“Don’t go,” he pleaded as he grabbed my hand.
“I have to. You know this is for the best.” I pulled away, trying to get to the front door.
Gret blocked my escape route. “Where are you going?
“I booked a room at the Marriott in Midtown.”
He buried his face in his hands. “Don’t waste the money. I am going to be gone. Just stay here until you find an apartment or decide to move across the country.”
“It’s not a good idea.”
“But I care about you.”
“That’s the problem. You’re too sweet ad I am mooching off of you.”
“You’re not a mooch. I offered and you accepted. That’s it.” The sadness in Gret’s face broke my heart.
I set my bag down. “Do you really think that I should stay?”
“I don’t want you to go,” Gret admitted.
“I’ll cancel my reservation.” I felt defeated but I couldn’t disappoint my knight in shining armor. He had done too much for me as it was. The fact that I was hurting him by trying to do the right thing broke me.
Chapter 8
Gret
Between practice and family obligations, I barely saw Etta. She had lined up a bunch of gigs between Christmas and New Year’s so she was gone by the time I got home most nights.
As I packed to head to St. Louis for our next game, an idea rushed in. it was going to be a long shot, but I had to try. Etta had been right, I did have real feelings for her but pushing her into a relationship was the last thing I wanted to do. I just knew that there was no one else I wanted to spend the last night of the year with.
I quickly booked tickets, a hotel room and secured box seats before scribbling a note.
Etta,
I know that this whole thing got all fucked up and I am so sorry for that but I would love for you to come to St. Louis for New Year’s. If you don’t want to, I will understand but you have the option. Everything is booked. You’ll have your own hotel room. Just think about it.
- Gret
I sucked in a sharp breath, put the pages onto Etta’s pillow and headed to the airport to meet the team.
It was the longest flight in history. Racking my brain the entire time, thinking that I probably made a huge mistake with another over the top romantic gesture.
Fuck it.
I had to try something.
Etta was perfect and all I wanted was for her to know how much I believed that.
Etta
I walkedinto Gret’s empty apartment and ducked into my room. I felt so badly for everything that had happened between us but it was for the best. At least that’s what I kept trying to tell myself.
It wasn’t right to jump from one bad situation into another one just because someone was nice enough to take care of me.
Grabbing the note off my pillow, my jaw dropped.
What do I do?