Page 81 of Sven

“What about you?”

“I’ve been in two relationships. I dated a guy in high school, and for two years of college. Then I had a girlfriend the last year of college, and we were together for a year and half but then she moved to California, and we broke it off.”

His eyebrows shot up. “You had a girlfriend?”

“I did.”

“So, you’re. . . .”

He seemed to be struggling with words.

“Bisexual.”

“Yeah,” he said.

“I am. Can I ask why you’ve never been in a relationship?”

He took a deep breath and adjusted himself. “I have just always focused on my game. My dad told me that settling down would be a distraction I shouldn’t make.”

“Is that why he was telling you to go hook up to focus?”

“You heard that, too?”

Natalie nodded.

“Yeah... He was a shitty father and a shitty husband. But sadly, it seemed as long as he spent money on my mom, she didn’t care. And I mean, open relationships are a thing, and I get it, but I think he would have done it even if my mom had a problem with it.”

Natalie’s brows creased as she took in the new information.

“Natalie, I need you to know I would never do that. Ever.”

While there was no concrete evidence that she should believe him, she couldn’t help it.

“You’ve mentioned in the past that you kind of helped raise your sister, right?”

“Yeah,” he said as he laid back and put his hands behind his head. Natalie would listen and not be distracted, but the way his abs rippled with the movement... “I mean, we had a nanny, but I took on a lot of responsibility for her. I knew my parents ignored me, but I was always on a team of some kind, and being on a team can feel a lot like a family. I just felt like I needed to be there for her.”

“Does she play?”

“She does, but it’s not quite the same for girls. It’s getting there. Women’s sports have come a long way. She plays on acollege team now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she joins the new women’s league when she graduates, but when she was growing up, she was still playing on a team with mostly boys, and it’s not quite the same.”

“I can see that,” she said before a yawn snuck its way out.

“Are you tired? Should I let you go?”

“No. I like talking to you.”

The warm smile that appeared across his face squeezed at her heart. She needed to be careful where he was concerned because she was falling far too fast for someone who had never been in a relationship before. Especially after this road trip. They had spent so much time on the phone getting to know each other. They had opened up to each other like this every night. Being on the phone made it easier to talk. Sometimes, being in his presence was too distracting.

“Can I ask you a question?” she asked.

“Anything.”

“Why do you think you’re ready for a relationship now?”

He took a deep breath and mulled it over. “I guess because I’ve never felt like this before. I have been around women, and even dated a couple casually, but I never really cared to know more about them or make them happy or turn into a jealous fuck.” He chuckled. “The way I feel about you is just different.”

A sleepy appeased hum came from Natalie as she sank further into bed. His words did something to her, and she loved every second of it.

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