Page 90 of Unrivaled

All I can do is stare at him, my mouth hanging open. “What?”

He stands, closing the distance between us. “Come with me,” he repeats. “You think I want to be apart from you? I loved having you guys stay here with me before I left, and I spent the entire trip to the combines trying to figure out a way to convince you to move in with me.” He gestures at one corner. “We could get a little trundle bed or something for Ben that we could put over there. We’d all be in the same room, but it would just be until after graduation. If you really hate that idea, I can ask if there’s a two bedroom available, or we can find a vacation rental for a couple of months or something. There are options. I just want you guys with me.”

Now it’s my turn to stare, gape mouthed and confused. “What?”

He sucks in a breath, then gathers my hands in his. “I don’t know why it’s so hard to believe that I want you. I’ve wanted you for a long time. I’ve finally got you—and Ben—I don’t want to give you up again. Come with me. Even if you don’t want to move in with me now, even if you don’t want to live with me right away when we move, I don’t care. I’ll find a place for you and Ben, and I’ll have my own place. Maybe we can live next door to each other for a while, or in the same building or whatever. Just say you’ll come with me.”

I stare at his fingers pressing into mine for a long moment and force myself to close my mouth, my brain rewinding and picking through his words, trying to figure out what he’s saying and how best to respond.

Is he really asking me to move in with him? To move with him to wherever he ends up?

Yes. Yes, actually, he is.

“What?” I whisper again.

Instead of repeating himself, he bends his head and kisses me. First it’s just the press of his lips to mine, but when I don’t pull away, he deepens the kiss, his tongue sliding between my lips. And I respond. I can’t help myself. His body calls to mine, and it seems it always has. Maybe it always will.

I hope it always will.

Does that mean I want to move with him?

It’s tempting, but there are other considerations.

What about school? What about Ben? He’ll miss his grandparents more than he missed Gray. Can I really do that to him? And can I really postpone getting my degree yet again? I guess at least this time I have an actual choice. But …

Tearing myself away from him, I take a big step back and shake my head. “I don’t know, Gray—”

“Don’t say no,” he pleads, interrupting me. “Think about it. I can see that you weren’t expecting me to say any of that. So just … just think about it before you decide. I’m not expecting an answer right away. But don’t freeze me out. Please, Tiff.”

“Mommy mommy mommy!” comes from the hall. My eyes fall closed, and I’m not sure if I’m relieved at the interruption and the out it provides or not.

“Just think about it,” Gray repeats. “Please.”

I nod quickly, suck in a deep breath, wipe my fingers under my eyes, and put on a smile before opening the door. “I’m right here, Ben. What do you need?”

“I’ve been cutting!” he announces proudly. “Come see!” Grabbing my hand, he pulls me behind him, and I don’t resist or look over my shoulder even though I can feel Gray’s eyes burning a hole in my back.

We stay at Gray’s for another hour or so, both of us interacting with Ben more than each other. But the entire time, Gray’s words loop through my head.Come with me. Move in with me. I just want you with me.

Is it really that simple?

* * *

Ben and I eventually leave without me giving Gray an answer. Because of course my first instinct is to tell him no.

I mean, how can I do what he’s asking? How can I uproot us, leave the only home Ben has ever known and my entire support system on a whim? Yes, Gray is Ben’s father, but … so what? Us going with him was never the plan. The plan was for him to visit, maybe we go out there some, and he can stay longer in the off season.

But that was before Gray kissed me and asked for a chance. Before we started … whatever it is we’re doing. Having sex while Ben sleeps in the next room, for the most part. Plus that one really sweet date.

If you go with him you could have more of those dates.

And Ben would have his own room. In a nice place. And Gray would be making enough money that we could afford to hire a babysitter for nights out.

He even offered to get me a place of my own if I’m not ready to move in with him yet. I mean … the only thing that would sweeten the deal is offering to move my parents out too.

They’d never go for that … I don’t think. Maybe when they retire, though.

But it’s just a lot and so soon. Even if I go ahead and admit that Gray and I are together, it’s only been like a month since he first kissed me. A month! That’s not enough time to decide to move in with someone, much less move to some as yet unknown location in some other city. That’s crazy. Isn’t it?

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