Page 92 of The Only Goal

I glare at him, too, unable to find any words to make this better.

How could I let her go?

Because I love her, and I want what’s best for her!

Hudson is Kai’s father.

He’ll give her security, which is obviously what she wants.

All I can offer is… fuck, I don’t even know what I can offer. It’s not like I’ve got a high-paying job or a nice car.

I can’t fucking give her anything!

You’d give her your whole heart, and you’d never cheat on her. Ever!

Yeah, well, I’m sure Hudson said he wasn’t going to do that again either. That fucker better keep his word. He better step up and be the best fucking husband on the planet.

She was happy with him once.

She can be happy with him again.

And that’s all I want for Tammy—her happiness.

It doesn’t matter how I feel.

My friends are all still staring at me, expecting some kind of answer. There’s probably not enough that I can say to satisfy them, so I settle for a gruff “She made her choice, and I wasn’t going to stand in her way.”

“But… you love her.”

“And she loves him.” I give them a pointed look before stalking out of the room and running upstairs.

It takes me all of two seconds to decide to pack a bag and hit the road.

That’s what I do when life gets to be too much.

And right now… it’s way too fucking much.

I call to find a replacement coach for my Mini Mites, giving lame excuses about my dad needing me, then saying quick goodbyes to my friends, ignoring their confused frowns and myriad questions.

“Are you coming back?” Rachel chases me outside, while Liam scoops up Fezzik and tries to hold him still.

Throwing my bag in the back, I glance over my shoulder and give her a half-hearted nod. “Probably. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Please don’t run away.”

“I’m not,” I grit out. “I’m gonna go see my dad.”

“Just for a visit, though, right?” Lani steps onto the porch, crossing her arms with a stern frown. “You’d better get your ass back here when you’re done.”

A faint smile curls my lips before I slip into the car and start the engine. It roars to life, and I shoot out of the driveway, keeping my eyes on the road ahead and not letting myself look back.

CHAPTER 46

TAMMY

Kai and I followed Hudson all the way home. It was an awful trip. Once Kai finally realized we were actually leaving and he couldn’t say goodbye to Fezzik or Casey, he lost it. He begged to stay, then started crying about not being able to go skating.

“He said he’d take me again. I’m going to be a hockey star! I need to skate!”

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