Page 175 of Home Game

Disbelief washed over me. “I wanted that too. You’re the one that wanted me to move out.”

“I didn’t want your choice to be dating me or living on the street.”

I blinked. “What?”

“It wasn’t a fair choice to you. I wanted you to choose me, not because you had to, but because you wanted to.”

“That’s why you kicked me out?”

He looked frustrated. “I handled that so poorly. I thought we’d have time to talk about it and you’d let me explain.”

“What would you have said?”

He cleared his throat again. “I’d have told you that I wanted you to stand on your own two feet, before you chose me. So you truly had a choice.”

His words sent me reeling. “That’s why you thought we weren’t even?”

“I had too much power. I controlled all the money. And if we moved that to a romantic relationship, you’d always feel like your survival and life depended on the health of our relationship. I never want you to feel like that. I wanted for you to feel like you could stand on your own, so you could choose me on your own terms.”

Tears blurred my eyes. “I wouldn’t have understood that. I do now, but at the time I wouldn’t have understood what that meant.”

He squeezed my hand. “I’m scared that now you don’t need me, you won’t want to be with me.”

“Ryan,” I breathed.

“The last eight months have been the worst months of my life. I can’t even tell you how much I missed you, or how proud I am of you.”

“I thought I bored you.”

His laugh was short and filled with disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”

“So nowwhat happens?”

He swallowed hard and then spoke slowly. “Well, now we order dessert. And maybe, if I impress you enough with my charm, you might go on another date with me.”

“Because I have the power.” I finally understood what Krista meant.

“You have all the power.”

“What kind of dessert?”

His smile was so beautiful, it almost cracked my heart. “They have these chocolate hazelnut crepes with orange ice cream that literally changed my life.”

“Really?”

“No, you changed my life. For the better.”

I blushed again. “You’re the one who changed my life.”

“Are you still scared?”

“A little but I feel better.”

“You think I might get another date?”

Oh,hell yeah. I pretended to think about my answer. “Depends on the dessert.”

He laughed. “If it depends on the dessert, I’m definitely getting a second date.”

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