Page 150 of It's Always Us

“It’s just a meeting. Go see what they have to say.”

His arms tug me closer, my stomach pressing into him. “Come with me, then.”

I let my head fall to the side. “I can’t travel. These babies need to stay in here as long as possible.” I grab the sides of his handsome face. “Call Rob back and tell him you’re in.”

“You’re being really bossy.” His lips curve upward slightly.

I release his face, and he pushes my hair over my shoulders. “Sometimes, I should get to be the bossy one.”

He leans in, his lips brushing against mine. “I think maybe you should be the bossy one all the time. It works for you.”

His mouth moves over mine, soft and slow, before traveling to my jaw and downward. If he’s trying to make me forget, it’s working.

“Oh, sorry,” Bob says, peeking his head through the doorway, ready to escape before stopping. “Just checking to see if you two want cake. I’ll set some aside and leave you to it. Your time for that will bepret-tylimited very soon.” He grins and pulls the door closed.

I laugh, my head falling to Mark’s shoulder.

“I like him,” Mark says, finding my neck again. “The man clearly understands priorities.”

I relish the feel of his lips coasting down my neck to my collarbone for just a second before I pull away.

“Call Rob.” I kiss his lips and step away, opening the door, not letting him delay any longer or convince me to change my mind. Any more of what we were doing, he would.

“You’re a tease, Lex. You’ll pay for that later.”

I turn to grin at him. “I hope so.”

I hear his laugh as I waddle myself back out to the party so that he can make the call his mind, body, and spirit need him to make.

Chapter 48

MARK

Shane wasn’t joking when he said I should give myself a night or two to acclimate to the altitude. Given that I wasn’t leaving Lex for any longer than I had to, I flew in late last night so I could get here early and be home by tonight.

The sun is high in the bright blue sky, and the crisp mountain air is enticing, but it’s the football in my hand that has my body humming.

I toss another ball to a trainer, getting my shoulder warmed up.

Rob and Shane stand on the sidelines, yacking it up. One’s low coaching voice is direct and firm. The other is like a kid let loose with a hundred dollars in a candy store of opportunities.

A couple of receivers finish warming up and approach. “You gonna get the ball to us?” One of them grins at me, knowing I’ll drop the ball right into his hands.

“Get your young ass down the field,” I say as he laughs, taking off in a route.

I drop back and let the ball fly.Bam!There it is. The other receiver takes off. The ball spirals long and far, hitting my target, and he pulls into his chest before jogging back.

We work for the next thirty minutes, and in that time, I’m ready to be back in it. The rhythmic schedule, rigorous training, and the comfort of consistency.

I’m ready to leave the nightmares of my childhood behind and start new again. But there’s a deep-seated fear I’m trying really hard to ignore that wherever that might be, I’ll be doing it alone.

Visiting with my mom did nothing but remind me of everything I endured and what I never had. I’m reliving every slap, punch, burn, and the visions of my mom half-naked, strung out on her momentary drug of choice.

My skin turns cold and pricks with sweat as my stomach surges into my esophagus. I fall back, launching one last ball, as my chest tightens with the idea of never escaping all that’s resurfaced. All the horrors I thought I’d buried deep enough, they’d never touch me again.

I take some deep breaths and stretch my shoulder, then join the coaches on the sidelines.

We discuss my training schedule, which was only slightly delayed while I transitioned to Ohio. The coaches and GM relay at a high level their goals for the team next season, and then we shake hands while they take some time to evaluate.

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