“Worth it.” He glances at his phone on the nightstand. “Speaking of which, I have forty-five minutes before I need to leave. Come with me. Watch from the stands again.”
“I can’t. Marnie scheduled me to help this morning. If I’m late, she’ll kill me.”
He sighs but doesn’t argue. Just kisses me once more before rolling out of bed and heading to the shower.
I should get up too and start getting ready. But I lie there foranother minute, staring at the ceiling, feeling the pleasant ache between my legs.
This is my life now. Waking up with him. Having morning sex before he goes to practice. Being so comfortable with each other that I can take what I want without hesitation.
I look around Romeo’s bedroom, at my clothes in his closet, my textbooks on his desk, my toothbrush in his bathroom. When did I stop going to my apartment? When did his place become “ours”?
I have grad school paperwork to finalize. Marnie wants me to shadow more complex procedures before August. I should be focused on that, on building my own career, on making sure I don’t lose myself in this relationship.
Instead I’m lying in his bed at 7 AM on a Tuesday, already planning what I’ll wear to practice later so he’ll look at me the way he did last week.
His phone buzzes on the nightstand and I glance at it without thinking.
The screen lights up with a notification.
Instagram DM from sienna_luvs_hockey: Had such a good time at coffee yesterday! Let me know when you’re free again
My stomach drops.
I stare at the message, reading it over and over, trying to make sense of it.
Had such a good time at coffee yesterday.
Yesterday. When he said he was running late for dinner. When he texted me that he got caught up with something.
Let me know when you’re free again.
Again. Implying this won’t be the last time.
The heart emoji.
I hear the shower turn off and I quickly look away from the phone with my heart pounding. Romeo comes out a minute later with a towel around his waist and dripping hair.
“You still in bed?” he asks, grinning.
“Just enjoying the view.”
“Liar. You were thinking.”
“Maybe.”
He leans down and kisses me. “What were you thinking about?”
You. And whoever Sienna is. And why she’s DMing you about having a good time at coffee yesterday.
But I don’t say that. Instead I say, “Nothing important. Go get ready. You’re going to be late.”
He kisses me once more and then disappears into his closet to get dressed.
After he leaves, I lie in his bed for another few minutes with my hands shaking as I pick up my phone and search for her profile.
sienna_luvs_hockey
She’s beautiful and blonde with lots of influencer-style photos, coffee shots, sunsets, outfit posts. Everything I’m not.
