Page 40 of Free Agent

He shrugged. “I… I don’t know, Aurora. I guess?”

“Cool. Let that be your truth. That’s perfectly fine. But it’s not mine,” I said, jabbing a finger to my chest for emphasis. “I love you. I’ve loved you, for so long. And for a long time, you were the best person I knew. Now?” I scoffed. “You have such a deep lack of consideration for me that you think I should be okay with what you’ve been doing.”

“That’s not it.”

I hiked an eyebrow. “Then what is it?”

“I love you,” he said, stepping forward to grab me by the face to keep me from looking away from him. “I love you, Aurora, even if you don’t believe it. But the thing is… I can’t live a lie because I love you.”

I blinked. “Who is asking you to?”

“You are! By making me choose!”

I rolled my eyes. “Boy, please. Men love to say women can’t handle the truth, when what it really is, is that you don’t like that the truth might revoke your access. You’re fucking selfish. You’ve chosen yourself, and really?” I laughed. “Good for you. But guess what? Finally… I choose me, too. You don’t get to live in a world where we both choose you.”

“Would you prefer we both choose you?” he countered, releasing his hold on my face to toss his hands up, as if me getting my way was such a distasteful thought.

“No, actually,” I huffed. “I would have preferred that we choose us, just like before. I chose you, and you chose me, and together we were perfect. I don’t understand what changed. I don’t understand… the man who moved heaven and earth for me, for my family… Monty, where did you go?”

“I’m still here. I’m still me. But nothing ever stays the same.”

”Yeah,” I agreed. “It doesn’t. And that’s too bad, isn’t it?” I moved away from him, going around to the back of my desk. “Take those flowers when you leave,” I told him as I sat down.

“Seriously, Rori? You can’t even accept the flowers?”

I scoffed. “Those people out there pity me enough because you’re living your truth in public so fucking hard. It’s the least you can do, to let them see that I have a backbone. Take them.”

He pushed out a sigh… and picked up the flowers to take with him.

“Rori,” he said, looking back as he turned the doorknob.

“What?” I asked, beyond ready for him to just leave.

“Tell your new boyfriend I’ll see him on the field.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t have a boyfriend, Monty. Congratulations on the baby. I know it means a lot to you.”

He gave me a little nod. “Thank you.”

And then he was gone.

And I could breathe.

Could, but didn’t.

Okay… couldn’t, actually.

I rolled back from the desk, putting my head between my knees to try to force a breath to actually work all the way to my lungs, instead of getting caught in my chest like now. The tears welled up, and I had to choose. I could swallow them, or breathe.

Cry, or die.

Shit.

Well…

The legacy I’d already created wasn’t half bad?

“Rori!”

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