Page 124 of The One for Me
“I do!” Austin yells.
He hands it to him and then points to the living room area. “There are three gaming systems in there, you go play, I’m going to show Devney around.”
“Do you have the new baseball game?”
Sean smirks. “The one that hasn’t released yet?”
Austin nods.
“It’s in the PlayStation.”
Austin is off, wheeling himself over with a smile on his face.
“This place is incredible.”
He shrugs. “I had a designer who lives in the building do it. You know my version would’ve been a card table and a recliner.”
“Well, she did amazing.”
Sean looks around and shrugs. “Nicole is great. She understood me and didn’t ask many questions, she just sort of did it.”
“Nicole?” I ask with a bit of jealousy.
“Her name is Nicole Dupree who is my very married, very motherly designer.” He pulls me to him and wraps his arms around my waist. “You’re the only woman for me.”
“You say that, but . . .”
“But nothing. I mean it.”
God, all of this . . . it is too much. This week, I’ve had the best time. We’ve laughed and have spent so much quality time together. Sean and Austin hung out, and I could see the bond forming between them. I have just one more week before I owe him my answer, and I don’t know what to do.
I want to say I’ll just pack up and go, but the main thing holding me back is that I don’t think that Austin could endure moving here. Not when the season is going to start soon and he’ll be gone. We’ll be here, in this town—with no one.
I’m not sure that Austin could adjust. I feel like such a fool. I should’ve protected him. A mother would’ve known to do that, which just further shows how shitty of one I am.
Sean takes my hand. “Come on, let me show you the rest of the apartment.”
Apartment my ass. We walk around, and it becomes clear that this is a house on a top floor. It’s huge. There are four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and we’re standing at the entrance to his room.
Dear God. It’s bigger than the living and dining room combo.
“Uhh, this is . . .”
“It’s pretty awesome, but it’s nothing compared to the view.” He walks over to the windows and hits a button. The shades rise, and my legs move of their own accord so I can get a better look. “It’s . . .”
“Beautiful.”
I turn to look at him, but he isn’t staring out the window. His eyes are trained on me. I feel the heat flood my cheeks and turn away.
I’ve known him my whole life, and I didn’t think he’d ever look at me this way. A wave of sadness hits me because it isn’t fair. I love him. He loves me. We could be so happy. We have every foundation for a good relationship and he’s perfect for me. I can see the life we’d share. The way we would be a family because Austin loves Sean, and Sean adores him. We could be more, but how?
We move here only to have Sean start baseball season. It’s all too much. “Why couldn’t this have been another time?”
“What do you mean?” he asks as he lifts his hand to brush the hair off my face.
“When there were no complications. Nothing that was muddying things and fighting to keep us apart. If the accident . . .”
“Didn’t happen, then you wouldn’t have Austin.”
