I sit up, careful not to disturb Rosie as Cain’s words settle like a weight in my chest.
“Can’t we do that virtually?”
“No. Gotta do it at the facility. A few of your teammates have been called in as character witnesses to reinforce your image.”
Dammit.
“We’re in the home stretch, Boone. Just gotta get through Monday’s appearance, then the final judgment in a month, and this will all be behind you. Things are looking good for yourreputation, too. Being married to Rosie has been boosting your public approval rating, and everyone’s buying it.”
Of course, they are. Because Rosie doesn’t just excel at her job, she excels at everything she does.
I glance down at her, sleeping soundly beside me. Her dark blonde lashes brush against cheeks still slightly puffy from sleep, her lips parting softly with each breath. She looks so different here in Brookhaven. She looks peaceful, relaxed,happy.
Every version that I’ve known of her is perfect, and that’s when it hits me like a wave again.
I’m going to be in real trouble if I fuck this up.
Last night was supposed to be a one-time thing, right? Just a lapse in judgment and horniness.
But my heart’s racing now, panic creeping in, because her words come rushing back fast. 'You’re the kind of guy who’d fall in love with a woman after one night, but I'm not the kind of girl who would do that.'
And maybe I am. Maybe I already have. Because, hell, I think I’m in love with my wife.
“Okay,” I say into the phone, my voice distant, mind racing. “I’ll meet you at your house in fifteen minutes.”
I move to stand, careful not to wake her, but I can’t just leave without saying something. She deserves more than that. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I let my fingers graze over her smooth skin, pausing at her shoulder blades.
“Rosie.”
She stirs, her eyes barely opening. “Hmm?”
“I have to head back to the city with Cain now.”
“Oh... okay.” She nods faintly, her voice groggy. “Duty calls.” And she smiles, just barely. It’s small, but it’s enough to make my chest ache. Because if anyone gets what it’s like to put work before yourself and what you really want, it’s her.
And right now, I'm putting it before what I want to do with her in this bed.
“I’ll see you in two days. Back at our apartment?”
She nods again, her eyes still closed. “Sure.”
But there’s something in the way she says it, something distant. A wall slipping back into place, shutting me out.
Rosie’s retreating again, back behind the protective, professional armor that she’s built around herself. The walls that keep her safe but keep everyone else out. Barriers that stop her from what she really wants in life.
Well not this time. I won't allow it.
I lean over and press a soft kiss to her temple again. Except this time, she’s awake and aware. Her whole-body tenses up, but she doesn’t open her eyes.
“I’ll see you soon, Rosie.”
Twenty minutes later, Cain and I are riding in silence on the train back to the city for my meeting.
“Here,” he says, tossing a magazine across the aisle. It lands next to me on the empty seat.
I pick it up, and my chest tightens instantly. On the cover is a photo of Rosie and me from after one of my recent home games.
We’re leaving the arena, my arm slung around her shoulder, pulling her close to my side. I’m whispering something in her ear and she’s laughing, her bright, genuine smile lighting up the shot.
