Page 53 of Bae

“You love it.”

Her voice softened, and I could picture her standing there clutching the phone, looking like a mess, with a soft smile on her face. “I do.”

I hated to bring us out of our little bubble, but I had to. Pushing up on the mattress, I leaned back against the headboard. It was hard as fuck. I glanced back at it, scowling. I missed my house. Being in a different hotel room every week sucked balls. It was easy to forget what city I was in if the games were too close together.

Technically, I really didn’t have to be in a hotel right now. Not here anyway. Since this was a home game and we were here at home base, I could have gotten my own place. B and I talked about getting a small apartment for when we were in town training, doing press, and games. However, I didn’t so much like the idea.

I had a home already, one I wasn’t eager to replace. Or add to.

Point was any place Rim wasn’t was no place for me. That apartment would have been just as cold as this hotel room.

And yeah, if we had an apartment, we’d have to clean and shit. Here at the hotel, we had room service, housekeeping, and someone at the front desk who respected our privacy and didn’t give out our room numbers. It worked, and if it wasn’t broke, I wasn’t about to try and fix it.

“Rim, I want you to come. I miss you. But you gotta know the press will still be around. They always are. They’ll be out of the box but still everywhere else.”

She sighed. “I know. I can’t hide forever, Romeo. I don’t want to miss your games. You’re my husband, and I want to support you. I already told you I think if I stop hiding, they may just see we’re fine and move on.”

I really didn’t think so. It was too much money. I wanted to keep her locked away, safe from prying eyes and idiot questions… but how reasonable was that? Would hiding even help, or would it only serve to isolate her more—to the point she could only dwell on the reason she was staying out of sight?

Fucking convoluted thoughts.

Thank God I got to run the field tonight. I had a feeling I was going to need it.

“I’ll make security aware you’ll be in the stadium. They can make sure you aren’t hassled on your way to the box.”

“I miss you,” she told me.

“Ah, baby, me, too. This hotel bed is going to be a lot more comfortable tonight with you in it.”

We talked a few more minutes before she had to go finish packing so they could leave. Apparently, Ivy and Nova were coming, too. All of them would be in the box tonight. The girls were all driving down together, meeting my parents.

The day passed by quickly, as it always did, but I still glanced at the clock every now and then, wondering if Rim was in town yet. We did some press, some warmups, and headed to the field. Tonight’s game had sold-out seating, so it was going to be a roaring crowd.

After we were suited up and ready to head out onto the field, I checked my phone to find a text from Rim.

Full house tonight! We’re already in the box. Kick ass, and I’ll see you later #♥

I smiled, shoved the phone in my locker, and joined B, who was waiting. “Dude, you better not be this damn slow on the field tonight.”

I gave him the finger.

“Girls here?” he asked, not even batting an eye at my gesture.

“Why you playing like you didn’t check your phone, too?” I cracked.

He grinned.

“Decent of the ‘rents to have them in the box tonight,” B said as we huddled up in the center of the locker room for a motivational speech from the coach.

“Might need to talk to Gamble about getting one of our own. Sitting in the stands isn’t the best idea right now.”

“I’m sure your mother would love to have them in there all the time.”

Oh, I’m sure she would, too. Anything to try and get a little closer to Rim. Hell, when we told her she was going to be a grandma, I could have sworn for a second she liked Rim better than me. Her own son. What kind of horseshit was that? Second fiddle, that’s what I was going to be the minute my kid was born.

If I ever had one that is.

It became even clearer to Mom that if she wanted the kind of relationship I knew she did with me and any kids I might have, the only way she’d get it was to be kind to my wife.

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