He’s probably the kindest soul I’ve ever met, and yes, that includes my saint of a mother.
My mom . . .
“No, don’t say no yet,” he shouts suddenly and his palms go up again. My guess is that he saw my face fall at the thought of her.
She still lives in Gomillion.
I can’t go there and not see her, and if I pretend I’m with AJ at the reunion, of course she’ll find out, so I’ll have to tell her beforehand if I don’t want to get my head chewed off.
And I would for sure get my behind spanked—grown man or not—if I tell her I’m lying to everyone just to spite one mean asshole, so we’dhaveto pretend in front of her too.
“Why are you so pale all of a sudden?” AJ asks when I still can’t speak.
“My mom.” My voice comes out scratchy. “We’d have to lie to her. She wouldn’t be okay with us faking anything.”
AJ’s face also loses some color, and I see his throat work on a hard swallow, but then he straightens.
That determined glint in his eyes and the power behind them is why he’s such a force to be reckoned with on the field. Here, though, in my office, facing the possibility that I might actually disappoint my mom, which is something I’ve never done... here it’s scary as fuck.
“Yes, we would have to lie to her and everyone else in your hometown, but she’d understand a few months later. Once it’s past, I bet she’d even find it funny.”
I can’t stop my uncertain grimace at that.
AJ knows Rosa Jameson well, but not as well as I do.
“She’d be disappointed in me,” I murmur.
“Does she know what that asshole did to you?”
“No,” I cry, outraged at the thought of her ever finding out. “I was deep in the closet and only came out to her after college. I couldn’t have said anything to her after that disaster.”
“So that motherfucker traumatized you enough that you hid for what? Five more years?” Well, that tone doesn’t bode well for me. “Fuck that. We’re gonna show him,” he mutters and shakes his head while frowning. And this time, the frown doesn’t seem as wrong on his face anymore.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” I admit quietly, though again, I’m not sure why I’m not discounting it completely.
“Well, you can think about it. We’ve got time.”
“And you have a winning season to focus on, so get out of here.” I wave lazily at the door.
“Okay,” he says, but he stares at me with his worried look and bites down on his lower lip.
“I’ll be fine, AJ.” I roll my eyes at him.
“Yeah, I know,” he tells me softly. “Just think about it, okay? Maybe talk it through with Lindsey. I’ve been told I’m a great boyfriend.” The smirk that should always be on his face comes out then.
“By who?” I demand. “You’ve never had a really serious girlfriend.”
“All of them. They all wanted the serious bit, and because I always act like a gentleman they thought I wanted that too, even though I was just being myself.”
That sounds like him, but I have to shake my head.
“Only you’d get broken up with because you’re too much of a good guy while not committing.”
“What can I say?” He spreads his arms wide. “I like being untamed.” Then the little shit winks at me, and this time when he turns, he finally leaves.
I stare at the closed door for a long while, and then I look at the invitation again.
What the fuck am I going to do?
