Sweet Rome (Sweet Home) (16 page)

“Don’t… please…” I begged, unable to tell her why that name was such a burden.

“Why don’t you allow it?”

“Long story,” I evaded, my panic now rising to the surface.

“We have time.”

“Not now,” I said harsher than I meant to, but I just couldn’t go there yet. Maybe not ever. It was just too much.

Molly sighed in disappointment, but I was thankful when she changed the subject and asked, “What does the tattoo on your ribs say?”

“The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again when you fall.
It’s Vince Lombardi.”

“It’s beautiful. This Vince Lombardi philosopher must be good. Why have I never heard of him?” And just like that, she pulled me out of a bad place. Only Molly had ever been able to do that for me… It was addicting.

“What now?” she groaned, clearly over me laughing at every little thing she said wrong.

“He was a football coach. A very famous football coach.”

“Oh. I really need to get up to speed on all things football.”

“I’d like it if you didn’t. You’re not impressed by the hoopla that comes with me playing and I never want you to be either. It’s better if you don’t know in depth what it all means to folks round here.”

“You mean you really don’t want me to call you Bullet?”

“Fuck no.”

“Whatever makes you happy.”

I swear she was going to kill me. “Sleep, Mol, or we’ll end up doing what makes me incredibly fuckin’ happy.”

“One more question, then I’ll sleep.”

Squeezing her tightly, I said, “One more. You’re pushing your luck.”

“Why
One Day
?”

Memories of getting that tattoo on my hip played through my mind, and finally taking a risk, I told her what I’d never told anyone else. “That I’d leave this place, one day. Be my own person, one day. Do what I want… one day.”

Molly’s hand tightened in mine. “Has it always been so bad for you?”

I couldn’t, I just couldn’t speak about that topic, some weird force within me stealing my voice, so I replied, “That was two questions, Shakespeare. I agreed to one. Now sleep.”

“Romeo? I don’t want everyone to know about us yet. I want to keep our relationship to ourselves,” Molly suddenly blurted when I was halfway to sleep.

Anger zapped through me at an alarming rate, snapping me awake, and I had to move, sitting on the side of the bed. “I get it. You’re embarrassed to be with me. Bullet, the aggressive, whoring QB—not boyfriend material, right? But good for a few fucks in secret…” I hated the way I was speaking—harsh, malicious—but her saying that made me feel ashamed. She didn’t think I was worthy of being with her in public.

Molly’s warm breath spread on my back and her arms wrapped around my waist. “What? No! I… I’m just nervous!” she said, panicked.

Feeling like a weight had been lifted, I turned, taking her hands, and asked, “Nervous of what?”

She took her hand back and smoothed down her thick hair and the hem of her nightgown. “Look, I’m not what you go for. I don’t look like the others—polished, perfect, twenty-twenty vision. Please can we just wait a bit longer before the whole campus finds out? For my sake? It’s going to take some adjustment on my part to be with you. I just need some time.”

Awesome,
I thought. The only girl I
want
to have on my arm for all the world to see, and she wants to hide away in secret.

Karma’s a bitch.

Pressing my head to hers, I said, “I want to show everyone I’m with you now. I’m not fucking hiding us, and I don’t give a shit what people think. As for my past, that’s not what I want with you. I want more. Don’t you get that by now?
Christ!
”

“Please. Just for a while. You’re Romeo Prince. Your… reputation scares me a little. Let’s just be us in private for a while, see how it goes without anyone else interfering.”

“Fuck, Mol!” I shouted a bit too loud. I was pissed. Yeah, my reputation was as a bit of a scary fucker, but I was
different
with her, and I’d happily knock out anyone who tried to say otherwise. I would protect her.

“Please,” she begged again, and hell, I couldn’t resist those pleading eyes. No way was I giving her up. If we had to stay secret for now, I’d just have to friggin’ adjust.

Meeting Molly’s apprehensive gaze, I snapped out, “Fine! We’ll keep it quiet… I don’t fuckin’ like it, but I’ll do it for you, even if the thought of us being a secret makes me want to punch someone square in the face.”

A fucking secret.

Perfect.

