This man is heavenly perfection, and I could watch him sleep for the rest of my life and never get bored.
I kick my boxers off and crawl into bed beside him. With one arm over his shoulder, I pull our bodies close. Spencer reaches for me in his sleep, completing the embrace, and I fall into bliss.
My memories crash back to my old heartbreaks. Moments like this, sweet and tender, never meant what I thought they meant. Every time I opened myself raw and let myself feel something this good, believed it could be real, it was a lie.
Maybe I’m a fool. Maybe I’m a fucked-up rock star with an open vein. But as I pull Spencer close and think about him.Him.I swear this time is real.
I hold him while I wait for the food, thinking about how intense the match was, how he powered through it, strong until the end. I remember the surprise in his eyes when he came back to the locker room and declared that he was falling for me. I just keep thinking about him and how fucking amazing he is, and I wonder how I got so lucky that he’s falling for me, too.
Finally, Spencer turns, nuzzling his face against my chest. “You know, it doesn’t have to be like you said.”
His voice is soft but clear and firm, erasing any doubt that he’s fully awake now.
I stroke the back of his head. “What do you mean?”
“You’re scared we’ll disappoint each other, let each other down, but I’m not. I understand you, Gabriel. And I trust you.”
“Thank you,” I tell him. “I trust you, too. But since you know me so well, you know that I’ve been on my own for a long time.”
“So have I.” He sits up a little bit. “I think that’s what I’m trying to say. You’ve been hurt, and I appreciate that. But I hope you can trust me. And maybe we can both start to trust some other people, too.”
I cock an eyebrow. “Some other people?”
“Trusting other people as friends, I mean,” he says quickly, and his brow furrows. “We’re obviously going to be exclusive.”
“Obviously,” I agree, and Spencer lets out a relieved breath.
“I don’t know what our relationship is going to look like,” he continues. “We’ve got a lot to talk about. I’m just glad you’re not going to be so on your own. And that I won’t be alone, either.”
I pull him closer. Fuck. I’ve come to care about this man so much.
“I’m going to try like hell not to let this old shit get to me. Because we’re good. And my exes and all that relationship trauma can fuck right off.”
He laughs. “That’s right.”
Spencer wants me to have more friends. It’s funny because I feel the same way about him. Beyond his amazing friendship with Alyssa, I’m eager to see his support system built up. But when I imagine opening myself up to other people, sticking around for more than a good party and a solid session in the recording studio, I get prickly. Like I need my walls up again.
We lie there without talking for a minute, and when I work up the courage, I decide it’s the right time to ask about the one thing I’ve been most avoiding asking about.
“Have you heard anything from your dad?”
I hear Spencer swallow. He shakes his head as he pulls slightly out of my arms. I wince, thinking I’ve made a mistake, but he looks up and meets my eyes, and I can tell he wants to talk.
“Nothing,” he says. “Alyssa thinks I need to consider trying one last time and then move on.”
“Easier said than done.”
He manages a smile. “She knows.”
I lean up on my elbow. “Is that what you’re going to do?”
Spencer shakes his head. “I don’t know. It’s what I should do, I understand that. But do I have the stomach to do it? I’ve been avoiding thinking about him as much as possible.”
“Love doing that,” I say with a nod. “Top-tier strategy.”
Sitting up, his face softens again. “Honestly, I know it’s not right. He can’t just go silent like this. But once I confront him, it’s probably over. There’s no going back.” He shakes his head. “I feel invincible on the court. I’m a confident, successful grown man. But a part of me is still scared to disappoint my father.”
I take his chin, drawing his gaze up to mine. “He’s the disappointment. Never forget that.”
