AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Mom, I see some of the kids from my class on the swings,” Rex said. “Can I go?”
“Of course, honey. Just stay where I can see you.”
Rex ran off and Zoe jammed her hands into her pockets. She bit her bottom lip like she was nervous.
“Um… thank you. For today,” she finally said. “Not just for getting me in touch with Holly, but for all this. You made Rex’s day.”
“I’m happy to do it,” I replied with an honest nod.
“I…” Zoe stammered. She took a frustrated breath and let it out slowly. “God, Carter… I have so many things I want to say to you and I can’t make any of them come out.”
“I know. I feel the same way.”
“It’s killing me.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Every time I see you, I just—”
“I like you, Carter.”
“What?”
“I like you,” she repeated. “I mean… I have feelings for you and they’re not going anywhere. As much as we kept saying that it was just going to be the one time, I—”
“Yeah. It’s not. Once wasn’t enough.”
“Technically it was twice,” she reminded me. She paused. “I miss you. I think there’s something here. And if I’ve learned anything today, it’s that I can’t just give up just because I think I can’t win. I have to at least put up a fight.”
“So… you’re fighting for me?”
She nodded. “Yeah. You don’t think you can be the man I need in my life, but I definitely think you can. You already are.”
“Zoe—”
“No, listen to me. You think you you’re too mature to step up for people or make a home with someone, but you’re already doing that. You kept me from losing Rex today. You kept my family together. You made the repairs that kept us in our home,” she said. “I’ll never know why you underestimate yourself so much, but I see the man you really are, Carter Kane, and I want you in my life.”
She took a step towards me, unwavering as she laid her cards on the table like that. Her words touched something inside of me. Like if she believed I was that man, I could be him.
“But, Zoe, you said you wanted…”
“I know what I said. I wanted a partner for myself and a parent figure for Rex,” she stated. “That hasn’t changed. But I don’t expect you to be all of that right now. I just… I just need you to try.”
“Just try?” I repeated.
“You can try, can’t you?”
I looked at Zoe, the sun shining down on her as she stood facing me, with absolute faith in me. I glanced over at Rex as he laughed and played with his classmates. The two of them and whatever we build together… this could be my life if I let it.
I could picture it. And I liked what I saw.
“I can try,” I told her.
I dropped the baseball and took Zoe by the waist.
“You fight hard, Zoe Laster.”
“What can I say? I decided I like winning.”
I glanced over at Rex to make sure that he was busy playing and wasn’t paying attention to us before sneaking a quick kiss from Zoe. She smiles, her cheeks turning a little pink.
