Page 33 of Sacrifice Bunt

“Is that all that happened?” Heath asked.

“Last night, when I found what I thought was an empty room to retreat to for my attack, it turns out Zara was in the room. When she made herself known, there was no time to explain before she was gone. As soon as I returned to the hotel, I wanted to explain things to her.”

“I’m guessing you explained with your dick.”

“Crude,” Heath said. “I don’t want to hear about your dick and Zara, just like I don’t like hearing about Hannah and Edwin.”

“I didn’t go there for that. She ran out of the room like a bat out of hell, and I wanted her to know what it was and not think the worst.” This conversation was getting out of control.

“You know that having panic attacks does not make you weak, right?” Kyle asked.

“I do know that, but something about Zara knowing made me start to feel that way.”

“Zara would never judge you for that,” Heath said. “She is the first to ask her clients if we need to see someone after an injury or if something isn’t going well. There is not a bone in her body that would look at you differently because of this.”

“I know that. Now. But it’s still hard to wrap my brain around it.” She was the one person he didn't want seeing him as weak. Everyone else, he couldn’t care less about. “I’ve had a thing for her since the night I saved her.”

“Seriously?” Heath sounded surprised.

He nodded. “I had no clue who she was, but she was always in the back of my mind as sort of the one who got away even though we’d barely said a few words to each other. Then one day, you and I were talking, and you mentioned that your sister’s best friend was visiting and that she was an agent at Sports World. You pointed to the stands, and there was Zara. I almost choked on my own spit.”

“That was like four years ago.” Heath looked at Noah in disbelief. “Are you telling me this whole time, you’ve wanted Zara and haven’t done anything about it?”

“Talk about a slow play,” Kyle said.

“You can’t talk,” Noah said to Kyle. “You loved Celia forever and never forgot her. How is this any different?”

“Hello, I’d been in a relationship with Celia. I knew what I’d lost. You have never done anything but see Zara naked.”

“That’s all it took.” Noah knew, especially after last night, that Zara was it for him. The way she made him feel, the way she calmed him, and how amazing they’d been together. She was his forever.

Now, he just had to convince her of that.

Chapter 8

––––––––

---