Page 49 of The Player

‘Secondly, I’ve spent most of my life protecting her and that’s what my omission was about. Ensuring she wouldn’t cop the same crap I have all these years, which may have a detrimental effect on her condition physically.’

‘How?’

‘Extreme emotions or mood swings can increase the spasticity in her muscles, which in turn can lead to long-term complications. Serious complications that could lead to permanent deformities.’

A tiny sliver of understanding lodged in his hardened heart, cracking it open a fraction, letting admiration creep in. And regret, that he’d unfairly accused her of something so heinous as being ashamed of her sister when she’d been protecting her.

‘And thirdly, the rest of my life laid out in the biography is true. Not fabricated. Elaborated? Yeah.’ Her fingers twitched, before she unlinked her hands and waved one between them. ‘And for the record, what happened between you and I? All real. Every moment, and I’d hate for you to think otherwise.’

Admiration gave way to hope and went a long way to soothing the intense hurt that had rendered him useless until she’d strutted through his door.

But he wouldn’t give in that easily. It might have taken a lot of guts to confront him now, so soon after their blow-up, but he couldn’t forget that she’d shut him out when he’d let her in.

‘Prove it.’

A tiny frown crinkled her brow. ‘How?’

‘Let me into your life.’

The frown intensified. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘I think you do.’ He shuffled closer to her on the couch, buoyed when she didn’t move away. ‘I want to see the real you. Not the persona you’ve donned for years to fool the masses. Not the woman you’ve pretended to be from the beginning of our relationship. The real you.’

Liza stared at Wade as if he’d proposed she scale the Eureka Tower naked.

The real her? No one saw the real her, not even Cindy, who she pretended to be upbeat for constantly. The way she saw it, her sister had a tough enough life, why make it harder by revealing when her own life wasn’t a bed of roses?

Liza had always assumed a happy face even if she’d felt like curling up in bed with a romance novel and a pack of Tim Tams.

So what Wade was asking? Too much.

She shook her head. ‘I can’t—’

‘Yes, you can.’

Before she could move, he grasped her hand and placed it over his heart. ‘I’m willing to take a chance on us. Without the pretence. Without the baggage of the past. Just you and me. What do you say?’

Chapter Twenty-Two

Liza wanted to run and hide, wanted to fake a smile and respond with a practised retort designed to hide her real feelings.

But looking into Wade’s guileless dark eyes, feeling his heart thump steadily, she knew she’d reached a turning point in her life.

She had two options.

Revert to type and continue living a sham.

Or take a giant leap of faith and risk her heart.

‘An answer some time this century would be nice,’ he said, pressing her hand harder to his heart.

‘I’m taking Cindy to Luna Park tomorrow,’ she blurted. ‘Come with us.’

She waited, holding her breath until her chest ached. She’d never invited anyone to her days out with Cindy. It was their special time. To consider letting Wade accompany them, to see what the reality of being a full-time carer involved, was a huge step forward for her. He wanted to see the real her and she’d thrown down the gauntlet.

His mouth eased into a smile and the air whooshed out of her lungs. ‘Sounds good. What time?’

‘Nine. We’ll pick you up.’

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