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“Well, let me have a peek in the box at least. Are you coming here after tonight’s game?”
I’m trying not to be needy. Ashton is coming off an injury and has back-to-back home games. Plus, instead of staying in his bolt-hole apartment in Santa Fe like my brother does, he’s getting less sleep coming back to me.
“You don’t have to come back if it’s exhausting.”
He doesn’t stop me from talking, so in my typical fashion, I just keep going. “Sleep will probably do us both good.”
It’s the sleep he needs, right?That’s all this is. He’s tired, and running this schedule with me is hard on him.
I blurt. “And you only have one more game then off days before leaving. Maybe I could come to the city… instead of you driving here?”
He drops my hair along with his gaze. “It’s Chloe.”
My heart bursts, and my throat swells. “Chloe?” I never expected to hear her name this morning.
“It’s not you at all. You’ve done nothing. I love you as much today as yesterday.” He hesitates.
Dread pools in my gut. Why would we need to talk about his ex? What the hell could there be to unpack? “Ashton, just tell me.”
“I…” he starts but shakes his head. “I’m worried about the whole world knowing our business just now.”
Chloe is the reason we’re keeping this quiet? NotLogan? “Is this about why you took the blame for the divorce?”
He nods and struggles to find words. I see a battle play out behind his deep-brown eyes.
“You can tell me,” I reassure him.
“I know I can tell you. I know. I trust you. But it’s a long story, and I want to give us time to talk. You said how important sleep is. Tomorrow night is better when you don’t have clinic the next day. It’s not you, I promise.”
A knife twists in my gut. I can’t wait. How bad can this be? “Most long stories aren’t long at all, you know. People say that all the time. It’s a long story, but then really it can be told in one or two sentences.”
He sighs. “This one is actually long. We need time to sit down about this. You don’t deserve me dropping a bomb and running.”
I scoff. “That’s already what you’re doing.”
He laces his fingers through my hair. “You have to trust me. I love you. Nothing has changed that and nothing ever will. But there are some things we need to talk about, decide together how to move forward and what that looks like. I’ll tell you everything. You and I are completely inseparable.” He drops his forehead to mine. “Do you believe me?”
I don’t answer. My belly wobbles like I’m going to be sick.
He tips my chin up with his finger and gazes at me deeply. “Hey. You and I will make it. Promise. It’s not the kind of stuff we can make off-the-cuff decisions on, and I don’t want you thinking about it all day at the clinic.”
“So it’s about Chloe?” I confirm again it’s her, not me who’s the problem.Why would she be a problem?
“Mostly.”
I don’t feel right, and he knows it. His gaze is soulful and affectionate.
“I love you,” he says, considering me.
I give him as much smile as there is in me right now. He said we need to make decisions. What decisions do we need to make that would ever concern his ex? The worst thought crosses my mind. “You and Chloeareofficially divorced, right?”
“Yes, baby girl. Definitely a hundred percent.”
So why does she matter at all anymore? I want to squeeze more out of this conversation, but Ashton can’t be late. He’ll have no excuse for his coach, and worse, Logan. He’s supposed to be staying overnight at his apartment in the city right now, and that apartment is in the same building as my brother’s. Being late requires way too many lies, so he needs to get out of here.
Ashton kisses the back of my hand. “I want to hear you say it.” He moves my lips with his finger and makes his voice a little higher as if it’s mine. “Ashton loves me.”
His silly gesture has me rolling my eyes and grinning involuntarily. He’s trying to lighten the mood, and I have to admit, I appreciate it, because dark thoughts are creeping in.
