Page 38 of Rebound
“That’s my boy,” Dad whispers as Drew shoots the puck at the net and scores us a goal.
The right winger for the Falcons pushes Roman into the boards and that declares their stance on how they want to play the game. Roman ignores it at first, as does the ref, but it happens a second and third time. Roman fights back, whichleads to him getting a penalty and earns the Falcons a power play.
The Titans fans are outraged for him and start calling the refs names. Roman is clearly not happy by the ref's decision because he almost gets into a fight with the ref.
“Don’t be an idiot,” I growl.
The game goes into overtime and Roman scores us the winning goal. The fans are ecstatic because he’s proved his loyalty to the Titans. The team circles around him.
Once the game is over, and while we’re waiting in the family suite for Drew, I make a quick run to the restroom. When I exit, I come to a stop, my blood turning cold when I see who’s standing outside.
I say standing lightly because they’re actually locked in an embrace, Jessie and Josh kissing each other’s faces off. If it’s intentional, it’s plain cruel. I don’t know why I expect more from a man who left me hours before our wedding. This is high school teenage drama level of petty.
“You know they have hotel rooms now, right?” I say.
They spring apart, looking at me in surprise. I thought seeing Josh again would be painful, but all I feel is an intense nothing. No anger, no sadness, just nothing.
“Lavinia, I didn’t see you there,” Josh says.
“I was in the restroom.” I point my thumb over my shoulder to indicate the door. “Unless you’ve developed x-ray vision, I doubt you would have known I was in there. You’re literally blocking the only way in and out.”
Josh looks down at Jessie, smiling at her softly and squeezing her against his side. “Babe, would you mind giving us a minute?”
Jessie looks at me and has enough sense to be embarrassed. I don’t care about their PDA, and I want to tell her that. I offer her a small smile, which I hope comes across as sincere.
“Sure, I’ll pop into the loo.”
I step out of the doorway, allowing Jessie to go in. The door slowly closes, leaving Josh and me alone in the corridor.
“Did you really have to embarrass her like that?” The faux niceness and lovesick smile he had for Jessie is gone. Oh, there’s the anger I was missing, bubbling inside me like an insidious pest.
“Did you really have to make out in front of the restroom door? Is that how much you value your relationship? Or is that all for me?”
He doesn’t like that, his hands balling into fists and neck muscles straining. His face turns this unattractive puce color.
“I called you for months, I sent messages. You’re the one who never replied,” he snaps.
I scoff. “What did you want me to say? That it’s okay you embarrassed me in front of my family and friends? That it’s okay you were a manchild who couldn’t grow the ovaries to break off our relationship while looking me in the eyes?”
Josh starts laughing, his face devoid of humor. “See, this is why I couldn’t marry you. You always have to fucking win everything. It’s not cute, Lavinia. There’s give and take in a relationship, and you decided you were only going to take and not give anything back in return. Everything always had to be about you. I knew if I married you, I would be settling for a relationship which had no room for me.”
I. See. Red. My fists are clenched, and I’m ready to lay into him even though I’ve only punched one person in my life, and it was a bully named Kevin who was harassing a new kid in school. I’m zeroed in on Josh’s nose, my arm is rising up when someone wraps their arm around my waist, and I’m pulled against a hard chest.
I gasp softly as a mouth meets mine in a kiss that’s soft and sweet. I catch sight of one hazel eye, breathing in the scent of wintery cologne or aftershave, and my body relaxes, giving in.
“There you are, Blossom,” Roman whispers. “I was looking for you inside.”
“I got caught up,” I breathe out. Roman’s hands on my waist feel possessive, as do his eyes when they rake over me.
“I wanted to share my victory with you,” he says. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
He squeezes my waist, his eyes never leaving mine. The world turns blurry at the edges and the only thing I can focus on is Roman.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You came, and that’s enough. I know how much you like to win, and victory is always sweeter when we get to share it with each other,” Roman says.
My heart warms at his words and I want to kiss him all over again. Embarrassment tries to slither in through the chinks of my armor and I squash it. I don’t care that Roman heard Josh. There is nothing for me to be embarrassed about, other than the fact that I was going to marry a man who couldn’t see me win.
