"No. I trust you. No matter how much you hate me, I know you'd never screw me over," I state.
"I don't hate you, Wyatt," she admits.
Hope soars in me. "You don't?"
A tiny curve forms on her lips, but she reminds me, "Don't get all excited. Nothing's changed."
I contain my excitement and pick up a pen. "Where do I sign?"
She puts her hands over the paper, advising, "Wyatt, you should read contracts. My dad always told you that, and there's a reason for it."
"Is there something in this I need to know about?" I question.
She sighs, picks up the paper, goes to page three, and sets it in front of me. She points to the payment clause.
I glance at it, and rage fills me. I exclaim, "That backstabbing crook. First, he refuses to let me join a team, and now this?"
She nods. "Yep. He's going to make sure he gets his money out of you."
"For how long?" I question.
She doesn't say anything. She releases a slow breath, staring at me.
My blood boils hotter. I boom, "Forever? There's no clause to lower it?"
She shakes her head. "Nope. These are his terms."
I stare at the number on the paper, then mutter, "You have to be kidding me, Willow."
She gives me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, but I'm not. You don't have to sign this. I'm sure somebody will pick you up."
"They won't," I say before I can even think about it.
She tenses at the certainty in my tone.
I swallow the lump in my throat. Then I admit, "I think we both know I'm pretty washed up at this point."
"You're not washed up, but you're going to have to make a lot of changes, Wyatt."
I glance at the bookcase and the trophies of horses from different races the Cartwrights' have won. I mumble, "I wish things were simple like they used to be."
Willow asks in the tender voice she used to use with me all the time, "How?"
I lock eyes with her, my pulse racing faster. "You know. Before I screwed everything up?"
She stays silent.
I lean closer and add, "If I could go back to when you and I were sneaking around, and my life was full of promise, I'd do it. I'd return to before I screwed us up and redo it all."
She blinks hard, then looks away.
I reach across the desk and put my hand over hers. "I mean it. I would, Willow. I'd be a better man and do everything differently."
She meets my gaze for a brief moment.
I stroke my thumb over her knuckles.
She pulls her hand back, sighing wearily. "Let's not talk about it, Wyatt. I can't go through this back and forth every day. The past is the past. Let's leave it there and hope that Jax keeps his mouth shut."
