What if he decides that with all this on his plate, that I’m too much? It’s too soon? That he doesn’t have the bandwidth to resurrect his careerandbe my boyfriend? I feel like I can’t even blame him. That would be a lot for anyone to digest and figure out.
A sharp rap at my door startles me into a sitting position. That’s two unexpected visitors in one day,which is two too many for me. I swing my feet over the side of my bed and pad to the front door. I peek through the peephole, and my stomach drops to my knees.
I open the door to Rhodes’ devastatingly handsome face. Navy-blue eyes stare into mine, and his hands reach forward, but he stops them, like he isn’t sure if he’s allowed to touch me.
“Hi,” I whisper.
“Hi,” he whispers back.
“You’re home.”
“I’m home.”
I step aside and motion him into my apartment. Our fingers graze as he steps in. He follows me into the living room and I take a seat, gesturing for him to do the same. He sits at the opposite end of the couch.
“Where were you?” I ask.
“I went to see my dad,” he says, and I suck in a breath. Sloane was right. I wait for him to continue. “I served him papers for a defamation lawsuit and a restraining order.” I raise my brows in surprise, newly relieved that he’s come home to me in one piece after that. “And I recorded a confession from him, detailing the blackmail and the gambling forgery.”
“That’s great, Rhodes, oh my God,” I say honestly. “Did you tell my dad?”
“Yeah. I just came from seeing him, actually. He wanted to call you and tell you I was back, but I asked that he let me do it myself. You deserved to hear an explanation directly from me.”
“I appreciate that,” I say quietly. “I wasn’t mad you left. Just for the record.”
“I shouldn’t have left you hanging like I did. I just… I just wanted to fix everything before we went any further. Before I fell any further for you. I want…I want to be someone you deserve. Who has their shit together. I didn’t want to tie you down to a sinking ship.”
I huff out a laugh. “Rhodes, out of the two of us, you are definitely not the sinking ship.”
“You don’t see yourself very clearly, Monroe. You’re on your way up. I didn’t want to drag you back down.”
“Don’t give yourself so much credit, I can do that all by myself,” I retort with a smile. He gives me one back, but it doesn’t reach his dimples. “I just wish you would have told me, at least. I thought I was your girlfriend. I know it’s been a while since I’ve been in a relationship, but I don’t want ours to be full of secrets.”
“I don’t either,” he says earnestly. “I didn’t mean for the last few days to be like that. I swear that won’t be how it is moving forward.”
We sit there a moment before I move over to his side of the couch and curl up next to him. He releases a heavy exhale and wraps his arms around me, kissing the top of my head.
“Parents are tough,” I say quietly. “A therapist would probably have more insight to offer. I could hook you up with the one I ghosted. She’d probably be thrilled to hear from me.”
Rhodes huffs a laugh, the tightness in my chest easing just a fraction. “Bet she’d have a field day with us.”
“Undoubtedly,” I reply, dryly. The quiet settles again, the kind of silence that doesn’t need to be filled. Rhodes strokes the side of my arm and I breathe him in, deep into my chest.
“I wish he would have just gone away and left me alone,” he mutters.
“I know,” I whisper back. “But actions have consequences, Rhodes. He chose to do this. Nobody made him.”
“Yeah,” he agrees, voice low. I feel him shift, tugging me so I’m fully on top of him. “Thanks for letting me be here. I needed this. The only thing I could think after I was done with my dad was that I desperately needed to get home to you. I felt like I couldn’t breathe until you opened that door. I practiced the ways I would beg for you to forgive me for taking off like that all the way over here .”
I think for a moment, soaking in his declaration. “I don’t think I made you apologize hard enough,” I tease, whispering into his mouth.
“You were very understanding,” he replies. I can feel the smile on his mouth against mine.
“Should we start over? I can make you beg a little more.”
“I think that would be good. I didn’t get to use some of my best lines.”
“Oh yeah? What were they? I’ll rate them out of ten.”