Page 29 of Hot Shot

His jaw clenches, but he nods. Then he goes to the door that leads from the ice to the stands. He doesn’t bother putting on guards, he just sits on one of the benches.

I take a deep breath. “Okay, so Evan and I met our freshman year in college. We were both in the engineering department and had to spend significant time together when we got paired up for a project. Eventually we started dating. Then we moved in together.”

Max doesn’t say anything. He just sits quietly while I pace in front of him.

“He proposed right after we graduated. We got married two years after that. I’m skipping details about my job and moving up the ladder quicker than him. Initially we got a job at the same firm. Evan moved on from there right after my first promotion.

“Our relationship was easy. Effortless, really. So comfortable. He was like my favorite pair of broken in shoes. Chelsea and Brendan never liked him. Brendan wasn’t here much since at the time he played for Seattle. Anyways, he hated Evan from afar.”

That at least gets a tiny chuckle from him.

“Evan wanted to try to get pregnant right away. I wasn’t too sure, but I went off the pill. Wanted to be a team player or whatever. And I suppose part of me thought that it could be the thing I could give him. We both knew I was the better engineer. Two years, not even a missed period. He blamed me. Said there must be something wrong with my body.

“Fucker,” Max mutters.

“I offered to go to a fertility doctor and get everything tested. But he said no, that it didn’t matter anymore because he was done. He left that night. I got the divorce papers a week later.

“He bailed on our eight year relationship at the first sign of trouble. Because there was something wrong with me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re pregnant right now,” Max says.

“Ironic, I suppose. Anyways, to be honest, I wasn’t even very sad when everything ended. I didn’t miss him. But I did feel like a failure. Then, when we met, I just kept thinking about how Evan left me. He was only a couple of inches taller than me, pretty scrawny, actually. He wasn’t very attractive. I mean it’s not that he was ugly, but he sure as hell didn’t look anything like you.

“I couldn’t help thinking that if Evan left me there was no way you would want me.”

“But I did. I do,” Max says.

“I know. So that’s my story. That’s my big, messy emotional baggage.” I sit down then, straddling the bench so I can face him. “I should never have held you up to Evan in comparison. There is no comparison. Not just in how you look or how you fuck. I’m making it sound like the only worth you have is your gorgeous appearance, but the truth is, Max, your heart is the most beautiful thing about you. My doubts were a hundred percent about me, not you.” I give him a tiny shrug and smile.

I scoot closer to him and grab his hands. “There’s no comparison to how I feel. That’s the main thing. I spent so much of my time with him and it made me just write you off as a fling. Despite the fact that my heart kept telling me you were so much more.” I bring his hands to my lips.

“I am so sorry I ruined everything between us.”

He swallows visibly, but doesn’t say anything.

“Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? Something that would make you give me a second chance? Give us a second chance?”

He bends slightly, until he meets my eyes. “Why are you talking about second chances, beautiful?”

“My crazy stubbornness drove you off. I want a chance to win you back.”

This time he’s the one to scoot closer, so much so that he lifts me and sets me on his lap so I’m straddling his thighs.

“God, you’re perfect. You don’t have to get me back. Baby, we had a fight. You didn’t lose me. We didn’t break up. We just had a disagreement and I needed to blow off steam.”

I stare at his gorgeous hazel eyes and let myself absorb his love because it’s shining so brightly it’s nearly blinding.

“I’m still in this,” he continues. “I’m not some weak ass wanker. who’s gonna walk away because of one disagreement. I told you I was all in, I meant it.”

I grab his face and kiss him hard. “I love you Max Coleman. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I’m sorry I broke your heart today. I’m going to try really hard to never do that again because I broke my own heart too.”

“I love you, Charlotte. You’re everything to me. You and our son.”

My heart feels so full, it might burst right out of my chest. “You were going to ask me an important question a couple of weeks ago. Do you think you’ll ever ask me again?”

He digs in his front jeans pocket and pulls out that small black ring box.

“You have it with you?”