Page 145 of The New Guy
He looks down at the floor and sighs as the elevator begins its quick ascent to the sixth floor. “I greatly admire what you did today. I want you to know that.”
“But you're still mad at me.” The elevator doors part again, and I lead him to my room, opening the door with a flourish. He steps inside and crosses to a chair and the other window, sitting down unhappily on it.
“I’m confused,” he says quietly. “It took a lot for me to get to a place where I was ready to take all the risks for you. I was even looking at jobs outside the organization, in case I needed one…”
“Whoa.” I sit down on the bed. “I never wanted you to leave your job.”
“Yeah, I know. But it might have come to that.” He leans back in the chair, catches the back of his head in two hands, and looks up at the ceiling. “I wanted to believe in us. And then you ran out of here like you were on fire, and I had no say in what happened. I couldn’t believe you did that to me. Just left me behind.”
I feel sick, knowing that I hurt him so badly. “It was selfish of me. I knew it the whole time. But deep down I thought maybe you were too good for me anyway. That maybe I wasn’t brave enough to give you what you deserve.”
He brings his gaze back to mine. “All you had to do wasloveme. I didn’t need you to be a big shot, or a genius, or a romantic.”
“Whatdidyou need?” I ask, because I’m sensitive about this. “I’m no good at relationships. It’s like everyone got the manual but me.”
“You say that, but every time you let yourself relax, you’re a great partner. You consider my feelings, you’re kind to my kid. It’s not that tricky.” He rubs his temples. “It was good, up until you panicked. I know the trade wasn’t your fault. I just wish you’d handled it like a grown-up, so I didn’t spend the last three months in so much agony.”
My heart breaks right in half. “If it helps, I learned a lot. And I’m hoping you’ll still talk to me, because I have so much to tell you.”
“Like what?” he cocks his head.
“Fired my dad.”
“Whoa. Really?”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “You were trying to tell me how toxic that relationship was, and I finally listened.”
He whistles.
“Came out to my team.” I grin at him. “You saw that part. And, uh, I’m trying to figure out if there’s any way we can be closer again. On the planet, I mean.”
He blinks. “How would you do that?”
“If I go free agent, I could beg one of the New York teams for a spot. Or maybe New Jersey. If I don’t get injured this season, they could get me for real cheap.”
“That sounds risky. What’s your other option?”
“Well…” I rub my chin. “Colorado offered me a three year extension for twelve million.”
He sits forward in his chair. “Twelve million…dollars?”
“Yeah.” I shrug. “Contract is sitting in a drawer at home. I have until Christmas to decide. But money isn’t everything. You are, though. I’m looking for ways to prove it to you. So I’m thinking of turning the contract down and trying to get back to the East Coast.”
He shoots out of his chair and starts pacing the room. “Hudson, I say this with love—you cannot turn down a twelve million dollar contract for me.”
“Why?” My stomach drops. “I want another chance with you.”
He stops pacing and throws his arms out to the sides. “And I want it too, you dickhead!”
“I like dickheads,” I remind him. “That’s not an insult.”
He stomps over to the minibar, grabs a glass and fills it with water. Then he guzzles it down. “Twelvemilliondollars.”
“It’s just money.”
“God.” He blows out a breath. “There’s something you should know.”
“What?” If he says he’s dating someone else, I’m probably going to lose my mind.
