Page 109 of Game Changer

He could feel her looking at him as he focused on kneading her foot with his hands.

“What is it, babe?”

“Just what you said earlier, at the Causeway.”

He stared at her, waiting.

“About us getting married.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You didn’t, you just…” She thought for a moment. “You surprised me I guess,” she sighed. “I just figured it was out of your mind. What with the wife and all,” she added bitterly.

“Oh, Lisa! OfcourseI still think about it. All the time. You’re the one I want to be with, babe. Forever and always. I just have to let this thing with Britt run its course before I can act on what I actually want for myself. That doesn’t mean I don’t think about it. I think about it all the time!”

She looks so sad. Crap. I’m such a dick. It’s really so hard to know whether to mention it, or not. Do we talk about the elephant in the room and get upset? Or do we ignore it and hope time passes quickly enough that she doesn’t get sick of waiting and leave. So much bullshit. I’m sorry, Lis. I didn’t mean for this to happen. You and I were just supposed to be friends…

She sighed, loudly and made her way across the sofa into his arms and snuggled in against him.

“I love you AJ Williams.”

Unexpected.

“I love you too, Lisa Millar,” he answered.

“And I really don’t want you to leave tomorrow.”

Believe me, babe. I don’t want to leave, either.

***

“How’d it happen?” Jeremy asked, grumping as he fought with his overstuffed suitcase.

I married the wrong woman and, as a result I’m now stuck in a long-distance relationship with Lisa instead of both of us co-habiting in the same place?

Oh, you weren’t talking about all that. My bad.

Would you really have gotten engaged to Lisa for her to get a fiancée visa to stay in the States?

He looked at her for a moment and thought on it.

Without a shadow of a doubt. I feel sick to my stomach at the idea of leaving.

“How’d what happen? How did someone manage to explode their suitcase while staying at a B&B in Carlow?” Lisa asked. “I honestly have no idea. It’s not like Carlow is even the shopping capital of Ireland. What did you even buy?”

She’s going to miss him.

“How did three weeks go by so quickly?” he grumbled. “I’m not ready to leave. And bread, chips, cookies and chocolate… basically food. And my case hasn’t exploded… yet.”

He’s going to miss her, too.

We both are.

***

Lisa left him crying at the airport. He couldn’t help it, nor did he care that society says a grown man can’t cry in public. As he sat at the gate ready to board, countless thoughts sped through his mind. Again he considered leaving his entire life behind in Alabama to come to Ireland and be with Lisa. But he quickly reminded himself that dropping out of college with no safety net other than his parents’ money – was probably not the smartest idea he’d ever had. He also knew with ninety-nine percent certainty that the bank of Mom and Dad would spontaneously dry up the second he dropped out of college, and he was also about eighty percent convinced his mother would kill him.

“Watcha thinkin’?” Jeremy’s voice broke his thoughts.

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