“He didn’t tell you? He used to swim competitively—that’s how we met.”
She looks up at him, shaking her head. “No, he didn’t.”
“It’s nothing,” he says, his cheeks burning.
Elliot narrows his eyes. “It’s not nothing. You went to col?—”
“Hey, how’s Rosie?” he interrupts, shooting him adon’t fucking go therelook.
He nods slowly in understanding. “She’s … good. Well, I’ll let you both get back to it.” He stands, slipping his sunglasses back on. “Hey, you should swing by next weekend. She would love to see you. We’re playing board games.” He turns to Jahlani, grinning. “You too, if you’re not sick of him by then.”
Jahlani laughs, shaking her head as he waves goodbye.
“Who’s Rosie?” she asks when he disappears through the double doors.
He lowers his shoulders into the water to hide his trembling. “His grandmother. She raised him by herself after his parents died.”
She frowns. “That’s so sad.”
He sighs, nodding. Suddenly, she’s wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist.
“We should go next weekend.”
The smile that spreads on his face is uncontrollable. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she says, kissing him softly. “Invite Danica too. She wanted to show me her road-building skills last time in Catan.”
He laughs, throwing his head back.
“Okay, sure. Whatever you want, Jahlani,” he murmurs against her lips.
They swim until their fingers prune up and Jahlani’s stomach rumbles. It’s quickly becoming one of his favorite sounds—right after her laugh. It means he gets to take care of her in a different way.
In a domestic way.
In a way that shows he’s good for something.
They sit in his car in a near-empty parking lot, working their way through fries, milkshakes, and burgers. She offers him a bite of her sandwich, and he leans forward, taking what he assumes is more than what she was offering when she pulls the food back, cursing at him. As they wipe their fingers and faces, she looks at him pointedly.
“Why didn’t you tell me you used to swim competitively?”
He shrugs, chewing and swallowing his food. “It was a long time ago.”
She scoffs. “Not that long ago, Roman. You were swimming at the collegiate level,” she drops her phone in between the console, scrolling through a series of articles. All about him.
“What happened?”
“I became a single dad?”
She shakes her head. “Try again.”
He expels a breath of air. “What do you want me to say?”
“Try the truth.”
He wipes his mouth with a napkin before tossing it in the plastic bag between them.
“I didn’t enjoy it anymore.”
