Page 73 of Reputation (Toronto Royals #1)

Sam reached for his door and got out, Eavie following suit.

After a few steps, he stopped and turned to her.

“My point is,” he began, looking her in the eyes, “that it’s okay to take a risk if it means being happy.

Addi gave up everything she had worked for to be with me, to have a family and careers we both love.

She’s the most capable, intelligent, strongest person I know.

I never thought any less of her for giving everything up to go with me.

In fact, I admired her even more for having the courage to walk away from it all.

She’s built an amazing career for herself, and her decision to be with me didn’t change the fact that she was capable and could do anything she set her mind to.

Today, she’s the CEO of one of the world’s top health and fitness brands. ”

When Eavie continued to stare at him confused, he shook his head, a gentle smile settling on his face.

“Eavie, you are the best assistant I have ever had, and I admire your work ethic. You have great instincts and a calculating mind. Actually, you remind me a lot of Addi. Nothing is going to change that. But you have to remember there is more to life than your career, and sometimes you need to take a risk to be happy.” He placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze.

“Don’t make a decision on whether to be with someone out of fear.

Your job’s not going anywhere, so just think about what would make you happy. ”

He smiled at her again before dropping his hand and starting toward the elevator. Eavie stood where she was for a moment, letting what he said sink in.

Was he right? Could she have the career she had worked for, be respected professionally, and be with Jax? She had always thought it would be one or the other, but maybe that was her own insecurities talking.

She started after Sam and rode the elevator to the hospital waiting room, where they found Aaron waiting for them.

“They’ve taken him in for a CT, MRI, and X-rays,” Aaron said as they approached.

“He regained consciousness in the ambulance but was very confused. I’m certain he has a concussion, but they’re running tests to see what other injuries he may have.

It’s going to be a while before they have any news,” he finished, looking from Sam to Eavie.

Eavie swallowed the lump in her throat. The update felt like a blow to her stomach, and she nearly doubled over. She sat down hard in the nearest chair, dropping her head to her hands.

She sat in the waiting room, Sam next to her, staring at the wall for an hour and a half before someone called her name. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Eric heading toward them, dressed in scrubs and a white doctor’s coat.

She stood up and ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck. He wrapped his around her waist, squeezing her tightly.

“I heard about what happened,” he said, pulling back. “Are you okay? How is he?”

She nodded, wiping the tears that fell as she stepped back. “I’m okay,” she said, looking up at him. “But we haven’t had an update on Jax yet. All we know is that they are running tests.”

As she spoke, Sam and Aaron approached behind her. Turning, she gestured to them.

“Sam, Aaron, this is my brother Eric. Eric,” she said, turning to her brother, “this is Sam, my boss, and Aaron, the team’s doctor.”

Eric reached forward, shaking each of their hands.

“It’s nice to meet you, although I’m sorry about the circumstances,” he said before turning back to Eavie.

He placed his hand on her shoulder before continuing.

“Stay here. I’ll go see if I can get you an update.

” With a nod, he turned and left, disappearing through a set of swinging doors.

They made their way back to the seating area, but Eavie was too wound up to sit, so she paced back and forth, watching the minutes on her watch tick by as she waited for a sign of her brother’s return.

After what felt like hours, Eric reappeared through the swinging doors. “They’ve finished the tests and placed him in a room on the recovery floor so that he can be monitored closely. I don’t have any information on his condition, but he’s stable right now.”

Eavie swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Can we see him?” she managed to say, although her voice was shaky.

Eric nodded. “Of course, come with me.”

He turned and led them over to an elevator that took them to the third floor. They stopped outside a room facing the nurse’s station where three women in scrubs were sitting behind the desk.

The sliding glass door to the room was open, and a single bed was set up in the middle of the space. Jax lay on it, covered in a blanket, a heartbeat monitor on one finger. The steady beep was the only sound in the room, the rheumatic thrum calling to her own heartbeat.

Eavie took a step inside, followed by Sam and Aaron.

She walked over to the bed and around the other side, stopping beside it.

She grasped his hand, holding it tight as if it were her lifeline to him.

