It almost scared Addison how quickly and perfectly everything had come together for them. “It excites me too, but it also scares me a little,” she said, her words making him pull back a bit.
“Why?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. All of this just feels so perfect. Too perfect.”
AJ frowned for a second then smiled sweetly. “Aren’t you the one who’s always telling me to think positive?” She smiled back, nodding. “It feels perfect because it is perfect. Just go with it.” He must’ve seen the apprehension still, so he nodded. “Okay, I can understand how that might be easier said than done. I’ll admit I was a little scared in the beginning. I kept thinking getting involved with you was a risk for several reasons. It might ruin my friendship with your dad and Clair, and that would ultimately affect my career. I thought it in the beginning, but I know so now. There is no way”—he shook his head, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath—“no way I’d be able to continue to be around your dad or Clair if you and I weren’t together anymore and I might have to see or hear about you with someone else.”
Her eyes widened. This wasn’t helping. She didn’t want to worry about the possibility of him leaving the Padres or, worse, baseball because of her.
“I promise you, if that ever happened, I’d move back to—”
“It’s not gonna happen,” he insisted, kissing her nose. “Come here.”
The swanky Hollywood party they were attending was on one of the more famous rooftop bar/banquet halls in the area. They strolled around the side, taking in the spectacular views of the city’s skyline, until they found a private cozy sitting area overlooking West Hollywood.
“Wow,” she said, taking it all in as AJ pulled her closer to him.
Addison leaned against his firm body. She couldn’t remember when the last time was she’d felt this safe—loved. At the moment, she felt truly blessed, and she hated the lingering troubling thoughts that still plagued her. Too good to be true.
“I have a confession I’m gonna make to you that feels wrong in so many ways,” he said, instantly grabbing her attention. “But at the same time, it finally has me believing in Fate.”
One of the young ladies walking around with trays of wine and champagne glasses stopped by their sitting area to offer them some. They each took a glass, thanking her. Addison turned back to AJ, beyond curious about his confession.
He took a sip of his wine then continued. “I don’t know what it is, Addison, but it’s like everything I’ve done in life led me to you and Clair. I was thinking about this one of the nights I was alone in my hotel room, watching television. Some guy being interviewed said something that made me think of something I heard often several years back. That everything happens for a reason. The guy on TV was asked if he could go back and change anything in his life what would it be? He said he wouldn’t change a single thing about his past, good or bad, because everything he’d gone through in life was part of his destiny. He was content with how everything turned out, and if he went back and changed even the bad, he might not be where he’s at now.”
He stopped and looked out at the view again, but Addison could see he wasn’t admiring it. He was pondering what he’d just said. Then he turned back to her, his expression almost a remorseful one.
“If my mother hadn’t been murdered, I might not be here with you tonight.” He shook his head. “No, I know I wouldn’t be here because I would’ve never moved here from Dallas, and you would’ve never seen the local news article about the brawl I’d had during my finals in high school.”
“Trust me, AJ. There’s no way you wouldn’t have been discovered,” she said, squeezing his hand. “My dad’s said it many times. What you have is a gift. It was just a matter of time before someone else snatched you up. As a matter of fact, he said he wasn’t the only one inquiring about you at the time.”
AJ shook his head. “But I would’ve ended up somewhere else, possibly never met your dad and then Clair, which ultimately led me to you. I might still be as clueless about how good life can be when you find the one as I was before I met you.”
The sweetness and utterly genuine tenderness she heard in his voice and saw in his eyes choked her up.
“I hate to say it, but only because I know it’s not possible, but if I could go back and remove that tragedy in my life, I wouldn’t.” He winced, shaking his head, and then took another sip of his wine. “You remind me of my mother when you talk about stopping at nothing to protect your daughter. You’d probably sacrifice anything for her too.”
“Anything,” Addison whispered, still choked up and getting more so as the passion in his words continued. “I’d give my life for her.”
“Exactly,” he said. “It almost feels like it’s what my mom did for us. I know she couldn’t have known what her tragic death would mean for us, but a tiny part of me wants to believe she knew the moment she reached the other side and would gladly do it again—sacrifice her life for her kids. Because of her death and ultimately my dad’s too, we moved to California. My brothers and I got the careers we’d always dreamed of, and my sisters each met their soul mates. And I met you. Do you think I’m gonna let my parents’ sacrifices be wasted?”
Addison smiled, the tears blurring her vision now. “No,” she whispered.
“You bet your sweet ass I’m not,” he said, kissing her head. “Don’t worry about things feeling too perfect. Perfect is what it’s supposed to be, and trust me. I’ve been around long enough to know life doesn’t stay perfect forever, so if anything goes wrong, don’t panic. We got this. In the meantime, enjoy the perfect while it lasts.”
The band starting another song got his attention, and he sat up a bit. “Is that . . .?”
Addison listened to what she could only imagine he meant by that. The speakers were blasting someone strumming the guitar on stage, but she couldn’t make out what song it was.
“Oh shit, I think it is,” he said with a bigger smile, and Addison turned to him curiously as he stood up, placing his wine glass on the small table in their sitting area. He held out his hand to her. “Don’t laugh and don’t you dare breathe a word of this to anyone, especially my brothers.”
Warmed and grateful for his sudden silliness, Addison smiled as she took his hand and stood up. “I won’t. What is it?”
“Talk about Fate for them to play this song at this moment.” He smiled again as the guy began singing, and Addison knew immediately what song it was.
“Thinking Out Loud,” she said, nodding. “I love that song.”
“I don’t,” he said, taking her in his arms for a romantic dance right there under the light of a thousand stars. “Well, I never did anyway. I’ve never been into romantic slow songs, so I usually switch the channels on the radio when I hear something like this start up. And I certainly don’t go researching lyrics.” He smirked, looking down at her. “But I recently caught the tail end of the song and a few of the words, and my ass actually looked up the lyrics. Then I couldn’t get enough of hearing it because it made me think of us. What are the odds of them playing this right now?”
Breathing in deeply, Addison leaned her face against his chest, listening to the guy singing and hummed along.
People fall in love in mysterious ways. Maybe it’s all part of plan . . .
Maybe this did feel perfect because it was, and as AJ said, it probably wouldn’t always be, but she was done worrying about it. She’d have that talk with Clair soon, and she was certain her daughter would be elated. They’d be able to stop sneaking around, and she’d just enjoy the perfect as long as it lasted.
Hearing AJ say he believed many things in his life led him to her, she now thought about how depressed she’d been once upon a time: The awful time in her life when she thought she’d made the biggest mistake ever. The pain she’d gone through but rarely spoke of when she felt the rejection from someone she’d been so sure cared more about her. If she hadn’t gone through that, if things had been different and Clair’s donor had stuck around, she wouldn’t be here with AJ tonight either.