“You weren’t the only one.” He kissed the side of her head. “How have you been?”

“Shit.”

A warm chuckle. “Sorry. I wish I could have made everything easier.”

“Of course, you do.” Eden wriggled backward, looking into his eyes. “Willow, can you teach me how to drive? Do you want to?”

He laughed, his brows pulling together. “What’s this about?”

“Answer the question, Doctor.”

He smirked. “I’d love to teach my little lass to drive.”

Eden shivered.

“That’s it. Shudder for me, baby.” He bent to kiss her, but Eden pressed his chin away. “We need to plan. I’m leaving soon, but there’s some flexibility between continents. I could get away with coming home to see you on the Gold Coast three times if we line it up right. And maybe you can come see me too? I know it’ll be difficult mid-season, but—”

Willow pressed a rough fingertip to her lips. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Eden pulled away. “You don’t want to do long-distance?”

“No. But let me explain.”

He put her gently on the ground. Eden’s head felt like it had been jammed into a vice. She clenched her jaw, determined not to cry or beg or cling onto his thighs.

Willow cleared his throat. “So, after Derek’s party, I did a lot of thinking about what you said. About how your career’s just starting, and mine’s been at its peak for ages. You were right, I just didn’t notice. I’ve never paid much attention to the big picture.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.”

He snorted. “I haven’t. I’ve never had a real plan. I took my chances with school and football and media stuff and relationships and I just kind of muddled along. Ask any of the boys. Or my ex-girlfriends.”

“I might try to avoid meeting any more of your exes.”

Willow grinned. “Fair enough, but they’d corroborate everything I’m saying. I never gave a fuck, really. Until you.”

Eden bit the inside of her cheeks. This was sweet, but she didn’t want a ‘goodbye, you made me a better man’ speech. She wanted a ‘we should be together even if it’s nuts’ speech.

Willow rubbed at his jaw. “Baby, what I’m saying is I’m gonna be more deliberate about things. I don’t want to look back and wish I’d tried harder.”

What did that mean? Was he joining some even more extreme AFL team? Climbing Everest? Signing up for Greenpeace?

Eden forced herself to look Willow in the eyes. “What does that mean?”

“I’ve decided not to sign the contract with the Rams.”

“You’re staying with the Hammerheads?”

“Nope. They’re not renewing me, but I wouldn’t stay even if they did. I’m retiring.”

“What?”

He laughed. “I’m throwing in the towel, baby. No more football.”