“I can’t.”

“Please.”

“No, I can’t. The faster I get over him, the easier my life will be,” Elli said as she made her way out of the kitchen and down the hall to Ryan’s room. He smiled up at her when she entered. He had on Elli’s old jersey, along with the stick Shea had signed when he first got signed to the Assassins.

“I’m leaving, buddy, I just wanted to say bye.”

“Okay, Ms. Elli. Thanks for all my new stuff,” he said before throwing his little arms around her neck, hugging her tightly, “Will I see you soon?”

“Sure, darlin’. Maybe I’ll come when Grandma and Grandpa get here.”

“Awesome!” he said, punching his fist in the air.

Elli stood, and with a wave she left. Grace stood at the end of the hall and when Elli reached her, they hugged once more before walking toward the door.

“Are you sure you can’t stay?” Grace asked again, hope filling her eyes.

“I’m sure,” Elli said, walking down the steps, “but I’ll be back.”

“Okay. Bye, Elli.”

“Bye Grace,” Elli said with a wave, before getting into her truck and driving off. The new chapter in Elli’s life might not include Shea, but it would include his family.

Elli swore to that.

When Elli got home, she cried, and cried some more instead of doing something productive. There was a list of things she needed to do, but crying seemed like a better idea. Maybe she should have stayed, seen what Shea’s reaction would have been.

Would he beg her for another chance? Would he ask why she was there? Or would he just take her in his arms, and kiss her senseless? What would she have done if he had said or done any of those things?

The questions swarmed in her head as she turned on her laptop, checking her email. She deleted all the junk mail before coming to the one from her Papa.

Eleanor, you are not sitting with me tomorrow night. Sit in your seat. I know the family will be up in the boxes, but I need pictures since this is the final game. When we win it, we’ll be going to the cup finals. Not that you don’t know that, but still. I better not see you anywhere but in your seat, taking pictures.

Love you.

Well shit.

“Was that Elli?” Shea asked when Grace answered the door. Grace stood there for a minute, before nodding her head.

“What the hell was she doing here?” he asked as he came inside, still staring his twin down.

“She came to drop off some things to Ryan.”

Shea’s eyebrows drew together and his heart continued to hammer against his chest. He had missed her by a matter of seconds. She pulled out as he was turning onto Grace’s road. When he heard a pair of little feet running up the hall, he turned to see his special little guy with the biggest grin on his face and the biggest jersey on.

“Unky Shea!” he yelled, running to him, jumping into his arms. Shea caught him eagerly, nuzzling his nose in Ryan’s hair, taking in his scent: peanut butter and strawberries. When he pulled back and grinned at Shea, Shea gave him a loud smacking kiss on the cheeks.

“How is my buddy doing?”

“Good, I’ve missed you so much. Where have you been?”

“Been busy, Ryan. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, you see the new jersey Ms. Elli brought over? You should see all the things she bought me, it’s awesome!”

Shea cut Grace a look, but she wasn’t looking at him.

“Ms. Elli came by to see you?”

“Yup, and she said when Grandma and Grandpa come next week, she’ll come! Isn’t that great?”

“Sure is, bud,” Shea said painfully as he put Ryan on his hip, walking with him towards his room.

“You should come, too,” Ryan gushed.

“Probably can’t bud, got the finals next week.”

“You should try.”

“Yeah, I should,” Shea agreed as they walked down the hall. When he saw all of Elli’s things from her foyer, he felt like the last nail to his coffin was nailed in. Elli wasn’t kidding when she said she was done with him. Maybe he didn’t fight hard enough, but he did everything short of breaking into her house and taping her to a chair to make her listen. He sent flowers for weeks, called at least three times a day, sent texts every hour it seemed. He fought, he tried, but what else could he have done?

After spending the afternoon with Ryan, Shea played dolls with Amelia. It hurt to see how much Amelia had changed in the last two months. Ryan was basically the same, a little taller, but not Amelia. She was taller, had longer hair, and she was talking so much more. How did so much change in two months, and how could he have missed it?

When he made his way back into the kitchen, Grace was sitting at the table. She had her hand under her chin, the other tangled in her long black hair as she leaned on her elbow. He watched her for a moment. She was so beautiful, and he wondered what she was thinking about.

She was probably worrying about him.

“Amelia is talking a lot more,” he said, pulling out the chair that was across from her, and lowering himself into it. She looked up at him, nodding her head.

“She is. James says she talks as much as her mommy does.”

Shea smiled, nodding his head. They all knew how much Grace liked to talk.

“How are-”

“What did she say, Grace?” Shea asked, cutting her off. He didn’t mean to, but he didn’t think he could wait much longer to know. He felt like the biggest ass since the whole time he played with Ryan and Amelia, all he was thinking about was what Elli told Grace.