Page 16 of Running Back

Jakk had driven to the stadium. Rocky had come later in an Uber. Now, all Rocky had to do was sit in the passenger seat and disappear inside his thoughts. He had really just done that. Rocky had agreed to marry Jakk. Jakk hadn’t even considered keeping it a secret. Wow. Jakk genuinely loved him. It felt fucking amazing.

Rocky swore he only blinked and Jakk pulled into their garage. “What happened to going to Emerson’s?”

Jakk flashed him a smile. “Truthfully, I didn’t really want to go. Then you gave me something even better to celebrate.”

Rocky leaned his head back against the headrest and stared at Jakk. He was beautiful. “You should probably forgive your teammates one of these days. It’s obvious they’re trying.”

Jakk killed the engine before meeting his stare. “No. They’re not. Not really. I’m unabashedly living my life whether they accept it or not. What you see is them having no choice if they want me to help them win. That’s not real acceptance. Not that it matters.” He opened the door and climbed from the car, leaving Rocky to follow suit. “I no longer care what they think. They’re my coworkers. That’s it. You’re the love of my life. You’re the only opinion that matters.”

“Well, aren’t we a pair of bitter bitches?”

Jakk chuckled as he unlocked the door. “Nah. We’re just living for each other. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Jakk turned as they entered the house. He walked backward and held Rocky’s hips. “And I fully intend to live for you.”

He already did. Rocky saw it every day. He closed the gap between them and stole this kiss he wanted. “Thank you for loving me.” The words came out in a whisper. Rocky couldn’t help it. Jakk kept him moved. No one else could love him better.

Jakk rode a high he couldn’t even put into words. Everything he had worked toward slowly became a reality and then there was Rocky. When Jakk had popped the question, it had been a heat of the moment kind of thing. Now that some time had passed, and Jakk had time to think, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Rocky with the power of seven suns. Rocky agreeing to marry him was everything.

Jakk held up one finger. “Just wait right here for a second.”

Rocky looked confused, but he didn’t budge as Jakk rushed down the hall. He dug through his dresser until he found the box he had stashed. Jakk skipped down the hall like a kid, making his way back to Rocky. Rocky’s bright smile made his antics worthwhile.

“Are you completely sure you want to marry me?”

Rocky’s expression softened. “Of course.”

Jakk gave him a sharp nod. “Good.” Jakk popped open the box and pulled the ring from inside. “Then I’d love it if you wore this.” Rocky’s shock had Jakk ready to pat himself on the back. Two days after proposing, Jakk had bought Rocky a ring. He wanted to be prepared if Rocky actually said yes. Now he was grateful as hell for his forethought. Rocky looked moved beyond words.

Jakk slipped the ring onto Rocky’s hand. Something moved inside his chest as he did. The moment was more powerful than even he expected. His throat swelled. This was really happening.When his chin lifted and their eyes met, Jakk’s breath caught. Rocky felt as much as Jakk. It was in his eyes. This was real love. They equally wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

His phone rang. Jakk’s shoulders fell. There was always a distraction around every corner. He checked his phone. “It’s Mom.”

“I’ll grab us drinks.”

They shared a quick kiss and headed in opposite directions. While Rocky went to the kitchen, Jakk moved to the couch. He answered as he sat.

“Hello?”

“Hey, baby. I saw your game. Congratulations! You did amazing.”

“Thank you.”

“I tried to wait as long as possible to call so I wouldn’t catch you at the stadium, but you know me. It’s almost my bedtime.”

“I’m home. So it’s fine.”

“Good. That gives us time to talk.” A smile snapped to Jakk’s lips. She would have talked no matter what, and they both knew it. His mom kept going, proving his thoughts. “I ran into Eric lastweek at the store. He was in town visiting his mom in memory care. It’s so sad. He’s been through so much.”

Jakk swallowed his annoyance. “You know we broke up a while back, Mom.”

She sighed. “I know, but you two were together for so long, and you were so cute together. A part of me keeps hoping you’ll work things out. You were all he had.”

Fuck. He wished everyone would stop making him feel guilty for doing what was best for himself for once. “Actually, I’ve been dating someone else for a while now, and I’ve asked him to marry me. He said yes.”

Silence met his confession. It dragged on before his mom finally broke it. “Were you cheating on Eric?”

Jakk rolled his eyes. “No, Mom. I wasn’t cheating on Eric. You know things weren’t good for a long time. I had time to grieve us before we even ended. If anyone should understand that, it’s you.” It was a bit of a crappy thing to say. His parents’ marriage had been ugly for years before his mom finally filed for divorce. Then his dad had died of a widow maker before anyone even learned they had split. Mom had gotten his life insurance, and everything had worked in her favor. She shouldn’t fault him for wanting to be happy again.

“What’s his name?”

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