Page 107 of Trust Me

Ned clears his throat. “And, Elio, thank you for saving my daughter.”

My head tilts as I look at him, seeing a man who cares deeply for his child. I can’t fault him for that. Instead, it makes me happy knowing that her parents care about her because not everyone is fortunate in that department.

“Always.” Then it’s my turn to clear my throat. “Ned, I truly am sorry. I love your daughter more than anything in this world and I’m going to care for and protect her with all that I have. Every day.”

Ned sighs, folding his hands over his stomach. “That’s the only thing that’s helping me find some sort of acceptance.”

“I understand.”

“You know, Elio, I do love you like my own. I practically raised you over the years on the ice, and I know you’re a good person. But when you have kids, it’s hard to let them go, and you’ll look for faults in anyone they want to be with to make sure they find someone who’s perfect. The truth, though? No one is.” He swallows. “I’m slowly learning to let her go, but it’s hard.”

I nod, understanding what he’s saying. Because the thought of a little girl who’s half me and half Jasmine makes the protective beast inside of me light up.

“You don’t need to let her go, but she needs space to bloom on her own. She’s an adult, who’s more than capable of making good choices for herself.”

Ned nods thoughtfully as Madeline speaks up.

“I understand she’s been through a lot today, but we’d like to come back tomorrow to talk to her. Do you think that’d be okay?”

“I’ll talk to her, then I’ll text Ned and let him know if she’s ready for that.”

“We know we’re not perfect—hell, no parent is. We love our girl, and I think we need to talk,” she admits.

I nod along, happy that they seem receptive to listening to Jasmine’s feelings. I can only hope their actions follow their words.

We say goodbye, and on my elevator ride back up, I can’t help but think of how lucky we were today.

Had she forgotten her EpiPen, what would’ve happened?

My body recoils at the what-ifs. Jasmine’s become my life, our love my favorite thing in it. I’ve won a championship title, been inducted into a hall of fame, and have more money than I can keep up with.

I have it all, yet she is all I’ll ever need.

Chapter 43

Jasmine

My eyes struggle to open fully, shutting and fluttering open every few seconds. With one eye open, I glance around the room, noticing the sun filtering in from the curtains.

How long was I out?

My eyes close once more, the urge to fall back asleep strong. I’m nearly drifting off to sleep when I hear Elio’s warm voice.

“Jas, you up?”

“Yes. No.” I yawn as I roll over to face him. “What time is it?”

“It’s past nine. How are you feeling?” he asks as his hand reaches out to stroke my cheek.

“Good. My body is tired, that’s all,” I tell him, picking his hand up and placing a kiss on his fingers.

Elio lets out a deep breath, sighing in what sounds like relief. “Thank God. You were out for so long. I called the doctor and she said it was normal.”

“You worried about me or something?” I tease, injecting some lightness into the conversation.

“Always.” He leans forward, pressing his lips to my forehead.

“Is your knee okay?” I ask him, not taking my eyes away from his. I’m so damn grateful to see his beautiful face.