But I chose Jesse anyway.
Because despite his fuck-up he still had my whole heart.
“Please,” he said again, and I saw him swallow convulsively, over and over, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” I said. “I love you, Jesse.”
And he roared with triumph and whirled me around, pressing me up against the wall to kiss me thoroughly as Watson howled in solidarity from the other room.
Epilogue (one year later)
“My wife,” Jesse said proudly.
We were at the annual ESPY Awards, a star-studded event that recognized the best athletic performances of the year.
Cameras clicked rapidly as we posed for the photographers.
I was wearing a flowing petal-pink gown that clung bewitchingly to my curves and frankly made my tits look phenomenal.
Jesse was in a matching pale petal-pink jacket with black pants and he was cracking jokes with all the other athletes we met after proudly introducing me as Mrs. Jesse Wisniewski.
There were several other Philadelphia Heat players there, too.
Not Taylor, though. It turned out she was a little too dumb not to brag thatshehad tried to stop the fight between Karel and Jesse by telling me not to come. And since Heat management knew Jesse had been a perfect angel after we got back together, she was out on her ass.
“You look amazing,” a voice rumbled beside me, and I looked up to see Karel looking admiringly at me.
“Thanks,” I said, and Jesse’s hand tightened possessively around my waist.
“My wife does look stunning,” he said. “She’s the light ofmygoddamn life.”
Karel put his hand up in mock submission and stepped back with his own date.
“I’d feel the same, if I was lucky enough to have her,” he agreed.
My lips quirked, because Karel was a fucking audacious flirt and Jesse had never forgotten that kiss.
“That asshole would love for me to screw up,” my husband said darkly, his hand tightening on my lower back. “He’d be over here in a fucking second to try to scoop you up.”
“That’s right,” I said composedly, and Jesse grinned ruefully at me.
“I’ll never make that screw-up again. That’s for goddamn sure.”
I felt his breath against my throat as we headed to our seats.
“I know now that you’re the most precious thing in the world to me and I’ll do anything to keep you mine.”
I smiled at the feel of his tongue, his teeth under the heavy fall of my hair as the cameras flashed.
I didn’t know if it was the weeks spent living in a tent and polishing my front steps with a toothbrush or trying to get himself killed to save my dog, but somewhere down the line I started to trust him again.
And when Jesse was announced as Best Male Athlete, he made it very clear where I stood.
“First and foremost, I want to thank my wife, Josie. Without her years of unfailing love and support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Everything I am, I owe to her. I love you, baby.”
“I love you too,” I mouthed, and I watched as the whole world recognized the talent in him that I’d been so sure of so long ago.
THE END
