The Guy on the Left (The Underdogs, #2)(102)

He slowly shakes his head before his lips upturn. “Are we going to spend the rest of our lives apologizing to each other?”

I shrug, returning his smile. “It’s a step up from fighting?”

“You know, I loved some of those fights.”

I nod. “Me too.” Apprehension covers his features. “Is everything okay?”

“It is now.” He softly shuts the door. “He’s my strength, Clarissa. He’s my reserve. All I have to do is lay eyes on him, and I’m whole.”

“You know, Dante means strength,” I say softly. “Well technically, it means endurance. The minute I found out he was coming, I knew I was going to need it in abundance. I’m not trying to guilt you,” I say, placing my hands on his jaw. “I’m saying you’re exactly right. As much as he needs us to guide him, we need him too. He’s got a quiet strength, a kid’s resilience we need to see, need to be reminded of. He’s got a lot of it because he’s your son.”

He pulls away from my hands and lets out a breath before looking back at me. “Thank you.”

Ignoring the pain from his rejection, I focus on him. I’ve been selfish enough. His phone rattles in his hand and he glances down and frowns.

“Troy, what’s wrong.”

“It’s Theo, says he needs me to come over, says he needs my help.”

“Are you two doing okay?”

“This is the first I’ve heard from him.”

“Are you gonna go?”

“Yeah, I owe him an apology.”

“Hopefully you two can work it out?”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“So, what’s wrong then? Are you nervous about the draft?”

“Yes and no. I’m pretty sure I know where I’m going.”

“Where?”

“The Giants.”

“New York?”

“Yeah.”

“Congratulations,” I say, hiding my devastation. New York. He’s leaving us. And it’s not a short drive. I suck up my own feelings and try to put on a brave face. “That’s amazing.”

I can sense the tension building in him as he fists his hands at his sides. “Yeah.”

“Why don’t I get the feeling you’re excited?”

“I don’t want to leave him.”

“You won’t.”

He scans my pajamas with a smirk. “Grand girls—”

“Stay Grand, and don’t you forget it,” I finish, returning his smile.

“I don’t want to leave you,” he says softly.

“We’ll be here cheering you on. We’ll make it work. I promise.”

“From here,” he says, his tone somber. “That’s what’s killing me.”

“Troy, it’s pro ball. It’s a dream come true. It’s what you’ve been working your ass off for. You know, since your teaching career didn’t work out.”

We share a smile.

“Finally,” I laugh. “I can make a joke.”

His expression again turns sullen.

“We’ll come up,” I offer, “you can come down, and we’ll—”

His next words strike me right in the chest. “I want you to come with me.”

“What?” I damn near stumble into the wall as he takes my hand and leads me into the living room. He sits me down on the couch and begins to pace.

“Hear me out, okay?”

I nod and watch him as he runs a pattern on my rug, cupping his neck.

“I’ll set you up. We can get him in a private school if it makes you feel safer. You can teach anywhere, right?”

“Yes, but Troy, New York?”

“Yeah. There’s a ton of places outside the city that are more ideal for raising a family. I sent you an email when I pulled up tonight. There’s a house and—”

“That’s a lot to ask.”

He blows out a breath and hangs his head. “I know.” He lifts his eyes meeting mine. “But I’m asking. If there were something keeping you here, I wouldn’t. But you aren’t buying this place, right? You hate the owner.”

“Cute.”

“Just, do me a favor and look at the email.”

“Now?”

He nods.

“Okay.”

I pull my laptop from my chair and see that he did send an email a few minutes before he knocked on the door. I click on the listing, and my eyes bulge.

“Troy, that’s entirely too much house.”

“But it’s beautiful, right? Look, it has a blue door. Dr. Seuss blue, but we can paint it purple.”

“Troy, I don’t expect you to take care of me.”

“I want to. Whatever amount I get, I know damn well I can afford this house. As of next week, I’m a rich man. I want this for Dante and for you. Please,” he kneels down before me. “Just tell me you’ll consider it. I’ll get something close.”

And with that statement, I feel he’s closed the door on us. I try to hide the hurt as I look over at him.

“Can I think about it?”

“Of course.” He lifts one side of his mouth. “It’s crazy, I worked for it for years and years, but I never thought the day would come. I hoped and prayed, but I never thought it would actually happen. Pro ball, Clarissa. It’s insane.”