AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I told you that the more time I spent with my mom, the better she got, right?”
“Yes.”
“I think I’m going to move to Snow Tip Falls and stay there for a while.”
My fingers tingled and there was a hollowness in my throat that made me want to throw up.
“What about classes? Are you gonna drive back and forth? That’s a long drive.”
“I think I’m going to drop out of school for now.”
“But you’re so close. This is your last semester?”
“My mother needs me. Nero needs me. He’s been taking care of her alone all this time. It’s been hard for him. He said that she isn’t always as in control as she was this weekend. He needs help and they’re my family.”
My next question caused heat to flash across my face.
“What about us? Will you be coming back to see me?”
Every second Cage didn’t answer sucked the life out of me. I thought that was painful until he spoke.
“I’m not sure if we should be together.”
“What?” I said starting to sweat. “But, you said you loved me.”
“I do. You don’t have to question that. I do.”
“Then, what?”
“You are an incredible guy, the most amazing guy I’ve ever met. But I’m not enough for you.”
“What do you mean, you’re not enough? You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“I’m not. I thought I could be. But I can’t. I don’t want to play football anymore. I know how important that is to you.”
“I never said you playing football was important to me. I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. Remember when I talked about what my dream was? How all I wanted was to settle down somewhere and raise a family? How what I wanted was a simple life?”
“Yes.”
“It’s true. And, I don’t have it in me to live someone else’s life. Even if that other life is for you.”
“But, I never asked you to.”
“No, but be honest, when I told you that I was going to go back to football, didn’t you feel relief? Be honest!”
I thought about it. “It wasn’t exactly relief,” I explained.
“Okay. Was it that with me as the first out football player, the two of us made sense together?”
I stared at him. He was right. That was exactly how I felt.
“I thought so. We don’t make sense together without football. I wish it were different, but that’s the truth.”
“Cage, I love you,” I told him no longer able to hold back my tears.
“Quin, I love you too. I do. And, if you say to me that you can imagine having a simple life with me in Snow Tip Falls instead of you going off to somewhere amazing and changing the world, then I will be all in. Tell me that you don’t need that and I will promise to spend the rest of my life with you without hesitation. Just tell me that,” he pleaded.
