18. Dalton

EIGHTEEN

"So,"Blaze says, stretching his hamstrings. "You're married."

I left his house the other day shortly after we got done explaining to him and Mads what's been going down since Vegas. Dia walked me to the door, where I gave her a hug and kissed her cheek before whispering in her ear to call me if she needed anything. She didn't, of course. But I want her to know that even when I'm not next to her, I'm still there for whatever she needs. Blaze hasn't called or texted either, but now that we're at the Blizzard practice facility for our weekly training meetup, I'm sure he has a lot of questions. It's just the two of us today because Tanner had something else going on. And we don't see Maverick that much during these things because the defensive players have a different time slot.

"Yep," I answer. "Married to the girl of my dreams and already headed toward a divorce."

He walks over to the sideline, grabbing a football and walking about twenty yards away. "How are you feeling about all this?" he asks, passing the ball to me. I catch it before throwing it back.

I shake my head. "I don't know. At first, I was hopeful. That I could convince her to stay and give us a shot. But fuck, man. Her parents and ex did a number on her. She refuses to accept any type of help. I poured her a bowl of cereal the day after we got to Boston, and she lost her shit." I probably shouldn't be discussing all of this with him, but I feel like I have to let it out. Dia has enough going on to worry about how I'm doing. I don't want to add that to her stress. So, I've been holding it all in. But I can't keep doing that. Plus, I trust Blaze. He's my best friend and he's always been there for me. "I keep asking her to just give me the time that we have to show her how she deserves to be treated. I figure even if she doesn't end up with me, she would know that she's capable of receiving love. Because right now, I don't think she's ever truly felt it."

He tosses the ball back to me. "Yeah, Mads hates Dia's parents. She said they used to leave her all the time when she was little, being gone for days without even checking in. She was just a kid. Any time Dia would get money, they'd say they were putting it in a savings account. But really, they'd just gamble it away. Mads said she's been doing really good at standing her ground with not giving them money anymore, but I can't imagine how fucked up it was growing up in a family like that."

My heart twists in my chest. I knew the stuff Mads told me before and the few details Dia has given me, but hearing what kind of childhood she had makes me understand why she won't accept any type of help from anyone else. She's only ever known being on her own. And the few times she's trusted people with her heart, they left her.

I pass him the football. "I just wish I could make her see that I'm not like them. I'm not going to break her heart. I've been doing everything I can to earn her trust, but I'm running out of time."

He forces an exhale. "Do you love her?"

His words catch me off guard. To be honest, I've known since Vegas that I was falling for her, but it's all so fucking complicated, I haven't been able to really sort through all the emotions. I shrug. "How can you love someone if they won't let you?"

He gives me a sympathetic look. "You just have to keep showing her you're there for her. You can't force someone to trust you. They have to give it freely. But don't give up, man. Keep fighting till the clock hits double zeroes." He walks over, giving me a fist bump before dropping the ball on the sideline. "Come on," he says, nodding his head toward the locker room. "Let's go crash our girls' makeover party."

"Baby Doll, I'm home!" Blaze yells from the foyer as we enter the house. Loud music plays from the kitchen speakers, and we can hear both girls laughing hysterically. Exchanging a look before heading their way, we find them dancing around the island, wine glasses in-hand, with several open bottles in front of them on the counter. I'm not sure if they're empty or not, but it's only ten p.m., so they must've started early if they're already this loud. Then again, they're always pretty loud when they're together.

Blaze and I stand in the doorway, watching the girls as they laugh and move to the music. I zero in on Dia. She looks so happy right now. The worry lines that often crease the skin between her eyes are non-existent. Her body is relaxed, and her head is held high as she dances around like she doesn't have a care in the world. This is how it should be.This is the life she deserves.

Blaze can't hold himself back anymore as he walks up behind Mads and spins her around, dropping his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. She gives him a big smile before wrapping her arms around his neck as he dances with her to the upbeat song that's playing. It takes a moment for Dia to notice that they're no longer alone, but when she does, she whips around to me. Whatever reaction I was expecting is blown to smithereens when she runs toward me and jumps into my arms, smiling from ear to ear. I catch her effortlessly with my hands under her ass as she throws her head back in a carefree laugh.

"Ohmygodddddd," she slurs, clearly very tipsy. "I misssssed you." She's fucking adorable like this. I can't help but grin back at her while she sways from side to side, trusting me not to let her fall.

"That so?" I ask.

She nods her head. "Mmhmmm. I haven't seen my husband in like, twellllllllve daysssss," she says, turning to Blaze and Mads. "Guys. Hey, guys. Stop making out for a sec." They both turn to her. "I haven't seen my husband in twelve days, but look," she points to me. "Here he is. Isn't he so hot?" I breathe a quiet laugh, still holding onto her as she continues her adorable little drunken rant about us being apart for almost two weeks, when it's really only been a couple of days.

"Very hot," Blaze says facetiously.

She looks back to me. "I knowwwww. I want to sit on his face."

Blaze barks a laugh as Mads tips her wine glass back like she isn't surprised in the least by Dia's words. I take it all in for a moment; the normalcy of the whole situation. Blaze and I coming home to our girls, to find them dancing and having a good time. Everybody is happy and acting like the four of us being here together is just no big deal.

I want this forever.

Dia leans her head on my shoulder with a sigh. "I'm sleepy," she says.

I chuckle, bringing one hand from where it's propped under her ass and moving it into her hair. "Alright, Wifey. Let's get you to bed," I say.

We say goodnight to Blaze and Mads before I make my way up the stairs to the guest room with her in my arms. I close the door quietly, trying not to jostle her in case she's asleep. Pulling the covers down, I lower her to the bed and bring the sheet above her chest. I take a minute to look at her beautiful face, all signs of stress and worry smoothed away as she sleeps peacefully. I'm falling for this strong, resilient, fierce woman so hard, and there's absolutely nothing anyone can do to stop it. Not that I'd want them to.

When I met Dia, she joked that she would break me. And now that we're here, married with an impending divorce looming over us, I realize that she was right. If she leaves, I will never be the same. The heart that I promised myself I'd never give away now belongs to Diamond Davis. And I'd let her break it time and time again if it meant that I got the chance to show her what being loved feels like.

I lean down to kiss her forehead, but she reaches out, pulling me closer. "Don't leave me," she whispers. I don't know if she's saying that she doesn't want me to leave her here alone in this room tonight, or if there's a deeper meaning to those words. But I realize it doesn't really matter because regardless of what she decides, I'll be a part of her life until the day I die.

I pull off my shirt and sweats before rounding the bed and sliding in beside her. I wrap my arms tightly around her as she settles into me. "Never, baby. I promise," I vow as her soft snores fill the quiet room. She probably won't remember any of this in the morning, but I mean it with everything I have.