“Sorry,” he eventually says.
“For what?” I honestly can’t imagine a scenario where he feels like he needs to apologize for anything.
“Just…it’s intense. I’m intense. I know I am. And this is heavy.”
I shift us so I can take his jaw between my fingertips, and my eyes meet his. “You don’t need to apologize for anything. Yeah, it’s heavy. But you know what? Life’s fucking heavy, and sometimes we need to lean on someone else to help us bear the weight.”
He blinks as if this is news to him. It’s something he’s never considered—going through somethingwithsomeone else instead of against the entire world.
“I’ve never felt like this before, Ev,” he whispers.
I press my lips to his. “Neither have I.”
“I’m your client,” he says—as if I need the reminder.
“I know.” I drop my fingers from his jaw.
“We shouldn’t be doing this.”
I shake my head. “We shouldn’t. But we are. And I don’t want to stop.”
“I don’t, either,” he admits. “But we can’t get caught.”
“Jack would fire me if he knew I was sleeping with you. It would ruin my entire future.”
His eyes move back and forth between mine when he says, “He’d fire you if I told him I’ve fallen in love with you.”
My breath hitches as my chest tightens. “Why would you tell him that?” I ask carefully.
“Because it’s the truth. I love you.”
Tears pinch behind my eyes. “I love you, too.”
His mouth covers mine, and there’s no more talking as he pushes me back onto the bed, gets rid of our clothes, and spends the morning showing me that his words are true.
For the next week, we continue being professional in public, and we spend our private time largely naked. The following Sunday finds us winning against the Texans at their own home stadium, and we head back to Vegas with the team Sunday night only to turn around Monday afternoon and hop on a plane to Cincinnati.
I’ve managed to touch base with all six of my siblings, and everyone is handling the news of our mother’s illness in the way I’d expect. Madden has helped her with final arrangements. Dex is sending her photos of her grandchild more often. Ford is helping Madden. Archer responded to my text to let me know he’s aware of the situation and that he’sout of town since his season is over. Liam and Ivy are spending as much time as they can with her since they live closest to her.
And then there’s me. The caretaker, making sure my siblings are okay since my mom won’t admit something’s really, really wrong. I guess I have to step up into the shoes she never wanted to wear.
It’s so strange to be going to a funeral to say goodbye to someone else’s mother knowing that I might be going to my own mother’s funeral in the not-so-distant future.
It’s depressing, actually.
Maverick is quiet as we board the plane, and it feels a bit like he’s starting to shut down—or shut me out.
I call him out on it when we’re in our first-class seats just before takeoff.
“Talk to me, Jennings.”
“About?” he asks, flicking his eyes toward the window.
“What’s going through that complicated head of yours?”
He turns back to me, no emotion in his eyes as he mutters, “Nothing.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “You think I’m going to let you get away with that? Think again, pal.”
