Page 37 of All Too Well

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I let out a slow breath and squat down. “Rose, you’ve never mentioned any of this.”

“I know.”

Here I thought she didn’t care or want me to date. “Are you sad you don’t have a mom in your life?”

She shrugs, but there’s a layer of sadness in her eyes. “Sometimes.”

My fucking heart shatters in my chest. “I’m sorry you’re sad. You know I love you more than anything in the world, right?”

Rose nods. “I love you too, Daddy.”

The bus comes, and I’m equally happy and worried with this conversation ending where it does. The driver stops and opens the door. I force a smile and kiss the top of her head. “We’ll do something fun when you get home today.”

“Can we get ice cream too?”

I laugh. “Sure. We’ll get ice cream.”

Hell, I’d buy all the ice cream in the world if it meant she wouldn’t be sad. Rose turns, heads up the steps to the bus, and turns again and waves, like we do every day. Then the door closes, and I stand here feeling a myriad of emotions.

As I walk back to my house, I do my best not to let the events of the day already feel crushing. It’s not even nine in the morning, so God only knows what else is going to happen. When I walk in, Ainsley is sitting on the couch with her glasses perched on her perfect little nose and face buried in her laptop.

God, she’s so fucking cute. Why couldn’t she be an ogre or something? Instead, she has to be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

She’s always been, though. Her dark coffee-colored eyes, long brown hair, and light olive skin have always appealed to me, even when I did everything I could to convince myself it didn’t.

Ainsley is so much more than just gorgeous, though. She’s smart, funny, and has a huge heart that is impossible to resist.

God knows I’ve been trying for years to do exactly that.

She looks up and smiles. “Everything okay?”

“Yup,” I lie.

“Good. Listen, I know this situation isn’t ideal, but I was thinking, if we can get the interview done quickly, I can spend more of the time with the other guys.”

I don’t want her spending any time with the other guys. I also don’t want her to write this stupid story. “There’s no story here.”

Ainsley pulls her glassesoff. “I disagree.”

“I’m sure you do, but what the hell is the point? I graduated from college. I won the Heisman. I didn’t get drafted. So what?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” she says and then leans back. “I think there’s a story here, Lach. You were supposed to be playing pro ball right now. You were destined for the pro-thingy, I mean league, it was all anyone could talk about.”

I huff and pinch my temples. “I’m aware.”

My entire life, it was all anyone fucking talked about. I was good, I get that. I went on to play in a national championship. Sure, we lost, but I played my heart out. I was ready for the future with the NFL, but then ... I had Rose.

She became my world. I was not going to give her a life even remotely close to what I had.

And I saw it.

Right there.

A mother who wasn’t there. A father who traveled for work and was never around. A kid desperate for a different life.

I would never do that to Rose.

“So don’t you think people want to know why? Especially now that people know you’re amazing?”