Page 20 of Roughing the Princess

“Then you don’t mind if I read them to you?”

It wasn’t like Tova was going to have sent me any sexy pics tonight. “Knock yourself out.”

He cleared his throat. “That wasn’t what I meant, Talon,” he said in a high-pitched voice. “I’m not embarrassed by that idea. I just like to keep my private life private. Don’t you?”

I huffed and kept lifting.

“I could never be embarrassed by you.”

“Would you stop it with that voice?” I said. “You’re making it weird.”

Jasper kept going in his normal voice: “Did you mean what you said in your voicemail?”

Fuck.The voicemail I’d left when I was super drunk? I put the bar back onto the rack and sat up.

“Talon, I just need to know that you’re being real.”

I stood up and grabbed my phone from Jasper. That was her last text. From over an hour ago. I wanted to tell her that I meant every word. But I didn’t really know what I said. “Do you mind refreshing my memory?” I texted. “I was a little drunk.”

There was that eye-roll emoji I’d grown so fond of. And then another text came through.

“You said you’ve loved me since you were a teenager. You may have also mentioned that you lost your virginity while listening to one of my songs.”

Wow. Okay.I’d been more drunk than I realized. But that’s what happens when you stay at a bar past closing waiting for the girl of your dreams to show up. “That’s all true.”

“Why didn’t you tell me any of that before?”

“Because every time I mention the future, or us, or anything you ghost me.”

“I’m not ghosting you. We text every day.”

“You try and run from me at every turn, princess.”

She didn’t respond. Because our conversation was honest. And this is what she did. But I was so tired of games. “Look, you said you were worried I was playing games with you. But I save the games for the football field. I don’t want to play them in real life. You know how I feel about you. And either you feel the same way or you don’t.”

Still no response.

“I’m sending you tickets to my next home game. I came to see you at Labyrinth Stadium. I tried to meet you in NYC. It’s your turn to show up for me.”

I expected the no response this time. But I still kept going.

“If you come, we’ll give this thing a real chance. And if you don’t…I’ll get the message. And I promise I won’t text you anymore.” I hit send.

“Damn,” Jasper said.

I looked up. I hadn’t realized he’d been watching that whole conversation. “Please stop butting into my business.”

“Our business. I started all of this. You’re welcome.” He slapped me on the back.

I wasn’t sure if I was grateful or not. For weeks, I’d been hopeful. Tova Saber was my dream girl. I’d had so much fun getting to know the real her. She was even better than what I’d imagined in my head. She was funny and beautiful and had a twisted sense of humor. She was perfect for me. And stubborn like me. Which is why every time we took a step forward we immediately took two steps back.

But now the ball was in her court. She either wanted this or she didn’t. I’d find out in two Sundays.

***

I hadn’t heard a word from Tova since I told her I was sending her tickets to my game. Not a single text. But every night I still texted her the same thing: “Good night, princess. Don’t have too many dirty dreams about me.” And now I’d added a new line to my nightly routine. “I’ll be dreaming of you.”

I wanted her to know that I meant what I said. That I was a man of my word. And that I was still thinking about her.

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