She swiped it over her full lips and pressed them together. “I want someone to love me. I’m jealous.”
I pulled into Kenny’s drive and cut the engine. “Honey, you could have any man you want. Why him?” I gestured toward the front door of the old tri-level.
“Because he doesn’t ask questions. He just fucks me when I’m not feeling great. He doesn’t want anything from me. Besides, I can’t have any man I want.” She nudged me playfully.
“Maybe you should hold out for someone who does want something. You’re beautiful, Em. You’re smart and funny—”
“Not everyone can find a Matt.” She quickly wiped an escaped tear from her cheek before opening the door. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Love you.”
“Hey,” I called after her. “I love you too.”
♂♂
Matt was waiting in the lobby, a duffle bag tucked under his arm. I glanced around before taking his hand and leading him to the elevator. We rode up in practical silence until he broke it.
“I was jealous tonight. I’m sorry.”
I snorted. “Of Emily?”
“Yes, of Emily. I don’t know what happened, but I’d never felt like that. When I saw her kissing you… I don’t—”
“Matt, she kissed me once . She thought I wanted everyone to think I was straight. All I told her was that I didn’t want them to know about us. She must have misunderstood.” I let out a short laugh.
“Well,” he responded as the elevator doors opened, “I don’t think there is any confusion now. I can’t believe you told Pearson you had a boyfriend.”
I turned the key in the lock as Matt kissed the back of my neck. “I do have one, don’t I?”
Matt closed the door behind us and dropped his bag on the floor with a sigh. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”
I swallowed a gulp of dry air. “Hmm?”
He was going to break up with me. He was going to break up with me.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said before. About going to Pittsburgh to see my family. I think I want to go, you know? Introduce them to my boyfriend. Next Friday’s an off-week, so we don’t have a game. We could leave after school. Catch a late flight?”
“Are you serious?” The panic was replaced with a long breath of relief.
“Yeah. Are you okay? What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Yeah. I thought – I don’t know – I thought you might break up with me,” I blurted.
“Fin,” he whispered, cupping his hands to my face, “I want to spend my life with you. That’s why I’m doing this at all. They may not be okay with my decisions, but I want them to see you – to know you – so that they know that my life stands for something. That I’m not the stereotype they’ve built in their heads. That you are an intelligent man; an educator, a musician, a free thinker. That our life is normal and wonderful. That you are wonderful.”
“I am?” I rolled my eyes. “They’re gonna hate me anyway. I don’t even know how to change a tire, let alone put pipes in the ground or whatever.”
Matt kissed me with a laugh. “So, will you come?”
I moved close and wrapped my arms around his lower back. “Yes.”
“Yeah?” Comfort flooded his words. “Thank fuck.”
“Hungry?” I asked.
He broke our embrace and moved toward the bedroom, carefully stripping his clothing off, one piece at a time. “I am, but I need a shower first. Give me a few?”
I turned to my refrigerator and stared at its near empty shelves. I did have the ingredients for breakfast burritos, my absolute favorite food. If one man could live on eggs, cheese, tortillas and bacon (or sausage – I wasn’t picky), it was me. As I pulled the tortillas from the oven, Matt wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing his damp hair against my back.
“You’re going to spoil me. Food, clean sheets…” Matt’s hands wandered down, gripping my
I pulled into Kenny’s drive and cut the engine. “Honey, you could have any man you want. Why him?” I gestured toward the front door of the old tri-level.
“Because he doesn’t ask questions. He just fucks me when I’m not feeling great. He doesn’t want anything from me. Besides, I can’t have any man I want.” She nudged me playfully.
“Maybe you should hold out for someone who does want something. You’re beautiful, Em. You’re smart and funny—”
“Not everyone can find a Matt.” She quickly wiped an escaped tear from her cheek before opening the door. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Love you.”
“Hey,” I called after her. “I love you too.”
♂♂
Matt was waiting in the lobby, a duffle bag tucked under his arm. I glanced around before taking his hand and leading him to the elevator. We rode up in practical silence until he broke it.
“I was jealous tonight. I’m sorry.”
I snorted. “Of Emily?”
“Yes, of Emily. I don’t know what happened, but I’d never felt like that. When I saw her kissing you… I don’t—”
“Matt, she kissed me once . She thought I wanted everyone to think I was straight. All I told her was that I didn’t want them to know about us. She must have misunderstood.” I let out a short laugh.
“Well,” he responded as the elevator doors opened, “I don’t think there is any confusion now. I can’t believe you told Pearson you had a boyfriend.”
I turned the key in the lock as Matt kissed the back of my neck. “I do have one, don’t I?”
Matt closed the door behind us and dropped his bag on the floor with a sigh. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”
I swallowed a gulp of dry air. “Hmm?”
He was going to break up with me. He was going to break up with me.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said before. About going to Pittsburgh to see my family. I think I want to go, you know? Introduce them to my boyfriend. Next Friday’s an off-week, so we don’t have a game. We could leave after school. Catch a late flight?”
“Are you serious?” The panic was replaced with a long breath of relief.
“Yeah. Are you okay? What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Yeah. I thought – I don’t know – I thought you might break up with me,” I blurted.
“Fin,” he whispered, cupping his hands to my face, “I want to spend my life with you. That’s why I’m doing this at all. They may not be okay with my decisions, but I want them to see you – to know you – so that they know that my life stands for something. That I’m not the stereotype they’ve built in their heads. That you are an intelligent man; an educator, a musician, a free thinker. That our life is normal and wonderful. That you are wonderful.”
“I am?” I rolled my eyes. “They’re gonna hate me anyway. I don’t even know how to change a tire, let alone put pipes in the ground or whatever.”
Matt kissed me with a laugh. “So, will you come?”
I moved close and wrapped my arms around his lower back. “Yes.”
“Yeah?” Comfort flooded his words. “Thank fuck.”
“Hungry?” I asked.
He broke our embrace and moved toward the bedroom, carefully stripping his clothing off, one piece at a time. “I am, but I need a shower first. Give me a few?”
I turned to my refrigerator and stared at its near empty shelves. I did have the ingredients for breakfast burritos, my absolute favorite food. If one man could live on eggs, cheese, tortillas and bacon (or sausage – I wasn’t picky), it was me. As I pulled the tortillas from the oven, Matt wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing his damp hair against my back.
“You’re going to spoil me. Food, clean sheets…” Matt’s hands wandered down, gripping my
Similar Books
