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I scoff but get into the car. He laughs as he shuts the door and goes to his side.
Conrad smoothly slides into his car, looking like a model as he does it, and starts the engine. He doesn’t back out right away, and I can tell by the few honks that there is someone waiting for the spot.
“Listen, I know I told you we could go for a drive, but honestly, baby, I think I’m too tired to be behind the wheel for too long. Can I just take you to my place? I’ll make some coffee and we can talk.”
Even his voice sounds exhausted. Reaching forward, I do something I shouldn’t and place my hand on his forearm in a comforting gesture. “That’s okay. I’ll make some coffee and you shower before we have this conversation. You look like a mess, Conrad.”
He smiles over at me and puts the car in reverse, making those waiting in their cars happy. We drive the thirty minutes from Treasure Island Beach to Braxton, the sounds of a playlist on Conrad’s phone filling the car. I keep my hands in my lap, resisting the urge to lace my fingers with his like we used to do when driving together.
The house is quiet as we enter. With the rest of the guys at the beach, we are alone and that realization makes me nervous.
Conrad stands awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs. “I’m going to shower real quick. You want a drink or anything? The living room is all yours, and we can talk there since no one is home.”
Giving him a small smile, I head toward the oversized leather sofa and make myself comfortable. He seems to relax some now that we’re here and without another word, he heads up the stairs. I notice he moves slower than usual as he takes one step at a time.
Worry overcomes me. Each time Conrad has had to talk to me in the past month, it has left me heartbroken. Telling him no should be my go-to answer anytime Conrad asks for something, but the seriousness that came off him when he asked to talk and the fact that he hasn’t tried to put a move on me like the times before tell me something is wrong.
While he’s up in the shower, I put a pot of coffee on to brew and head back into the living room to wait.
The walls whine as the pipes push water to the bathroom. With the quietness, I can hear the shower running from downstairs. Opting to sit in silence and wait for him, I lean back into the cushion and get comfortable as I get lost in my own thoughts.
Less than five minutes later, Conrad strolls down the steps. His hair is still damp, and he has changed into a pair of gym shorts and a faded blue T-shirt. His feet are bare, and for some reason, I find this look more attractive than when he is dressed in his best for postgame questions when their coach makes the guys wear slacks and button-down shirts.
“Hey.” He gives me a soft smile but looks unsure of himself as he comes to stand behind the large sofa beside me. “Do you want a drink or anything? I think we have that diet soda you like.”
My heart clenches. Conrad always made sure to keep their fridge stocked for me at all times with my favorite drink, Diet Coke. “Sure. Thank you.”
He walks through the archway that leads into the kitchen, and I hear him moving items around in the fridge. He comes back into the living room with a cup of coffee and my can of soda. After handing me my drink, he takes a seat on the larger sofa beside the one I’m sitting on.
Neither of us says anything for a solid minute, and I start to worry. Just before I break the silence, Conrad speaks up. “I’m not marrying Liliana…and my father disowned me.”
My jaw slackens. This was not what I thought he brought me here to talk about.
26
EMREE
The Publix sub I ate for lunch over an hour ago weighs heavy in my stomach at Conrad’s confession. Never did I think he would be telling me that the arranged marriage his parents set up for him would not be happening, let alone that his father disowned him. I can’t imagine a parent disowning their child for any reason other than maybe committing a heinous crime.
Neither of us has said a word and truthfully, I’m not sure what to respond with. Conrad looks nervous. It is a look I have never seen on him before. Since we met, I have only been around a self-assured and collected Conrad, and the man sitting across from me is neither of those.
“Can you explain to me what this means?” I ask, breaking the silence.
Conrad is toying with the bottom of his shorts, not looking in my direction. He keeps his head down for several beats before meeting my eyes. “Well, for one, it means I’m single. Hopefully not for long.” That cocky smirk I have grown to love appears, and his joke breaks the tension that has been stewing in the air.
Smiling, I offer a light laugh. “Cute, but I’ll need more from you.”
His smirk fades away and serious Conrad is back. “For starters, I went to visit my father in Massachusetts. He wasn’t too happy with me when I told him I couldn’t marry Liliana.”
Genuinely shocked that he would confront his father like this, I ask the only question that comes to mind. “Why would you do that? Wasn’t marrying her the only option he gave you?”
“Yes, but I couldn’t marry her when I went and fell in love with someone else.”
My breath catches in my throat, and I gape at him. No words come out as I open and close my mouth several times. Conrad watches me with uncertainty sketched across his features. How could he tell his father no to an arranged marriage he’d planned since before his son was born?
“Wh-why would you do that? Conrad, he disowned you because you wouldn’t marry Liliana?” I’m not ready to process the “in love with someone else” statement, so I exclude it from my question.
His shoulders shrug. “Not all that surprising, if I’m being honest. Howard Dugray has never been the warmest or most caring father. I think having kids was more of a necessity for him. There was no love in my house and little to no father-son time unless it was about the family business and me attending board meetings when I entered high school.”