It was large and warm, a sharp contrast to her cold ones.

The contact of their skin had tears rising to her eyes again, and she quickly blinked them away.

“I’m going to go and check on his test results,” Eric said from the doorway. “I’ll be back soon.” He cast another glance at Eavie, watching her as she stood staring at Jax, her hand grasping his.

After a few minutes, Aaron left to call Fred and update the team, and Sam came over to the bed. “I’m going to go grab some coffee. Can I get you one?” he asked.

Eavie nodded. “Coffee would be great, thanks.”

He left the room, leaving Eavie alone with Jax for the first time. She pulled up the chair beside the bed and sat, content to watch him sleep now that she was touching him.

As she watched his sleeping face, the heavy weight of her emotions pounding against the walls around her heart, determined to get through. Closing her eyes, she let it all go.

She considered everything that had happened over the last few weeks. From the moment she’d bumped into him outside the bathrooms at The Spot, she’d been enraptured by him. The connection she’d felt was instant, her heart recognizing what her mind couldn’t.

Now, she knew.

The protective layer of ice around her heart shattered as a rush of sensations bombarded her. Her heart thumped, forcing her to suck in a breath.

Slowly, the pain began to ease. When it was gone, the only thing she felt was hope.

It had been there on Sunday after they had each confessed something so deep, so personal that they had broken each other’s carefully crafted armor.

During the slow, passionate sex that followed, she had known.

The words that had refused to come expelled from her in the tears she had shed.

It was as if the drops that had fallen down her cheeks had released all the things she’d never let go of, washing away her heartbreak and insecurities, allowing the wounds inside her to finally heal, making room in her heart for him.

She had fallen in love with Jax. Truly, madly in love. Despite everything, it was true. She loved him.

Tears rose again, blurring her vision and spilling down her cheeks in what she was sure were ugly, fat drops, but she didn’t care. Eavie made no move to wipe them away, instead letting them run down her face until they hung from her jaw, dripping onto their joined hands.

As she let the feelings of love wash over her, Jax’s hand moved, squeezing hers. Her gaze flew up to his face and connected with his, the gray shining almost silver as he watched her. Letting out a sob, she stood up and moved closer, leaning over him.

“You’re awake,” she managed to say through her tears.

“You’re crying,” he returned, taking in her tear-streaked face.

“You scared the shit out of me.”

He lifted the hand she had been holding to her cheek and gently brushed the drops away. “If I had known getting injured would catch your attention, I would have done it weeks ago.”

Eavie smiled slightly, leaning her head into his palm. “I love you,” she said, looking into his eyes. “Walking away from you was a huge mistake.”

A wide grin slowly spread across his handsome face. Jax reached up with his other hand, holding her cheeks between them, pulling her closer.

Their lips connected in a deep, passionate kiss that stole her breath and sent her heart racing. It was a soul-consuming kiss—the wisps of it reaching deep, eliminating the last traces of pain until all that was left was love.

She was reluctant to pull away from the sparks of fire that ignited, spreading through her, making her want to get closer, until they were one.

When they finally pulled apart, Jax opened his eyes and looked at her. “I love you.”

Just like that, hearing the words felt like she was made whole.

Eavie let out a choked laugh as she brushed her fingers over his forehead, smoothing his rich, dark hair back and revealing the carefully stitched cut on his forehead.

Gingerly, she ran her fingers around it, wanting to soothe the angry red line.

“I’m so sorry about everything, about walking away.

I was so confused about what I felt for you.

But mostly, I was scared,” she whispered, swallowing.

“But tonight terrified me more than anything. Watching you get hurt, all I could think about was that I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

I want to be with you. I want us to be together, no matter if it’s for weeks or years. ”

Jax frowned at her. “Baby,” he said, staring up at her.

“You don’t need to apologize. I get it. I understand why you pushed me away.

I don’t blame you for wanting to protect yourself, but I want to be with you, too.

And if you let me, I promise to spend every day proving that to you, showing you how incredible you are.

I love you, Eavie, and I’m not letting you go. ”