Chapter Thirty-One Alex
T EARS WELLED MY eyes from mind-numbing pain by the time I crawled off of the couch and stumbled down the hall to the office.
Rome’s baritone rumbled through the house and he only cracked the door instead of shutting it entirely.
I could hear every word he spoke into the phone to his agent.
I ran on empty by the time I shoved inside, sweat slicking my brow, all blood drained from my face.
Rome looked horrified for a split second before rushing to get me.
“ No ,” I grunted as I used the doorframe to prop myself up. “I will not let you do this.”
“Hold on,” Rome said into the phone. “Actually, let me call you back.” He hung up before waiting for a response.
He was at my side in a flash, helping me three steps into the room and into my desk chair.
I was out of breath by the time I sat down.
My chest burned with unimaginable pain, but I fought through it so we could talk.
“You can’t, Rome,” I said pleadingly. “This is everything to you. I won’t let you do this.”
He blinked in bewilderment, then wheeled over his gaming chair to sit in front of me. He bracketed my knees with his. “How much did you hear?”
“Enough.” I leaned forward and put my hands on his knees. “Rome. Please. Don’t do this.”
His eyes were as hard as blue granite. I knew that determination. I had seen it so often. Nothing I could say would change his mind, but damn it, I would try anyway.
“Taking care of you is more important to me than playing a few postseason games,” Rome said with careful enunciation. “I’ve already filed for absence.”
I shook my head. “That’s a lie.” The way I spoke.
The way he winced. Shit, I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
“I looked it up, Rome. I knew you’d do this.
The Family Medical Emergency List is good for up to fourteen days.
That is plenty of time for me to recover.
What you’re trying to do is get out for the rest of the full season!
” I coughed, then groaned from the pain of it.
My heart rate shooting through the roof and breathing quickly to compensate didn’t help.
“Why would you leave completely for the rest of the year?”
Finally, he blinked and looked away. I hadn’t caught him in a lie, but I caught one of omission. And it was to himself.
I willed myself to calm down. “Do you want to quit completely?” I asked quietly. “Are you done with baseball forever?”
He couldn’t bring his eyes to me. “No. I just…” He bit his lower lip.
“I’m looking into the future. Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself but that’s just how I play the game of life.
” Rome turned his head and our eyes met.
“I don’t like being away from you. It kills me when I have to travel.
And knowing you’re still recovering while I’m flying around and you’re stuck here?
” He sighed. “And then next season. Heck, even spring training. That’s a lot of back and forth flying and it would be inconsiderate of me to expect you to move down to Florida.
” He scooted the chair forward, as if he could get any closer.
“You’re more important than all of that.
I finally found something to love and cherish.
I’m not gonna let it slide. Even for my career. ”
Endorphins, amorous and fearful alike, flooded my system. Everything around us faded. All I could see was Rome and the aura of our love swelling between us. He’d give up baseball for me. For me .
Just like I gave up my career for him.
“Call your cousin. Joe,” I said. “Right now. Call him.” He gave me a look. “Call him, Rome.”
The non-sequitur played a number on his emotions, as displayed by the confusion on his face. He grabbed his phone. In a few seconds, he had Joe on speaker between us.
“Rome, buddy, I saw the email come through. Are you sure you wanna—”
“Joe,” I said. “Sorry. You’re on speaker. You need to come here. It’s time.”
I heard him sigh into the phone. “Yeah. Okay. Be there in twenty.” He hung up before Rome could even speak.
“Help me up and to the couch,” I bid Rome.
“Alex, what is going on? I’m so confused.”
I stood up and he helped me. For a moment, we stood together. I leaned all my weight onto him. He didn’t budge. “I’ll tell you when Joe gets here. It’s all good news, okay? Don’t fret.”
The walk back to the couch was exceptionally more difficult than it was leaving.
I didn’t have adrenaline fueling every step to confront Rome.
We carefully ambled the infinite horizon of a short hallway for someone with broken ribs.
I dripped into the couch, as slow as molasses, as Rome re-fluffed a mountain of pillows to get me comfortable.
