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“I stopped by the lecture hall yesterday,” she says. “Full disclosure. I wanted her advice before I made a final decision, because let’s face it, she’s something of a genius.”
I nod.
“Anyways, I got there, and boom stopped dead in my tracks at the doorway because she was all over the man we saw her with before.” She tosses her hair back. “You remember him, right. Tall, hot as hell, and looks like he fucks like a goddamn champion.”
I drop my gaze to my lap. He does fuck like a goddamn champion.
“He brought her flowers, and she was kissing him.” She smiles. “She looked so in love, Faith. If there’s hope for Stingy Stein, there’s hope for all of us.”
“You’re sure it was that guy?” I press, wondering if she mistook the graying, shorter Dr. Presbey for my gorgeous lover.
“It was him.” She nods. “Matthew something. I heard her say his name as he was leaving. He walked right past me. The man smells like sin.”
I swallow hard to keep my emotions at bay.
“She encouraged me to follow my dreams.” Gwynn takes another sip from her glass. “She told me the man who just left taught her to chase her dreams when they were a lot younger. She did, and now she’s the happiest she’s ever been because of him.”
Because of him?
Professor Stein is the happiest she’s ever been because of Matthew.
“Eat up, Faith.” Gwynn points at the plate of food in front of me. “This is our last cheat meal before everything changes.”
She’s wrong.
Everything has already changed.
My world has shattered into a million pieces, and I’ve never felt more alone than I do right now.
Chapter Forty-Six
Matthew
“You brought me here for what reason?” Roman tips the bottle of beer in his hand toward me. “You do know that I have a pregnant wife at home and two children who want to escape at every chance they can get?”
I huff out a laugh. “How’s Bianca?”
“Excited,” he admits. “Vivi is with her now. They’re talking names still. I’ve settled on what I want, but Bianca wants the kid to be Roman Hawthorne Junior.”
“You’re kidding?” I glance at him. “What will we call him? RJ?”
“That’s not bad.” He takes a pull from the beer. “But the name I have in mind has meaning. There’s purpose to it. It’s hard to explain.”
“Tell me the name,” I Insist.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I want the person I’m naming him after to hear it first.” He shoots me a look. “All right?”
“So, I’m safe to assume he’s not going to be called little Matt after all?”
“You can name your own kid that.”
I sip from the glass of water on the bar in front of me.
We’re at Rolly’s Pub. It’s a place we come to every year on our shared birthday. Roman met Bianca here in a twisted hand that fate dealt to the two of them.
They were meant to be. The stars aligned that day to make certain that they knew it. They took it from there and created a life I envy.
“Vivi’s great with B, but I need to get home as soon as I can, Matt.” He fists his hand around the bottle. “What if my boy comes early and I’m not there?”
Vivi is Bianca’s sister. She’s a trooper. She stepped into the role of Auntie to Dora and Georgie with nothing but love in her heart.
“I just need a few minutes.” I look up at the ceiling. “I’m lost, Rome. I’m so goddamn lost right now.”
His hand lands on my shoulder. I feel the comforting warmth through the button-down shirt I’m wearing. “You’re torn up, Matty. Tell me what the fuck is going on? A few days ago you were on top of the world. Today you look shattered.”
I swallow hard. “I fell in love.”
He punches my shoulder with enough force to sting. “You bastard. You tell me now? How long has this been going on?”
“Weeks.” I shrug. “I don’t know. It feels like I’ve known her forever.”
“Who?”
I turn to face him and look him square in the eyes. “Faith Upton.”
There’s zero judgment in my brother’s expression, just familiar understanding. He gets me. He always has. “She’s great, Matt. I don’t know her well, but she’s lovely.”
“She’s twenty-one,” I point out.
“So?”
I smile. “So?”
“Age has nothing to do with anything.” He turns on his stool to face me. “If you love her, fuck the age thing.”
I drop my gaze to the bar. “There’s something else.”
“What?”
“I saw Erin Stein the other day.”
“Erin Stein?” Roman chuckles. “Talk about a blast from the past. What’s going on in her world?”
“She’s one of Faith’s professors.” I shake my head. “Small world, right?”
“Very.” He narrows his eyes. “Does she not agree with what’s happening between you and Faith?”
“She doesn’t know,” I go on, “I value her opinion, but honestly, Roman, it wouldn’t matter to me what she thought. I’m fucking crazy about Faith.”
