Tying my hair back isn’t something I do much of anymore, but if I’m going to stand a chance on the court today, I need a clear path of vision.
I try Athena one last time before I toss my phone in the backpack slung over my shoulder.
There are a thousand things I want to say to her starting with I love you.
It’s time.
I feel it inside, so why not share it with her?
I’m hoping that those three words and the gift I’m getting for her birthday will be enough to cement a place in her life for the long haul.
If I thought I stood a chance of her saying yes, I’d ask her to marry me.
I’m gone for this woman. My heart belongs to her.
I need to step up and take care of a few things so it’ll be hers forever.
I round the corner toward the basketball court when a wave of dizziness hits me.
I didn’t stop for lunch today, and dinner is at least an hour away.
I level my steps with a hand on the back of a bench. A few deep breaths help, but I drop to the seat and close my eyes.
I’m running on empty. I know it. I’ve stretched myself too thin the last few months.
“Hey, Wolf!”
I recognize Rhys’s voice, so I raise a hand when I look to the left.
He’s standing at the entrance to the court.
“I’m on my way,” I call back, taking an extra two seconds to catch my breath.
“My old man will go easy on you!” he yells. “He’ll spot you ten points.”
I may need it.
I push to my feet and set off toward Rhys and his bright blue hair.
I give the kid credit for honoring his mom in the best way he knows how.
When I reach him, he goes in for a side hug, so I accommodate with a slap in the middle of his back.
“Wolf,” he says my name in a shaky tone. “I want you to meet my dad.”
I spin around to face the man that owned the heart of Deidre Quillan. The man she met in grade school, fought with through middle school and fell in love with in high school.
Steely blue eyes and short cut dirty blond hair greet me. A hand is shoved at me as he studies my face. “I’m Gareth.”
“Liam Wolf.” I take his hand in mine for a shake. “I already feel like I know you.”
When I try and tug my hand away, he holds on for a beat too long. “I feel the same way, Liam. I feel the same way about you.”
Two hours later,I stand in front of Wild Lilac and stare in the windows.
Fate brought me here weeks ago. That’s the only way I can explain any of this.
Athena’s past is as twisted as mine.
