Page 93 of Rebellious

“And you aren’t giving up your football career,” she clips back, her tone now matching mine.

“I’m not giving it up. I’m delaying it, which you didn’t seem all that bothered by at the start of the summer.”

I don’t mean to be an asshole, but I feel like everything is getting out of hand. “I thought you hadn’t decided between going to Boston or working with Thad?”

“I’m going to Boston,” she confirms.

“Since when?”

She shrugs. “Does it matter?”

I slam my hand on the counter, startling her. “Yes, it fucking matters. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wasn’t sure until a couple of weeks ago.”

I scoff. “And so you thought to keep it from me as a surprise?” I don’t know why I’m even mad she didn’t tell me. Maybe it’s because I planned. I was prepared for her decision, either way. “I hadn’t confirmed because I thought you would let me know your choice.” I toss my coffee cup in the sink and watch it shatter. “We had a plan!”

“We did!” She jumps down. “But those plans changed.”

My jaw goes tight as I grind down on my molars. “No.”

She gets in my face. “Yes,” she argues.

I can’t deal with this anymore. Hauling her to my chest with one hand, I tilt her chin with the other. “I’m going with you. This isn’t up to you.”

Fuck all the arguments. “I love you.”

Her cheek twitches and her eyes well with unshed tears. “I love you more,” she says, a quiver in her voice as she strokes my jaw, smoothing the tension with her thumb.

It’s then I realize our lives will never be simple. I’ll never have her the way I want, but with every rule, comes an exception. Aspen and I will find that exception. We can be together. If she wants children, surely we can find a way. They might not be mine, but I can give her just about everything she wants. If she’s just willing to continue living unorthodoxly, we can make it work. I swear it.

“Let’s go back to bed,” she whispers. I’d do anything to end this conversation and making love to Aspen is no hardship. Scooping her up, I carry her to the bedroom and lay her down, her hips cradling mine, while I strip my shirt from her body.

“Kiss me,” she begs, cupping my cheeks.

“Always.”

“Bennett!”

I spring up in bed. “What?” I bark at Fenn, who barged into the bedroom like he’s lost his fucking mind.

“Where’s my fucking sister going with your brother?”

It takes a minute to register that I must have fallen back to sleep. “What?” I look to Aspen’s side of the bed, empty. “She’s with Drew?”

Fenn rolls his eyes as if breathing the same air as me, is stupid. “Yes, and they took your car, dumbass.”

My car? “When?”

“About ten minutes ago. I passed them coming home.”

He wasn’t home? It doesn’t matter.

“I’m sure they went for groceries,” I rationalize. She would never leave and not tell me.

Fenn nods, but it’s smug. “I’m sure that’s why they took her suitcase.” He tips his chin to her bedroom. “Rolling bags have to be easier on your back than totes.”

Unease blooms in my chest. “She took everything?”

---