Chapter 60 #2
Which is crazy. One great, drama-free day together does not equal wedding bells.
I let out a slow, measured breath, forcing myself to still my racing heart. Simon always made me crazy, in both good and bad ways. I needed to keep my head on straight so that I didn’t get swept away in him again. Not so soon.
Instead, I let myself get caught up in the excitement of the stadium once we joined the crowds. Simon bought us each a team jersey and we put them on over our clothes, then grabbed hot dogs and beers before we settled in to enjoy the game just like we always used to.
It was a blast being back here with him. I cuddled against his arm until I jumped out of my seat to boo a bad call from the umpire. “Did you forget your glasses?”
The people around us joined in the hollering, using much more colorful insults. One guy had very unkind things to say about the man’s mother. The umpire couldn’t hear us, though, so it was all in good fun.
I was all smiles when we left the stadium after the game. “Thank you for today, Si. It really was nice.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
I glanced up him, his black hair tousled from him grabbing it every time there had been a close call during the game. “When we get to my place, would you like to come in and play some Catan?”
It’d been our favorite board game as teenagers and his eyes widened before he laughed. “You have that at your house?”
“Of course.” I scoffed down a laugh of my own. “What do you take me for, a sell-out?”
“A grownup,” he joked, but then he nodded. “I’d love that, actually. I don’t think I’ve played since the last time I played with you. You might have to remind me of some of the rules.”
Although I pulled out the game and we got everything set up, we didn’t end up playing. Instead, we wound up talking for hours. Simon sat down on his butt on the rug in my living room, both of us next to my coffee table, but instead of starting the game, he looked over at me.
“Have you been happy, Abi?”
“Happy?” I frowned. “Of course, I’ve been happy. What do you mean?”
“I mean, were you happy before we ran into each other again?” There was a rare flash of vulnerability in his eyes that kept me from making a joke of the question.
I thought it over for a beat. “Yeah, I was happy. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say that I was content. I’m not really sure. I think I was happy, though. You?”
“Nope. I definitely wasn’t. I just didn’t know it for a long time.
” He let out a long, deep breath and closed his eyes.
Bringing his beer to his mouth, he took a sip before he looked at me again.
“There were times when I was happy, but I’m carrying my dad’s company on my back.
He keeps getting in the way. I don’t think I realized how controlling he’s been until you came back into my life. ”
“Sorry to rock the boat.”
“No, I’m grateful. I needed some perspective.” He shook his head. “Honestly, I’m not sure right now what the future holds for my career. All I really know is that I can’t keep going like this. And that I’m happy when I’m with you.”
My heart clenched for the boy I’d once loved and the man I was falling for whether I liked it or not. Contrary to what he’d said earlier, it didn’t feel like much of a choice to me right then. “I’m sorry, Simon. It can’t be easy growing up with a dad like that.”
“It wasn’t, but he’s stuck and I don’t know how to help him.
” He groaned and hung his head, then suddenly brought his gaze back up to mine.
“We’ve covered that extensively, though.
How about you? You’re actually running the New York branch for real now.
Your dad is really not getting in your way or trying to control things from behind the scenes? ”
I chuckled and shook my head. “I’m running the branch and he doesn’t interfere. We’re actually closer now than ever before, and I want that for you. I wish I could help you get to a point where you love your company as much as I love ours.”
The expression in his eyes softened. “I’m just glad you’ve got that. I really am happy if you’re happy.”
“I am.” Now, anyway.
The truth was that I had also only been content without him, but I was genuinely happy when he was around. “Maybe it’s time to just be honest with your dad and talk to him about how overbearing he is with you. Maybe he’ll understand.”
Simon smiled. “Maybe so, but let’s just forget about him for tonight.”
“Let’s,” I agreed, staring at him from across the table before I chuckled under my breath.
He looked at me with humor shimmering in his eyes, a dark eyebrow arching as his gaze held mine. “What?”
“It kills me to say it, but I’ve really missed you too, Si.”
“Yeah, I am pretty charming.” He winked at me and I laughed, reaching over to smack his arm. He winced, pretending to rub the spot before he reached into his pocket and came back with the seahorse bracelet. “Here. This really was for you.”
Heart racing, I crawled closer on my knees and sat right in front of him, offering him my wrist. “Will you do the honors? I really do love it, Simon. Thank you.”
He held my gaze as he fastened the bracelet around my arm.
Then he brought my wrist to his mouth and pressed a kiss against the clasp.
My breath caught in my lungs, and the next thing I knew, I was in his arms and his lips were on mine, and although I knew things were far from figured out between us, I put it all aside and just allowed myself to be with him as if he was already really only mine.