“One day you’ll be a big name, too.”
She blows out a breath. “Maybe.”
I can tell she doesn’t believe me, but I let it go. I’ve got bigger concerns at the moment. I’ll shore up her confidence about her songwriting skills later.
“Will you at least consider coming with me to Steel City?”
“Gage,” she growls. “I can’t leave Mom alone to care for my siblings.”
“It’s admirable how much you help your mom out. I love how loyal you are. But Otis, Penelope, and Mila are her children, her responsibility.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Explain it to me.”
She nibbles on her bottom lip. I wait for her to get her thoughts in order. This is important. Probably the most important conversation of my life. I won’t rush her.
“I don’t want Otis, Penelope, or Mila to experience the childhood I had. I know it’s not nearly as bad as yours was.”
“This isn’t a competition.”
“I want them to experience all the things I didn’t. I want them to be able to play sports, join afterschool clubs, go to prom. Not to worry about where the next meal is coming from.If Mom is coming home tonight. How to afford the school supplies on the list in the envelope Mom hasn’t even bothered to open.”
Fuck. How am I supposed to push her now? When all I can do is admire her for how loyal she is. Loyalty means everything to me.
“Where does this leave us?”
“What do you mean?”
“You won’t or can’t move away from Smuggler’s Hideaway, and I can’t move away from Steel City.”
She gasps. “I would never ask you to give up your position on the Seals. I wouldn’t ask you to give up your dream. I’m proud of you. Of all you’ve accomplished. Of how far you’ve come from your childhood. I would never ask you to give up any of those things.”
“I didn’t think you were.” But it’s nice to hear her say it.
My coaches and teammates say they’re proud of me all the time. But they’re proud of a touchdown or a particular play I made that helped us win a game. Addy is proud of me for me.
How can I let her go? I can’t.
“I’m not letting you go.”
“Gage. We live states away from each other.”
“Don’t care. I love you, songbird. I’ve never told another woman I loved her before. I never felt this way about a woman before. You’re it for me. The woman I want to share my life with. The woman I want to build a family with.”
“I…” She cuts herself off.
Was she going to say she loves me, too? I’ve told her I love her several times, but she hasn’t returned the words. I know she cares about me. She’ll grow to love me in time. But time is the one thing we don’t have.
“Maybe it’s best we end this before anyone gets hurt.”
A tear slips from her eye and I wipe it away.
“Songbird, I’d definitely be hurt if we were done. But we’re not.”
She throws her hands in the air. “But our situation is impossible.”
I growl. “It’s not impossible. Nothing is impossible. We’ll figure it out. I can stay on Smuggler’s Hideaway during the off-season.”
