My shoulders fall and I look at her face. There are tears in her pretty blue eyes and something about seeing those tears clocks me upside the head.
“I don’t want to ever hurt you.”
“Then don’t do anything rash. Don’t you dare believe all the hype.”
“They’re your parents. They care about you and if they don’t like me…it will never work.”
“I don’t give a shit what my parents think. Besides, deep down they are good people. I promise. When they meet you, they will know what I know. That Evan Sparks is a hardworking, record-setting athlete who has devoted his life to his career. They’ll know that their daughter is head over heels for a man that is strong, noble, kind, compassionate, and supportive.”
“Baby…”
“Just don’t push me away. What we have is more real than anything I’ve ever had in my life.”
“For me too.” My voice is hoarse and raw.
“Then don’t do anything to fuck it up. You just told me not to let you screw us up. This is me telling you not to screw us up. If you care about me, you’ll fight for me. You’ll fight for us. It’s me and you, Evan. Since Day 1 of this crazy new normal, it’s been me and you. And when this passes, I want it to still be me and you.”
I close my eyes and let her words sink in. “I want that too.”
“Okay. I’m glad we got that settled. No pushing one another away. Besides, tomorrow is Day 14 and I’m looking forward to it. So much so, I think Day 14 of every month should be a day we celebrate. It will represent hope and anticipating good things.”
God, this woman. She’s everything.
“I’m sorry again for screwing us up.”
She tips her head to the side. “It’s okay. I’ll be here to put us back together. Do you want a cookie? It will make you feel better.” She smiles as she holds one out, though there’s no way I could reach it even if I tried. The balconies are a full eight feet apart.
“No. Your smile. Your voice. Your wisdom. That’s what makes me feel better.”
She smiles softly. “Are we okay?”
I nod. “Yeah, Sadie, we’re okay. As long as I keep a clear head, we’ll be okay.”
“I’ll make sure you do. Now tell me more about the book of mine that you read! I want to hear everything.” Her voice is filled with awe and joy. She sits down, crosses her legs, and bites into another cookie.
My girl. Life tosses her a doozy, but she gets past it and keeps on smiling.* * *
SADIETo celebrate the day before the big day, we go for a walk to get some essential items. Six feet apart, of course.
“This time tomorrow, I’ll be holding your hand,” Evan says with a grin.
I snort. “Yeah right, buddy. You’ll be holding a tit, more likely. Don’t try your faux-romance moves on me, you fraudster. You’re a breast man from way back and tomorrow is day fourteen. Sex day. And we both know it.”
Footsteps approach and a police officer stands against the building, ensuring we can safely pass him. With the city so silent, you know everything I just said carried straight to the man’s ears. Speaking of ears, the tips of the young officer’s are bright pink. Huh.
Evan holds back a chuckle not so successfully.
That’s me. A freak in the sheets and a lady in the…never. I am never a lady. I am always just me. Such is life. “Stop laughing,” I hiss at my way-too-amused new boyfriend. “You’re making it worse.”
Evan wipes a hand over his face, smiling up a storm. The ass.
“Evan Sparks!” The officer’s eyes light up with recognition.
Evan’s smile fades as he nods. He starts walking faster. “Morning.”
“Hey. Psst. Slow down.” I just about have to jog to keep up with his long-legged strides. He has his head down and his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. He is not a happy camper. Guess I just got my first look at the fame monster. Even in my comfy black leather booties, I’m struggling to keep up with the pace he’s setting. Though I am happy with how my outfit came together. Skinny blue jeans, a sexy/baggy sweater that hangs off one shoulder revealing the strap of my white tank, and a red hairband. I was a little overexcited to actually get dressed and leave the apartment. Oh well. “Evan!”
He stops and turns. “Yeah?”
I skid to a halt, careful not to get too close. “I can’t keep up with you. Please slow down.”
“Sorry, baby.”
“Are you okay?”
He sighs. “Yeah, I ah… Guess I got used to being left alone, you know? Not that I mind being recognized or having a fan say hi.”
“It’s just with all of the crap they’re saying in the papers you don’t know what to expect. I understand.”