Page 181 of Untying the Knot
“That was one of my favorite days,” she replies. “It was so simple, yet so special.”
“Would you do it all over again?” I ask her.
“Marry you?” She looks me in the eyes. “Easily,” she answers, making my heart twist in my chest with possible hope. “Marrying you was one of the greatest decisions I’ve ever made.”
“Asking you out on a date was one of my best decisions. Pursuing you after that was my greatest.”
“What do you miss the most from those early days?” she asks.
“The Instagram messages. Opening Instagram now doesn’t hold as much appeal as it did back then because I always hoped for a message from you. I looked forward to them.”
“I did too.”
“What about you? What do you miss the most?”
“You looking for me in the stands. Once we started dating and I was going to more games, I loved watching you try to spot me because the moment you would, the biggest smile would spread across your face. That image lives rent-free in my mind.”
“I loved seeing you in my jersey, cheering for me.”
“I remember when the person next to me found out I was your wife. She was going off about her favorite players and how she couldn’t believe you were married . . . especially to me.”
My grip on her grows tight. “Little did that woman know how infatuated I am with you.”
Her fingers dance across the short hairs on the back of my neck. “Can I ask you something?”
I pull away just enough so I can look her in the eyes. “You can ask me anything.”
“And you’ll be truthful?”
“Yes,” I answer.
“Well, you remember when all that gossip went around about you and me? About how some fans believed I wasn’t fit enough to be with someone like you? Is that where The Jock Report originated? You always said it was because of Penn and your retirement, but it almost seems like that was the moment it became an idea in your head.”
I press my lips together and let out a heavy sigh. “Yes, that’s where The Jock Report originated.”
“How come you never told me that?”
“Because you were really sensitive about that situation, and I didn’t want you thinking I was riding in on my white horse trying to save the day. Hell, you didn’t even like talking about how it all went down, and you suffered so much. I didn’t want to remind you or take you back to that moment. It sounded far too close to the things your mom used to say, and I couldn’t bear you hurting.”
“Oh . . .”
“Are you mad?” I ask her.
Her eyes meet mine, and she shakes her head. “Not even a little.” And then she kisses me lightly on the mouth.
* * *
“What are you thinking about?”I ask Myla as I join her on the balcony of our hotel.
We left the wedding not long after the bride and groom took off, which was right after the cake was served. We spent a good portion of the night dancing, talking, and then fed each other cake at a table by ourselves. We spoke to Penn and Banner on occasion, but for the most part, we spent the evening alone, and I loved every goddamn second of it.
And now that we’re back in our hotel room, looking out over the vineyard, I keep thinking about how I let things between us go so awry. How could I go through my daily life not paying attention to her, not listening, not focusing? I can’t believe I took this woman for granted, and now that she’s slowly slipping from my grasp, I’m attempting anything and everything to keep her from leaving me.
“I’m thinking about what a great time I had with you here,” she answers as I slowly move the strap of her dress off her shoulder.
She tilts her head to the side, giving me a better angle at her neck, so I take advantage of it and pepper kisses along her skin.
“How I don’t want it to end,” she adds.