He sat beside me while we waited for Joe.
He held my hand like we were at the movies.
Two days had passed since I was admitted to the hospital. Despite being in the ICU, I was discharged from the hospital quickly enough. The swelling had gone down on Rome’s face. I told him at least three times a day that the scar across his eyebrow would make him even sexier, if that were possible.
A sea of orange pill bottles decorated the platter on the large ottoman.
A stack of papers listed out my recovery plan and a notebook beside it kept track of my medications.
I was overdue for some pain meds. Rome found the right bottle and helped me pop something small but mighty. I washed it down with water.
“Can you at least give me a hint? This is driving me crazy,” Rome said.
I looked down at the blanket covering my lap. The pattern was geometrical with dark blue threading that matched Rome’s eyes. “I think… you probably already know.”
The hope on his face. I wanted to take a picture. Zoomed in. Just the look. Make it all black-and-white except for those beautiful irises of his.
I didn’t say any more. Neither did he. His leg bounced from anticipation.
If only I could crawl onto his lap to massage away the ailments in his mind.
We had just reached a new level of our relationship and all I wanted to do was continue to explore that new height.
Alas, no amount of pleasure from thrusting would overtake the pain that it would cause.
Even heavy breathing hurt, as we discovered last night when Rome tried to, gently, get me off.
Besides, the pain meds caused other issues.
Eventually, the doorbell rang and Rome sprang to answer.
The door swung inward and he admitted Joe.
I made a poor attempt at craning my neck to look over the back of the couch, but my ribs reminded me of why I couldn’t contort my torso.
Joe squeezed my shoulder as he walked by, then circled the couch and sat on one of the chairs opposite.
Rome dropped into the cushion next to me and leaned his elbows on his knees.
“Okay. Out with it. Not a big fan of waiting,” Rome said.
Joe had a green file folder in his hand. He tossed it so it skidded across the ottoman where Rome stopped it with a flat palm. He looked at me first and I nodded as a go-ahead.
Rome took the folder and opened it up. I narrated as he read. “We’re starting a charity foundation. Both Joe and I recognized the incredible joy you felt at helping Danny and his mother. We don’t want to stop. We want to continue to help those in need. Children, particularly.”
He turned the page, eyes staring but not exactly reading. “If you keep going,” I continued, “right there. Look at the top.”
Rome’s eyes narrowed as he read my name with my title listed underneath. He looked over at me, brow curled upward. “Executive Officer? You?”
I nodded. “Joe and I had to do a few squirrelly things underneath your nose but… I didn’t think you’d mind.”
He swallowed and looked back at the piece of paper. “You… you’re…” Another look of consternation. “Alex, all this… I mean, this is full time. You can’t possibly continue your business and run a foundation.”
“I’m running the business side,” Joe said. “Alex’s primary job is identifying candidates. Liaising with hospitals. The stuff he’s good at.”
Rome was shaking his head as Joe spoke. “But that’s still full-time work.
Alex, what about your photography? What about that congressman you wanted to get in good graces with?
You can’t…” The consternation turned into a darker shade.
A small breath of surprise escaped him. “Your sudden free days and nights. Going places you could before without putting up a fight. You’ve been canceling gigs, haven’t you?
You’ve been… what… dismantling your business? For this?”
“Yes,” I said succinctly. There was nothing more to say. “I have.”
The darkness in his eyes wasn’t sinister. Betrayal? Concerned anger? What he said next I should have seen coming. Should have anticipated. I blamed the pain meds that had kicked in. “So you get to throw your career away for me but I can’t do the same for you?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Joe said and held up his hands. “Rome, come on.”
“No,” Rome spat out. “I’m not letting you do this. We can find another executive officer. Alex can still participate but I refuse to let him throw his photography business out the window like this.”
“I’m right here,” I said. Rome turned to look at me.
Joe moved to the edge of his seat. This wasn’t what we planned.
I expected an exuberant Rome to leap with joy, not lament in misery.
“Look, Rome, you’re drawing comparisons where there shouldn’t be.
