Page 99 of Imperfect Player

“My dad. Out of the blue. He contacts me, shows up at my building . . . ” I shake my head, unable to grasp everything that’s transpired. “As if that shit isn’t bad enough, I find out that he and my mom reconnected, had another kid. One that they decided to keep.”

Everly remains silent as I bare my soul to her. In a way, it’s freeing, but fuck if it doesn’t terrify me. What if she sees what they saw? What if she leaves? Here I am doing everything I can, putting it all on the line, and for what? For her to walk away.

No, asshole. You’re doing it to keep her. You’re giving her what she needs.

“I, uh . . . I had a problem a couple years back. The press chalked it up to me being a player who liked to party too much, but it was more than that. I didn’t drink for fun, I drank to forget the shit that happened to me as a kid, to cope with the shit in my head that I couldn’t conceptualize.”

“And now?”

“I slipped. I saw him and . . . I did the only thing I could think of. Then there was you. And you . . . You’re more important than the alcohol. I need you. Not it. One time. One fuck up. I swear.”

She nods.

I’m not sure it’s with a resolve that everything is okay—we’re okay—or because she just doesn’t give a shit anymore.

“I can handle screwups and slips off the wagon, but what I won’t allow is for you to screw up my career, or yours for that matter. You really put me in a bad spot yesterday. You missed the photo shoot, Ethan. I had to lie for you.”

“I know, I’m sorry. Fuck. I . . . I’ll fix it. I’ll fix us.”

I should go. I should leave her here to move on with her life. But like a selfish prick, I can’t walk away. I won’t let her go. Instead, I’ll do whatever I have to in order to be worthy of her.

“I’m going to make it up to you.”

She opens her mouth to speak, but I slant mine over hers and silence her with a kiss. A kiss that is so fucking perfect it makes me forget all the shit in my life.

Forget baseball. Forget alcohol. All I need is Everly and her sweet fucking kisses.

“But that means I need to go. I have a few things to take care of. You’re free tonight, right?”

Everly doesn’t speak.

“Please. Please give me this chance to make things right.”

“I’m free.”

“I’ll pick you up,” I tell her, pressing a kiss to her lips one last time. “I’ll text you later with a time.”

“What are you up to?”

“You’ll see.”

One more kiss because I just can’t resist, then I’m out the door.

Chapter 28

Ethan

The minute I leave Everly’s place, I call Fox. He’s kind of been my go-to when it comes to Everly since I’m beyond fucking clueless. After bouncing some ideas off Fox, I settle on taking her back to where it all began, turning the night we met into how it should have gone than a how it did go. I rented out the ballroom where the Advantage event was held. Only this time, it’s going to be just us. Tonight, we’re going to do it right.

All the plans I made nearly go out the window the moment she opens the door. She’s wearing Railcat red, only it isn’t a jersey, it’s a sexy, short-as-sin dress. My first thought is to press her up against the door and move the dress the inch, maybe two, that I would need to hike it up to slide into that sweet pussy of hers.

“Damn, sunshine. You look amazing.”

She does a little twirl for me.

“I wasn’t sure what we’re doing, so I hope I’m not overdressed.”

“Anytime you wear clothes you’re overdressed as far as I’m concerned, but for tonight . . . you look perfect.”

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