Page 54 of The Road to Home Base
“I’m sorry I didn’t take into account—”
“Stop doing that,” I interrupted with a tone a bit forceful. Forceful enough that he pulled back from me. Strangely, I felt emboldened to continue. “You… you can’t…” I held up both my hands. “Stop being so perfect, Rome. I know you’re trying toapologizefor someone complaining about being on a private-fucking-jet.” I clamped down and grunted. “Sorry. I’m trying to be better at swearing in front of you.”
“I’m a professional athlete,” Rome said. “You don’t think I hear a lot worse every single day?”
“I’m just…” I couldn’t quite find the words.
Yes, you can. You just don’t want to say them.
So I said them. “You make thirty million a year with the Riders. And I didn’t even look up what you make in endorsements. I make seventy thousand. Maybe eighty or eighty-five in a good year. This thing I have going with the congressman is probably going to open more doors for me.” I shook my head and looked down. “I know you’re trying to spoil me. I get that.”
Oof. The look on his face. I could see the hurt in his eyes, the way the corner of his lips pulled down. I knew he wanted to apologize, to speak and explain his reasoning, assuage my concern with just a few sentences that I had come to see was one of his strongest characteristics. I wanted to let him speak, if only to let him clear away whatever malaise had suddenly clouded my heart. But I needed to speak my mind and let him know.
“Rome,” I said, my voice as quiet as a whisper, “what does this look like a year from now? I want this to keep growing. Ido. What about this… thisgap, though? I know—I know—that you don’t see me as a charity case. Flying me private. Buying me anything I need. Letting me live with you while I figure out what to do about an abusive ex. I know you don’t think this is charity.”
“But it feels like it is to you,” he said, cutting through whatever I wanted to say next.
“Yes,” I told him. I grabbed his hand so he’d look me in the eye.“You have thebestintentions. Everyone can see that.”
He nodded. “I just don’t always take into account how the other person might feel about it.”
“Bingo.” I squeezed his hand. The hurt on his face hadn’t shifted. I wanted to ask him if he had this issue with others in the past, but Rome didn’t have any exes because he’d never had any lovers or flings that lasted more than two weeks. Which was when I realized…
This is his first major relationship.Of course he would shower the other person with gifts. That was the easiest form of showing affection for someone with his money. Hell, he had told me as much when we first kissed.
I’m batting blind here and I’m taking swings in the dark,I recalled him saying.
“I want you at the important games, down the road,” he said softly. “Not all of them. Just the big ones. I’ll make sure you have an idea of when and where they might be, but we don’t always see that far ahead. If you can’t make them, it isn’t the end of the world.” A small, almost pathetic snicker bubbled over his lips. He looked around us. “Thisdoesseem ostentatious now that you point it out.”
I laughed, too. Finally his frown reversed. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful because I’m not. This could be fun. I’m not opposed to you spoiling me with private jets.”
“I just need to ask you first,” he said.
“Double bingo.” A bigger smile now. The sight warmed myheart.
“Whenwe make the clincher tonight,” Rome said, “let’s sort things out at home. We’ll still have another twenty regular season games, but they won’t be as intense with us trying to secure a spot in postseason.”
“Sort things out?”
Rome picked up my hand and kissed it. “Living arrangements. You need your space. I see that. I have a lot of resources at my disposal and we can talk through what services you might need to help clear things with your ex.” He saw my eyebrows pinch together, lips pursed. “Offering, not demanding. There’s a few lawyers in my family. Joe is alarmingly resourceful. You have the might of the Moretti family at your disposal, Alex, and none of them will see this as charity. You mean a lot to me and that’s enough for them.”
Unfounded bravado burbled up in my chest and started to puff it out but I clamped it down. I had been putting off the Ricky situation for awhile now since getting comfortable at Rome’s place. Admittedly, a big reason for putting it off was because I had no idea what to do next. Maybe someone in Rome’s family could help with that.
“When we get back,” I agreed. “Okay. That works.” I stood from the chair. “All right. You need to get some sleep. If this game is as big as you said, I can’t be sitting here eating up your time with relationship-building stuff.”
He stood as well and pressed his body into mine. He went to kiss me, but I gently pushed him away. “You need to sleep first, Rome.”
“I’ll sleep better if—”
“No, you won’t,” I interrupted and fought hard not to giggle at his insistence. “Trust me. I can see how red your eyes are. Go back and get some sleep. I brought my laptop to do some editing.”
Claire walked toward us. He planted a kiss and vanished into the back, the bedroom door drawing shut behind me.
“May I get you something to drink or eat, Mr. Edwards?”
A stiff drink. Alas, no. “Coffee would be great, thank you.”
I settled into another chair, this one set before a table.