Those two things aren’t the same. You’d be fully ditching your baseball career and everything you’ve been building your whole life.
Whereas me? I’m just switching careers. That’s all. ”
The hardness that had formed softened. In that moment, I prayed that my soothing words would continue to work on him years into our relationship.
Rome’s lips pursed together, then he said softly, “But you love photography. And I love that side of you. That creativity to capture a moment. It’s partly why I fell in love with you.”
I clamped down on whatever well of tears wanted to come up at such sentimental words. I refused to break in front of Joe. The pain meds doing a number on my woozy mind didn’t help. I reached out and gestured for Rome to give me his hand.
“I’m not stopping photography, Rome. I’ll still do ad hoc shoots with special clients.
I’m just putting my focus on this foundation.
I’ll stop building my photography business and build something better instead.
” I gestured to the folder. “My heart is in this as much as it is in photography. It’s something I really want to do. Truly.”
I saw Rome’s Adam’s apple rise and fall. “You want this? Really want this?”
I squeezed his hand. “It’s perfect. For me, for us.
Think about it: if the foundation is my full-time gig, I can travel with you during spring training or even to whatever city you’re playing in.
Where you go, I go.” I looked away for a moment, not entirely sure how to broach the next subject.
“This whole thing needs your blessing, though. Because, well, without you…”
Joe jumped in like a lifeguard. “Essentially, your wealth is the lifeblood of the foundation. We’re drafting plans to seek additional funds, but we’d need a sizable contribution for the initial investment.”
Rome snickered and dropped his head down. When he picked it back up to look at Joe, he was all smiles. “Basically, ‘gimme millions,’ right?”
Joe held up his hands again. “Hey, cuz, your words, not mine.” He laughed, then scooted forward to flip through the folder for Rome.
“The charter recognizes you as the primary patron of the foundation. At the end of the day, you’re in total control.
Alex and I will run everything else. Eventually, we’ll pull in additional help. ”
Rome paged through the remainder of the folder. “This is all very well organized. I can see both of your hands in this. You must’ve worked on this for weeks…”
“The clincher,” Joe confessed. “I had the seed of an idea, and Alex and I had time during the game to discuss, then flying back.”
Rome slapped the ottoman. “I knew it! I knew it! I thought it was weird that Alex was so quick to fly back with you.” Rome spun and looked at me with a smile. “You’re good at keeping secrets.”
“Well, leave it to you trying to throw your career out the window to get it out of me,” I said.
Joe stood and pulled his phone out of his pocket.
“Speaking of which... I’m calling your agent and canceling whatever idiot move you decided to make.
Family leave gives you up to fourteen days.
That’s all you need.” Joe gestured vaguely toward me.
“Pretty sure he’s faking his pain, anyway.
He’ll be fine by, like, tomorrow or something. ”
Oh how I wanted to grab a pillow and launch it at him, if only I could move quickly.
“Anyway,” Joe said, “I’ll leave the folder here. You two feel free to text me any questions that might come up.”
We said our goodbyes and Rome walked Joe out. The pain meds were in full effect by then. A light haze had settled over my vision. The throbbing in my chest became a distant, dull ache. I wanted to suddenly sleep but forced myself to keep my eyes open as Rome walked around and sat beside me again.
“So… you’re not mad?” I asked. “Because I really—”
Rome’s lips pressed into mine. Gentle. Sweet. Compassionate. Our tongues teased only lightly. He had his hand on my face. “I really don’t know what to say,” he said. “Except that I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I said. “I think this is going to be good. I’m excited to get started.”
I wanted to analyze the look he gave me. Pride, appreciation, hope. I could get lost in discerning and listing out all the positive things he sent through the aether to me.
But drugs were a hell of a thing and I could barely stay awake. He noticed. Smiled. Kissed me again, then he lowered me on the couch so I could recline. “Stay with me,” I said as I got comfortable. “Hold me.”
Rome wedged the ottoman directly into the corner of the couch so we could lay parallel with each other. He held my gaze as long as I could as I drifted into a wacky but beautiful pain-med dream of Rome.