Page 113 of If You Love Me

We bring the food to the table, and Hammer-Peggy-Aurora pours the wine. Roman and Hollis have beer, Callie has chocolate milk, and Fee sticks with water. I don’t know why I’m so focused on what everyone is drinking, other than my stress levels are through the roof.

“Okay. As cool as this is, what’s the vibe going on here?” Fee is frustratingly perceptive and yet totally clueless.

“We have something we need to tell you,” I blurt.

“We as in…?” Fee glances around the table.

“As in Lexi and me.” Roman covers my hand with his.

All eyes at the table focus on his fingers curved around mine.

Hammer-Peggy-Aurora’s eyes flare, and her back straightens. Hollis stretches his arm across her chair and gently runs his finger down the nape of her neck. Fee says nothing. Callie looks gleeful. Dred looks like she’s ready for anything. That makes one of us.

“I’ve asked Lexi to marry me,” Roman states, calmly, matter-of-factly.

“And I said yes.”

“Yeah, you did.” Dred nods her approval.

“Uhhh…” Hammer-Peggy-Aurora’s eyes are uncommonly wide.

“Holy shit,” Fee mutters.

“My birthday wish came true!” Callie claps.

“Who found out?” Hollis asks.

“Donnie,” Roman replies.

Hammer-Peggy-Aurora’s head whips around. Her jaw goes slack as she registers Hollis’s lack of surprise. “Found out what?”

“That guy’s been gunning for Lexi’s job from day one,” Hollis says flatly.

“Found out what?” Callie echoes.

“That Roman and Lexi are in love. She’s not supposed to be in love with a player on the team,” Fee says helpfully. “Do I get to be a bridesmaid?”

“Can I be the flower girl?” Callie bounces in her seat.

“You knew about this, and you didn’t tell me?” Hammer-Peggy-Aurora crosses her arms and gives Hollis an unimpressed look.

“Princess—”

“Don’t you dare Princess me! We just went through this! You kept this from me!”

“Peggy, honey, you have to understand?—”

“Oh, I understand all right. Hollis gets to know, and I get to be the one in the dark.” She gives her father and Hollis a look that would incinerate most men. Then she scans the rest of the table. “And Dred doesn’t look surprised either!”

“We were hoping to avoid this until the season was over. It’s not personal, Ham—Peg—I don’t know what I’m supposed to call you, and Hammer feels really weird,” I admit.

“You can call me Aurora.”

My chin wobbles. For a moment I try to compose myself, but then I remember the conversation I had with Roman about it being okay to show my real feelings in front of the people I care for the most. And if ever there was a time to let my feelings show, it’s now. So when that tear made of fear and worry slips out, I don’t try to hide it. “I am so sorry your dad had to keep this from you, and completely understand if you feel blindsided. But I also feel like you might understand how difficult this has been. We tried so hard tonotfall, but it just became—” Roman squeezes my hand and settles my nerves with one touch. “—impossible. And Dred isn’t in the Terror office, so she felt safe. She also figured it out without me even saying a word.”

“I’m an annoyingly perceptive observer.” Dred steps right in to defend me.

“I’m sure you’re shocked and hurt. It’s reasonable if you need time, Aurora, but please know that I love Roman, and he loves me. I wish the timing was different, but it doesn’t change the fact that I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I already losthim once, the idea of losing him again is unfathomable.”More than the idea of losing my job.

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