I had no idea what we were going to do. But whatever it was, it needed to be in private.
“All of this because you like my shirt?” she quipped as she pulled it out, looking down at her chest. “Personally, I think it’s rather grade school looking myself, but it was the best I could do on short notice.”
I stood off to the side of the room, admiring her as she joked about it, happy to hear her sarcastic comments flowing from her mouth once again.
“Ava…” I started, but she put her hand up to stop me.
“Logan, let me talk, please. Everything I’ve done, almost from the start, has been wrong. I should have listened to my heart from the get-go and not worried about anything else.”
She paused, her eyes getting watery.
“I choose you, Logan. I will always choose you, over everyone else.” A single tear slid down her cheek. “I’ve made more mistakes than I can count on both hands since meeting you, but seeing you at your game today, with the number fourteen on your back. Well, it made me realize that I need to wake up. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Then her eyes went wide with horror.
“Unless I’m wrong about the number…shit, were you just assigned that number?”
She started twisting her hands together and bouncing from foot to foot.
“Relax, beautiful, I chose it.”
“You did?” she asked.
“I did,” I confirmed.
She jumped, and I caught her, pulling her into my arms. Our hearts beat wildly in our chests as they pressed against each other. Our mouths connected as she held my face. A long overdue kiss, which started healing the cracks in my heart.
Our kiss slowed, and she motioned to get down and stand before me. We moved to sit on the bed, facing each other.
“I’m not here to take you away from your celebration, I’d like for us to go back downstairs. But I needed to tell you that I’m all in, Logan. I’ve been miserable this past week without us talking, not seeing each other at all. It made me realize that wasn’t how I wanted my life to be. It was better with you in it.” She reached out, taking my hand in hers.
Her words filled my heart. I had myself convinced that she had walked away from me for good.
I’d forever love the number fourteen.
“You’ve made me so happy, Ava.”
“Not before almost destroying you, and us. I’m sorry for how I’ve been.”
“Hey,” I said, stroking her cheek. “There are always growing pains in a relationship worth working for. And we’re working through them.”
She gripped my hand and kissed that back of it.
“C’mon, let’s get downstairs. You deserve to be with your team after that win today. The game was awesome, and I loved watching you out there.”
We walked, hand in hand, to the door.
“You know you kinda stink, right?” she asked, then laughed.
“I more than stink, I reek. I really do love the shirt. You’ll have to wear it to every game now.”
She chuckled again.
“I think I can handle that.”
CHAPTER 34
Logan
