’m praying is true.

Drawing in a deep breath, he looks around at my room. His trademark smile is evident, though it’s clearly buried beneath a weight of worry. “I had to come to you. I know you said you needed space, but I wanted you to hear everything I have to say before you decide what to do, what it is you want.”

He runs a palm up the side of his face, stress flowing from him. “Seeing you hurting is the worst kind of torture. And knowing I made you feel this way is fucking unbearable. It makes me want to crawl out of my skin.”

He drops his head between his shoulders and turns to look atme, his blue eyes not as bright. “There’s a chance I’ll say this, and it won’t change anything. Still, I don’t think telling you will ever be in vain. You need to hear the words, and I need to walk out of this door, knowing I left it all in these walls. I can’t control the past, but I can control the present.”

I hold my breath, unable to inflate my lungs as I wait for him to continue.

“I’m not just falling anymore, Kendra. I’m fully in love with you. With every part of you. From your incredible talent on the pitch to the way you mess with your hair, not knowing whether to wear it up or down. Truth is, you could wear it any way possible, and you’d still be just as beautiful.”

He reaches his hand out to my upper thigh and then quickly retracts, not sure how far to go.

“When I saw the messages Tyler sent you, I felt sick. Sick because I knew how badly they would hurt you. Manipulated and cherry-picked for his benefit or not, I should never have said what I did. I don’t have any excuses, and I’m not about to make any either. You are in your rights to be pissed at me, and I have to wear that.”

He sits up and edges slightly closer until I can feel his warm breath as it tickles my lips.

“You can be angry with me for as long as you want. You can have as much space as you need. There isn’t anything I won’t do for you. Even if it means I have to disappear for a while, I will. But I won’t be gone. I refuse to walk away from the undeniable pull between us. I’m not even sure it’s possible, to be honest.”

“I felt like a pawn in a game,” I breathe out, my heart hammering in my chest.

Unable to stop himself, he softly traces the back of his hand across my cheek. “It’s impossible to play games over something so serious. Without even trying, you knocked me right on my ass; you made it hard to think straight when I was in your proximity.” He huffs a soft laugh. “All without even looking my way. That’s the hold you’ve always had on me, Kitten.”

Flutters shimmer through me, all the way to my toes.

“The past three months, you’ve looked at me how I always fantasized you would. You’ve given me the chance I wanted so badly, one I had to watch some prick waste away for four years. You haven’t made any mistakes, Kendra. Not one. You lit up my goddamn world when you said you chose us and New York because I chose us too. Every singlerealsecond of us. It’s never been about Tyler or the rivalry. Just you. All I’ve ever wanted or cared about is you.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

JACK

Yeah, I’m verging on a heart attack.