Page 146 of Imperfect Player

“Oh, my God. Ethan.”

“He’s fine. Really. We talked. I just . . . The point is, the idea of you being hurt is the most terrifying feeling in the world to me. Knowing that I’m the one that hurt you?”

Ethan shakes his head.

“I was hurt. But I healed too. The moment you showed up at my door.”

“Yeah? Are you sure you weren’t wishing it was Dr. Nate?”

“You read that, huh?”

“I read all of them. Repeatedly.”

“Nothing happened. It was one—”

“You don’t owe me an explanation.”

“Maybe not, but I want to. Nothing happened. Not so much as a kiss. We went to dinner, but . . . You’ve ruined me, you know.”

“Ruined you?”

“Yep, ruined me for all other men. Not a single one of them can compare to you.”

Ethan puffs out his chest. “Damn straight.”

I slap his bare chest playfully. “That being said . . . ”

“I don’t like how that sounds.”

“Last night was very emotional, and I . . . ”

“You what, sunshine?”

“I won’t hold you to anything you said. Or . . . asked.”

“Are you referring to my poorly timed proposal?”

“It wasn’t poorly timed, it was perfect.”

“It wasn’t, but it was heartfelt. I mean it, Everly. I want to marry you.”

“I want that too.”

Knowing the proposal was real is more than enough. The when of it doesn’t matter. We have our whole lives to take that step, but the one that we need to take today involves heavy hitting and hearts on our sleeves.

That’s exactly what we do as we lie in bed, fingers intertwined. We talk. We say the things we’re afraid to, ask the questions we don’t want to.

He tells me about the rehab program, the therapy sessions, the long road to recovery. He reminds me more times than I can count how his recovery is never-ending, how he’ll never be cured.

All of which I already know and accept. Things that I reassure him of.

He tells me about Ben. The smile on the little boy’s face when he found out his brother is a famous baseball player. His favorite player, nonetheless.

We lie there talking and hashing things out for what seems like forever. The one constant in it all: us. Neither of us wants to let go. Neither of us wants to stop fighting.

We are together.

It’s not going to be easy and it’s not going to be perfect.

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