Page 82 of Blindside Love

“But she told me not to. No one ever listens to her or respects her choices. I’m no better than them if I make decisions for her, even worse if I don’t respect the decisions she’s making,” I growl out, annoyed that he’s making me question myself. I wanted to fight for her, but I convinced myself that to respect her, I needed to respect her decisions, even if that meant losing her.

But should I have fought?

“I get that. And I also get why you’re respecting that. I think you’re both being stupid and that both of you need to pull your heads out of your asses. She’s fighting for you while trying to fight for herself. Don’t lose a girl over her trying to play hero. Fight with her. She doesn’t need a hero; she needs a partner, but so do you.”

I think about what he’s saying, knowing he’s trying to be a rational voice, but my irrational brain is fighting him right now.

But I get it. I see what he’s saying, and my instinct is telling me that he’s right. That I need to fight for her. That I need to show her that she’s worth fighting for, that they both are. That I’d rather have an imperfect reputation in the public eye than a perfect one without them.

The weight that was on my shoulders feels lighter, yet my heart feels heavier knowing I need to get my shit together if I want any chance of convincing her that I’m worth fighting for too.

“So, what do I do?” I ask, needing direction from my best friend who’s faced his fair share of troubles in life but who’s always come out on the other side looking better.

“Truthfully? Change your clothes, go for a run, then take a shower; you stink, that alone would have her send you packing.”

“Fuck you,” I grumble as I make my way to my room to change.

By the time I come out, ready to hit the pavement, Rex is picking up my apartment, headphones in one hand and a garbage bag in the other as he walks around, trying to make my apartment less of a disaster.

I don’t wave, knowing he’ll probably still be here when I get back. This is what we do; we’re family, and family always picks the other one up when they’ve been blindsided, whether on the ice or by love.

An hour later, I’d run all around the city. I did throw up in the bushes once because I believed in my abilities a little too much, but after six miles, I’d still call it a win. As I head into the lobby, my shirt sticking to me from sweat, I go towards the elevator, hoping just this once to not see Ellie. Not yet at least.

I need time to shower and put myself together before I go find her and tell her I’m not letting her face this alone, that I’m with her every step of the way.

When the elevator opens, it’s not empty, but instead of being Ellie, it’s her father. He smiles kindly when he sees me, immediately taking in my state. I’ve exchanged my normal scruff for more of an unkempt beard, which I’m sure is a dead giveaway for the state I’m in.

Seeing as he’s coming down from her apartment, he probably already knows.

“Hello, sir. It’s nice to see you.” I smile, letting him step out before walking onto the elevator.

When I turn, though, he’s standing outside of the elevator, his arm holding it open.

“I’m telling you this as a father, as someone who’s fucked up a lot with his little girl but who will do anything to see her smile. Don’t listen to my daughter; she loves to be the villain of her own story, she always has, and that’s why she walked away from you. It’s why she let us believe Tom for as long as she did, even though she could prove everything she hid from us. She tries to be strong, to be enough, but I’ve seen the way she looks at you. See the way her face lights up when you’re around. That night at dinner, when I first met you, I knew immediately that you two were different, and it’s because you’re a team.”

“With all due respect, sir, she left me. She broke up with me. I didn’t want this.”

“Like I said, son. She’s thinking with her brain, not her heart. The thing is, you are her heart, which is why she’s protecting you. Ignore it. Clean yourself up and meet me at this restaurant,” John says, handing me a business card for an Italian place down the street. “I might just be meeting Carl, Tom’s father, there for dinner. Be there by 6:45. The main event happens at seven.”

With a wink, he walks away, letting the elevator doors shut.

What the fuck was that?

The only thing I am certain of is that I’m taking his advice. First shower, then restaurant, then hopefully, I can get my girls back.

Chapter 29

Ellie

Everyone talks about how hard breakups are, and it’s so true, but I’ve never experienced a greater heartbreak than walking away from someone I’m confident is my other half.

I don’t believe in soul mates, but honestly, I’m positive that man is the other half of me; as delusional as that sounds, I know it. Walking away from him was easily the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat if I knew it would protect him from Tom.

That’s what I keep telling myself as I sit in the back of the cab, heading down the street to meet Tom. I feel sick to my stomach knowing I have to play nice, even if just for a while. After I got the envelope of “evidence” left on my door, I called my dad immediately. Once I told him what Tom was doing, I asked for his help.

To get Tom’s dad on board, I needed him to hear it firsthand, so I messaged Tom and asked him to meet me at this Italian restaurant down the street. It has booths with curtains so you can have total privacy. My plan is to have our fathers in a booth next to mine and Tom’s, and hopefully make him comfortable enough that he decides to spill a little for them to hear.

The plan sounded smart when I thought of it, but right now, it just seems like a recipe for disaster. I’m not calm enough to pull this off.

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