Hell, this was
not
going to be fun…

13

My cell vibrated in my pocket, and fishing it out, my mood instantly soured. “Daddy, nice of you to call again,” I said sarcastically as I made my way through the college to the cafeteria for lunch, my muscles still aching from my weight session.

“It’s a good day, Rome! Martin Blair has approved the prenup. When you marry Shelly, Martin will finally retire and gift you thirty percent of his fifty percent share as a wedding present. He’s been wanting to leave for a while now, and you taking over the day-to-day running of the business beside me is exactly what we’ve wanted! Full Prince control.”

I’d never heard my daddy sound so friggin’ happy—me, though, I was just seething.

“What
you’ve
wanted,” I immediately stressed.

“What?” he snapped, his moment of elation soon forgotten.

Bracing for the aftermath, I said, “What you’ve wanted. I’ve told you once and I won’t keep repeating it: I’m. Not. Marrying. Shel!”

Silence reigned strong. Then, surprising me, he asked calmly, “What can I do to change your mind? What do you want? Whatever will make this happen, I’ll do for you,
get
for you.”

That shocked me to the point that I couldn’t move. Was the great Joseph Prince actually trying to negotiate?

Nipping the bridge of my nose, I replied, “Nothing. Nothing will change my mind. I’m sorry, Daddy, I know you think I’m failing in my duty as your son. But it’s my life and I won’t marry someone for the sake of your already stupidly rich business… I won’t marry just so you can get more money… I’m not cut out for that life. Football is what I’ll be doing in the future.”

A deep cough sounded on the other side of the line and he said, “You’re not going to change your mind about this? Am I getting this right?”

Blowing out a fortifying breath, I answered, “No. I’m not going to change my mind.”

“Then have it your way.”

I froze, looking, unseeing, through the cafeteria windows. “What the hell does that mean?”

“You’ve made your choice. Now you’ll have to live with it. I won’t pander to you.”

“What does that fuckin’ mean?” I barked out again, trying to keep my voice low, as students around me began to stare in my direction.

I realized the phone had gone dead and, seeing the trash can before me, yelled out in frustration and sent the damn tin cylinder flying across the sidewalk with a huge kick. Shocked squeals from surrounding girls only infuriated me more, and, ripping into the cafeteria, ignoring the questioning looks from other people, I slumped down on my chair, staring, lost in thought, at the plastic tabletop.

What the hell did he mean? Jesus! He was forever fucking with my head. I’d rather take a beating than this damn mental torture. At least with a punch I knew where I stood.

Lifting my head, I searched the room, desperately needing to see Molly, and when I did, I found those golden eyes already staring right back at me. Her eyebrows were drawn together with worry. Feeling slightly calmer knowing she was close, I gave her a reassuring tilt of my chin.

Not being able to hold her in my arms was killing me. Not being able to pull her onto my lap, kiss her damn neck, and show the world she was mine was friggin’ killing me.

The next hour was going to be torture.

I was right. Lunch seemed to drag on. And when Caroline strutted over and made a pass at me, spouting some shit about dethroning queen bitch Shelly—I didn’t care, wasn’t remotely interested in her slutty offer, and I sent her away with a dismissive wave, and a polite, “Fuck off!”

Chris Porter watched me curiously from a few seats down, a smirk on his smarmy face.

“What the fuck you laughing at, Porter?” I snarled, my voice sounding lethal even to my ears.

“You batting for the other side now?” he tried to joke, so I flipped him the bird, hearing my teammates snicker in response.

At a loud bang, I looked toward the entrance of the cafeteria. And Shelly entered the room, immediately getting all up in Molly’s face. I watched, fury building within me as she ripped off Molly’s glasses, throwing them to the floor. It happened so fast, I didn’t even have a chance to do anything to prevent it.

“What’s wrong? Momma and Daddy got no money, sweetie? You poor, Molly?” Shelly bitched, loud enough for the entire room to catch every word. I didn’t hear the rest of what else that witch was spitting; my blood was rushing through my ears, drowning out the sound. Molly rose from her seat, a furious look in her eyes, but Shelly shoved her back into the chair.

My patience for dealing with assholes had worn completely and totally thin, and slamming my fist on the table, I stood and ordered, “Enough!” so loud you could feel the vibrations in the plastic chairs. I glared right into Shelly’s eyes and spat, “Back the hell off her. What are you, twenty-one or twelve?”

