Page 77 of In The Game

Oh, that’s right.He doesn’t even know I met a couple of his teammates’ partners…

“Uh, yeah. She called up Method and gave us some tickets to her soft opening for Sugar and Ice. We chatted on the phone for a while and then we met in person at the event.”

His arm shoots out to stop our stroll and he scrutinizes me. “I was at the launch, why didn’t I see you?”

My nose scrunches and I grimace remembering my behavior that night. Toeing a divot in the grass, I sheepishly answer. “Because I saw you first?”

When I glance back at him, he rubs the back of his neck and stares at me, his feet moving again. “Thank God for that stupid meet and greet at the arena, otherwise I don’t know when our lives would have crossed again. I don’t like thinking about it. Were there any other times yousaw me first?”

I shake my head, and he seems relieved.

“Part of me thought you must have moved back to North Carolina to be near your family or something. I couldn’t understand how we never ran into each other again.”

Yeah, right.I’d never subject Arthur to my mother or the men she lets into her life. I feel guilty he has no grandparents, but having none is better than having my mother.

“No, I haven’t been back there for a long time.”

“Do your parents come up and visit?”

“It’s just my mom. And no, she doesn’t.”

There’s an awkward lull in conversation.

“I don’t want you to take this the wrong way… but what kind of support system do you have?”

I press my lips together in a stiff smile. It’s understandable why he’d think I would take that as a threat. A couple weeks ago, I was looking for any sign of him insinuating I was an unfit mother. Our entire history is basically one giant miscommunication, mostly due to outside influence.Thisis our fresh start. Even if it does mean we’re doing everything backward.

It’s obvious we are attracted to each other. We’re sexually compatible, Arthur’s proof of that.So was the other night.But sometime soon, we need to discuss what is happening between us. Is he trying to be involved with Arthur’s life? Is the intention for us to be a family?

Oh God, what if he’s feeling obligated because of some deep moral compass bullshit?My stomach drops. I mean, it makes sense. That’s not what I’m looking for, we aren’t some pity project. We are fine on our own. I only want him to be involved in Arthur’s life because hewantsto, not out of some familial duty.

“Raleigh?”

“We don’t need a support system, you know.”

He pushes his tongue into his cheek and shakes his head. When we find an open park bench, we take a seat to talk and watch Arthur drag a new stick he found through the sand, drawing out what appears to be a treasure map on the playground. I can feel Barrett’s eyes on me, but he must be giving me a moment to collect my words.

“Tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“Whatever the fuck it is that’s got you stuck in your thoughts again.”

I ask the question that’s been bouncing around in my head nonstop for the last minute. “Do you think you’re morally obligated to be involved in our lives?”

He pauses for a while. “Yes and no. I want to make sure you and Arthur are taken care of, you’ve done an incredible job, but it sucks to find out you’ve been doing it alone for so long. It’s unfair to you… That said, it’s not why I’m here. I’m here because… fuck, I don’t even know how to explain it.”

“Try.” I purse my lips.

He inhales deeply and releases his breath. “Do you not feel this?” He gestures between us. “This… pull—or whatever you want to call it.”

I blink at him.That is not what I thought he would say.

He groans. “Okay, look, this isn’t going to make sense, but I’m going to explain it the best I can, and hopefully you’ll get the idea and I won’t scare you off. That night—thatfirstnight—it was hot... God, I loved chasing you down,” he recalls, smiling as if he’s replaying everything in his head. “I loved how playful you were.”

He’s right, it was crazy hot foreplay.

“...But as soon as I slid inside you, it was like a switch flipped in my brain. Like, that was it. My vision was perfectly clear and you were all I wanted. My heart was at peace. My soul was on fire. Life seemed brighter and more optimistic. It felt like we were… I don’t know, like we had already known each other and I knew it would always feel like that when we were together. I knew you were someone important I didn’t want to let go of. I’d not felt anything like that before you and I’ve never felt anything like it since. Well, until I found you again.”

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