Law #3: Don't Fall for the Athlete: Sweet Second Chance Romance (Laws of Love) by Agnes Canestri (ebook and pdf reader .txt) 📕

Both Laia and Cora gasp.

“You’re kidding, right?” My roomie asks.

I shake my head. “Nope. The day after Wyatt left for Atlanta, he called me to say that it was better if we nipped our blossoming romance in the bud before either of us could develop serious feelings for the other.”

“Breaking up from another city?” Cora’s face moves into a grimace of horror. “That’s just horrible. So he left without telling you he wanted out, and once at a safe distance, he called and dumped you? That’s such a cowardly thing to do.”

Laia wrinkles her forehead. “Yeah, it isn’t very courageous…but maybe he did it because he fell for Ellie and knew he couldn’t let her go if he stood face to face with her.”

“But why did he have to let her go?” Cora asks. “There are plenty of football players who have families.

“I don’t know,” Laia sighs. “Did he give you any other reasons?”

It takes me a second to realize she asked me a question.

I’d kept my secret for so long that it’s unbelievable that my friends would interrogate me about Wyatt.

“Uhm…only that he thought I needed a chance at a ‘stable relationship.’ Wyatt said I deserved a guy who would be there for me all the time,” I mutter.

Laia throws a ‘See?’ glance at Cora, then strokes my hair. “This doesn’t sound like someone who doesn’t care. On the contrary.”

I meet her cat-eyes and shake my head. “No, sweetie. If he’d fallen for me like I did for him, he wouldn’t have given up on us. Period. He did what he did because his career was more important to him than I ever could be.”

Cora pulls her ponytail tighter. “That’s why my rule is to avoid guys whose wealth comes with associated fame. Notoriety takes away from the reliability factor and drags a man’s overall score into the orange-red zone.”

“Orange-red?” Laia’s mouth drifts into a confused line.

“It’s Cora’s color-code system to evaluate men,” I comment, relieved that we’ve left the painful topic of my heartache.

Cora flashes a smile at Laia. “Green means you can trust the guy won’t cheat on you and cause you financial trouble. In the orange category, one of these conditions is off. Like Wyatt. As a footballer, he’s bound to deceive you either with groupies or by putting his career in front of his relationship. And the red men will fail you on all possible levels. Like, according to my gut, Hope’s new flame.”

“Cora, you don’t know that.” I throw our friend a disapproving glance.

I also have some vague premonition about Mitch not being the best match for Hope, but who am I to judge that? I can’t even seem to get over a breakup I had years ago.

My roomie sighs. “I pray I’m wrong about that guy, believe me.”

“Isn’t it all a little too simplistic?” Laia’s forehead wrinkles. “Assigning colors to human beings and rating them based on that?”

“It’s simplistic, but it also helps making the right decisions a lot easier, hon.” Cora grins.

Laia shakes her head. “Devon used to be a player, so that puts him into your orange group, I think. But he changed. People can change.” She blinks at me. “Isn’t that right, Ellie?”

I nod. “Of course. My brother adores you.”

Laia tilts her head like a kitty who’s about to jump onto your lap. “Well then, maybe Wyatt has changed, too. Who knows? Perhaps you should consider—”

I put up my hand.

Laia’s wish to see the best in everyone is one of her greatest strengths, but at this moment, I’d love to do without it. “I didn’t tell you about my relationship with Wyatt to invite you to speculate about him and me. Whatever went down between us is in the past. And it has to stay there. So promise me you won’t tell any of this to Devon.”

“And Hope?” Cora asks.

“She can know since I shared it with you two. But my brother and Pete are never to learn about what happened, okay? I don’t want Devon to look differently at Wyatt. They’re best friends, and our story shouldn’t impact that.”

“That’s generous of you.” Laia gives me an admiring glance.

I shrug. “Yes. It’s water under the bridge now.”

“So you forgave Wyatt?” Cora inquires while kneeling up on her yoga mat.

I clear my voice. “Yep. It was silly to hold onto my grudge for so long. No wonder I never succeeded in any long-term relationships. I froze part of my heart.” As I say this, I grasp how right my words are.

We always teach patients that grinding on a hurt for too long, like it’s a piece of chewing gum, is counterproductive. The stinging flavor might evaporate the more you dwell on a past event, because the mind gets familiar with what wounded it, but still, the bitter aroma is never really gone. It sinks into the bones and smolders out of sight—making you become the hurt, and the hurt, you. The only thing that can release a person from this vicious circle is forgiveness.

Cora rubs her palms against each other. “Good, you realized this. Now you can focus on your lovely doctor then.”

“Right.” I smile, even if no anticipation brews in my stomach as I ponder my upcoming dinner with Bill.

It’s probably just because I’m exhausted after a week of hard work. Once I’m relaxed, the giddiness will surely kick in. Bill is a great guy, and our date will surely be fun.

Laia blinks at her watch. “Girls, I’m sorry, but I need to go. Eva and Nate flew in this afternoon, and Devon and I are taking them out to dinner.”

“But I thought you’d come with us to Daisy’s Creamery! We go there every week after Cora’s workouts to reward ourselves,” I say.

Daisy’s Creamery is an iconic little store close to Encanto Park, which is quite the walk from our condo. I’ve been addicted to its treats ever since moving to Phoenix. Besides the conventional choices, they also feature mega-tasty, mean flavors like my favorite, sweet avocado cayenne.

My mouth is already