Page 29 of Her Athlete's Wedding Secret

“No.”

“Then you didn’t lie.”

“I guess you have a point.”

“She just made an assumption. There’s a big difference.”

“Do you think Chase already told her?” Tessa asked.

“No. She didn’t act like she knew. Even Chase didn’t know that we were engaged. I hadn’t told him yet.”

“He’ll probably tell her now.”

“So what? Lauren can keep a secret. She’s not the gossiping type.”

“No,” Tessa agreed. “She’s not.”

“Have you told anyone about our engagement?” Benson cut into his steak.

“Just the people you know about.” Tessa buttered a slice of bread and took a bite.

“Not even your mom?”

“Nope. I know I will eventually, but I’m worried she won’t take it well.”

“Because it will mean that you’ll have to leave town.”

“Yes. And that means I won’t be around as much to help her out.”

“Do you think she’ll be upset?”

“I hope not. But I never know with my mom.”

“What’s going on with her?” Benson asked.

“She goes through months where she’s depressed and doesn’t want to do anything. Then for part of the year, she’s manic, and she’s hyperactive. It’s not fun to be around her when she’s like that. She can be fun one minute, laughing and joking around with you, and the next minute she’s biting your head off. I never know what I’m going to get.”

“Is there a medication she can take?”

“She’s been on meds for years, but she’s terrible about remembering to take her pills. In some ways, she’s worse off than if she’d never started taking them to begin with because her system is constantly trying to adjust to the medication since she doesn’t take it consistently.”

“That sounds like a lot to deal with.”

“It’s been hard.”

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“Thanks, Benson. That’s kind of you to offer.”

“I’m serious. Even if you just need to vent. I’m here to listen.”

“I’m sure that will be a thing.”

Benson laughed. “Or if you need a last-minute flight out of New York, all you need to do is ask,” Benson said. “You have my word that I’ll treat you the way you deserve. At least to the best of my ability. There are some things I can’t promise. My heart is one of them.”

Tessa felt a tightening in the center of her chest. “I don’t understand that.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t explain why I can’t promise you my heart. Maybe I can tell you one day, but it’s still too soon.”

She should be okay with the fact that he wasn’t willing to give her his heart, but for some reason, it bothered her. Maybe it had something to do with the way his shoulders filled out his tuxedo when he was at Owen and Alexis’s wedding. Or maybe it was the way he sounded when he was full-on belly laughing. There was something about Benson that warmed her heart.

It hurt to know that his heart would never belong to her.

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