“I thought walking away would protect her career,” I continue. “I thought if I made it ugly enough, she wouldn’t fight me. Wouldn’t hesitate.”
I laugh hollowly. “I didn’t think it would destroy me in the process.”
My hands shake slightly.
“I can’t eat,” I admit. “I can’t sleep. I keep replaying every second of that night. The way her voice cracked when she asked why.”
Kamden exhales slowly.
“You love her,” he says.
It’s not a question.
“Yeah,” I breathe. “I do. More than baseball. More than this team. More than my pride.”
I look at him, desperate.
“I need her back.”
The words feel raw.
“I need her like I need oxygen. And I don’t know how to fix what I did.”
Kamden steps closer.
“I’ve never seen you like this,” he says quietly.
“Because I’ve never felt like this.”
He runs a hand over his face.
“She went to the league,” he says.
My head snaps up. “What?”
“She fought for herself. For her position. She recused herself from your sessions so she could stay.”
My heart stutters.
“She did that?”
“Yeah.”
I close my eyes for a second.
“She doesn’t need protecting,” Kamden says. “Not like that.”
Guilt crashes through me.
“I made the decision for her,” I whisper. “Just like everyone else.”
Kamden studies me for a long moment.
“You hurt her,” he says.
“I know.”
“You hurt me too.”
