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"Mamãe!" I chastise, shocked by the vehement insult.
"No,fofinha,do notmamãeme. It's true. He was a corrupt, evil man. But it was not football that made him that way," she says. "It was not the sport. It was his black soul. Ana did not see this until it was too late, but we saw signs long before the end. He was not a good man to her. She tried to hide it from me, but I know these things. I saw it in her eyes and in the bruises she tried to cover. He was never a good man, but she was not ready to see it for herself."
"I didn't know that," I whisper.
"Sim, because I did not tell you," she says. "Some things, you did not need to carry. But perhaps I should have said this to you long ago. It is men like Derrick Lovelace I warned you against, Camila. Not athletes, but bad men with power who do bad things and try to hide them."
"Gray isn't like that," I promise her. "He would never hurt me or abuse me."
"Then I am happy for you, sweetling."
"Um, you should know that you might read things about him. Things that aren't true."
"What kind of things?"
I hesitate, trying to figure out where to start. Before I can, Gray takes the phone out of my hand. I reach for it, but he holds it out of my reach, shaking his head no.
"Let me talk to her,querida," he says. "It's my job to explain, not yours."
"Gray."
"Por favor, querida. Please."
He knows I can't resist him when he speaks Portuguese to me. It's not even the way it sounds coming from his lips, because he's not very good at it. It's the fact that he actually sat down and started learning it, just so he could speak the language to me. Even before I agreed to go out with him, he started learning.
"Fine," I say, giving in.
He gives me a sweet little boy smile and then puts the phone to his ear.
"Olá, ma'am. Your daughter has told me a lot about you," he says. Even though he sounds calm and in control, I can tell by his expression that he's a little worried. He wants my mama to like him, and he's afraid she won't. But he's trying anyway.
I may not have any experience with relationships or men, but I do know that when you find one like Gray, you hold on with both hands and never let go. There's nothing he wouldn't do for me…and I feel the same way about him. If telling the whole world that he's mine makes him happy, then I'll shout it from the rooftops. I don't care if people think I'm a puck bunny or if they insult me or think I'm in this field to find a husband amongst the famous men I represent. They don't know me, and their opinions don't matter.
Gray matters. So damn much it's a little terrifying. But he's mine, and I'm not giving him up. Not for anyone. And now he knows it too.
I curl up on his lap and listen as he tells my mama everything that happened. He doesn't sugar coat it or leave anything out, not even the most embarrassing parts. I'm not sure how she's going to feel about it, but I love him so much for telling her. I love him. Period.
"Ican't believe youcalled your mama," Gray says, tossing the phone across the bed half an hour later. He tumbles me backward off his lap, placing his hand behind my head to keep it from bouncing. His eyes blaze with heat and adoration.
I'm not sure exactly what my mama said to him, but she listened to what he had to say. And then she gave us her blessing. She's looking forward to meeting him. It's more than I expected, more than I could have hoped for today. Even though we have no idea what to expect with Rhonda's interview, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted and the sun shines a little brighter.
"I believe you, Gray," I say, wrapping myself all around him when he crawls over top of me. "And I wanted you to know I believe you too. I'm not going to hide you from my family. Whatever Rhonda has to say won't change the way I feel about you, crazy man."
"I'm sorry anyway, angel," he says, meeting my gaze. "This isn't what you signed up to deal with."
"This is exactly what I signed up to deal with," I disagree, smiling up at him. "You're a professional athlete. You're gorgeous. You're a mess. Of course there are going to be bumps in the road and crazy rumors and all the insanity that comes with it. But I'm here anyway, Gray. Because this is where I want to be.That won't change just because someone says something I don't like."
"Fuck. I feel like I won the lottery,querida," he whispers, leaning down to kiss me. "I was terrified I was going to lose you over this."
"Never," I promise, and then I kiss him for a long moment. Once we're both breathless and his erection is prodding at my belly, I break from his lips. "I'm sorry for making you feel like I don't trust you."
"I can't believe you called your mom," he says in response.
"She likes you."
"You think?"
"I know she does," I say, wrapping my arms around his neck to draw him back down to me for another kiss. "If she didn't like you, Adrian would be blowing up my phone right about now, threatening to come out here and shove your head up your butt."
