Page 70 of Unravel Me

“It might be. They’re calling again.”

“All right, c’mon, buddy.” He stands, flipping Connor over his shoulder, carting him into the kitchen with one hand while he squeals with laughter. Adam takes his phone, frowning at the call before declining it. “Don’t recognize the number. If it’s important, they’ll leave a message.” He drags Connor over his shoulder, the two of them nose to nose. “It’s someone’s bath time, and I might have gotten some special blue bubbles, just for you.”

Connor gasps, chanting one of his favorite words as we head upstairs. “Bub-bow!Bub-bow!”

“You didn’t have to do all this,” I murmur a few minutes later as Adam dips him in his bath, boats and ducks floating along in a sea of turquoise bubbles. I peek over my shoulder at the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to the ceiling above the playpen, the tractor nightlight casting a dim glow over the room, and something thick clogs my throat.

“Sure I did. He’s part of this relationship too. I want him to feel like he has a space here, and I never want you to feel like you have to deal with something on your own.”

There’s thatRword, the one that stops everything inside me except the frantic race of my heart. I want to ask him about that, where we are and where we’re going, especially with the end of summer looming. Me, back at school, in my busiest year, and him back at work, traveling with the athletes he works with. The worry etched on his face earlier in the kitchen seeps into my bones, but not because I think I’ll be any less important to him. But because, after a summer full of him, of us, the idea of going so many days without seeing him, without being wrapped in his arms, held under the steady weight of his gaze, draped in his affection…it floods me with a startling emptiness.

It’s in this moment, with Connor gazing at Adam with so much adoration as this man gives him all his attention, loves on him, acts silly with him, and just…has fun with him, I realize how full life has felt with him in it. Connor’s always been the only family I needed, but I think with Adam…maybe he completes us.

Adam runs his hand up the back of my thigh, squeezing. “Connor and I can manage bedtime on our own. Why don’t you go run yourself a bath to wind down? Don’t wanna brag, but the one in my room is the best there is. There are eighteen jets.”

“Eighteen?” I breathe out.

He winks. “Eighteen.”

God, I can’t remember the last time I had a bath. The idea of relaxing for a few moments, peace and quiet where my mind is all my own, it sounds…well, to be honest, it sounds made up.

I take Connor’s face in my hands, pressing a kiss to both cheeks, his nose, and then his tiny pout. “Can Adam put you to bed tonight, baby?”

Connor points to Adam. “Dada.”

“Adam.”

He pats Adam’s hand and smiles. “Dada.”

“Ad—” I sigh. “Okay. Yeah. Mama loves you, buddy. If you need me, I’ll be right here.”

The oversized tub in the corner of Adam’s bathroom is every bit as glorious as he promised. There’s even a stack of fluffy towels and a brand-new bottle of bubble bath waiting for me, like Adam planned for this.

I turn the faucet until the water runs steamy and pour in a generous helping of bubble bath. Sweet vanilla mint and coffee fills the room, and I close my eyes to the smell. My bag waits for me on the bed with clean clothes to change into, but so does one of Adam’s clean, oversized T-shirts, and I’d so much rather be draped in him.

Connor’s stuffed kitty catches my eye, and I cart it back down the hall. He never sleeps without it.

They’re still in the bathroom, the quiet lap of water, musical giggles, and soft words drawing me in. I stop short at the crack in the door, both boys covered in bubble hats and bubble beards, Adam’s elbow on his knee, chin propped on his fist like he’s deep in thought. It’s a ridiculous sight, but one that makes me warm from the tips of my ears all the way down to my wiggling toes.

“I was thinking you could help me ask your mama to be my girlfriend,” Adam murmurs to Connor, and my heart stops. “What do you think about that, little trouble? Would it be okay with you if I was Mama’s boyfriend?”

Connor plops a heap of bubbles on top of Adam’s already bubbly head. “Dada, bub-bow!” He pats his head. “Hair.”

Adam reciprocates the gesture, coating Connor’s face in another layer of bubble beard, until it hangs halfway down his chest. “You’re really special to me, buddy, and so is your mama. That’s why I want her to be my girlfriend. Do you think Mama would like that?” With a big sigh, Adam gently drops his forehead to the edge of the tub. “I think so. I hope so. Crap, I don’t know, buddy. What if she says no?”

“I won’t say no,” I blurt, a pair each of excited green eyes and nervous blues coming to me as I push through the door. Dropping to my knees in front of Adam, I take his face in my hands, fingers pushing through layers of bubbles. He looks so ridiculous and adorable, it hurts.

“You are the most beautiful, kind, and thoughtful man on this planet. My heart is already yours. No isn’t an option, Adam.

CHAPTER16

THAT’S NOT FITTING ANYWHERE

ROSIE

I’ve lostcount of how many times I’ve wondered why loving ourselves is one of the hardest things we’ll ever do.

Most of the time I find I can do it well. I remind myself of all the amazing things this body has done for me, the gifts it’s given me, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. And then somebody opens their mouth without reason, and they tear your work down in seconds. You stand there in their wake, gripping the love you carry so tightly in your hands, unwilling to let it go. But sometimes the harder you grip it, the easier it is to let it sift through your fingers like sand, falling to your feet.

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