The cafeteria came to a standstill at my words and, not giving a shit about Shelly’s reaction, I marched over to Molly, lifted her glasses off the floor, and pushed them back onto her flushed face before pressing my hands to her shoulders in comfort.

“Get your hands off her!” Shelly hissed from beside me, like she had some fucking ownership, some claim on me. I took a quick glance about the room, noting a sea of eyes all staring at me in shock.

This day was going to absolute shit! First my daddy starting on me and issuing threats, now his golden child opening her damn mouth to one of the only two girls I gave a crap about. Fuck knows what my folks were up to. I’d find that out in time, but I was going to stop Shelly’s delusion now, publicly, and cut her down off her high horse.

Feeling an ounce of control settle back over my body, I rounded on Shelly, raising my voice so the entire room could hear. “Get it through your head. We’re not together, never will be. Time to cut the shit.” Pointing at Shelly, I faced the gawping crowd. “Despite what shit she may be spewing, know that I am not with her, never have been, and anything she says is utter bullshit!”

I made sure Molly was okay, then practically hoisted her off her seat and instructed, “Get your purse, Shakespeare. We’re leaving.”

Doing as I asked, Molly followed me out of the cafeteria and into the quad. With every step, I grew more annoyed. No one would even pay Molly an ounce of attention if it weren’t for me, if Shelly didn’t suspect I was into her. A smart chick like Mol wouldn’t even register on anyone’s radar—and their sorry lives would be worse off for it. My girl was getting ripped on because of me, and if she wasn’t so fucking intent on keeping us a secret, I could tell them all that she was mine and they needed to back the hell off her.

Fine. I got it, and I didn’t want to rock that boat too much, scare her off before we’d really had a chance to get going, but she wouldn’t be targeted anymore because of those fucking stupid glasses. I’d make sure of it.

“Romeo, slow down. Where are we going?” Molly panted from behind me. I didn’t stop or give an answer, unable to slow down for fear of marching back into the cafeteria and telling everyone the truth about us.

“Get in,” I ordered through clenched teeth once we reached my truck.

As we left school behind, every second in Molly’s presence calmed me down further, allowing me to ask, “Sure you’re okay?” She hadn’t said a thing since we’d been on the road, understanding that I couldn’t talk right now, that I needed some time to wind down.

Fidgeting nervously, Molly replied, “Yes. A little embarrassed, but I’m fine.”

Embarrassed? Fucking understatement! She hated attention, and today, Shelly had thrust her right into the spotlight.

“How dare she speak to you like that? She’s such a bitch! Why the hell did I waste so much of my fuckin’ time on her?” I snapped, more to myself. I was so pissed I could barely function.

“You took the words right out of my mouth.” Glancing over at Molly and seeing her tiny proud smile at her comment thawed my rage, and I couldn’t help but smile a little in return.

This girl amazed me. Shelly had mocked her parents in front of a good portion of the student body—her dead parents that she never really talked about. But she took Shelly’s vicious dig like a champ, taking the high road, putting me and my typically aggressive reaction to shame.

“Mol, I’m so sorry for what she said to you about your parents. I can’t imagine how that must’ve felt.”

A soft hand stroked across my knee. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

Gripping her fingers, I replied, “Not true. She’s ripping on you because she sees my interest in you. Saw it from our very first kiss. You’re the enemy now, Mol, and I can’t say sorry enough for that. I put you in this position and she’s going to try and make your life hell.”

With a stunning smile, she scooted closer, laying her head on my shoulder, her breath warming the bare skin of my bicep. She was fearless, never giving a shit what others thought. My body relaxed and, wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I ran my fingers through her loose strands of hair. It was the first bit of peace I’d felt in weeks. Right here, right now, just the two of us… it was perfect.

At least it was until she asked, “Rome, who was on the phone earlier, outside the cafeteria?”

Fuck. Didn’t expect the conversation to go there.

Clearing my throat, I asked, “You saw?”

“Yeah,” she replied sadly.

“I don’t really want to talk about it.” I really didn’t. What the fuck was I meant to say?
Oh, yeah, it was my daddy. He’s been negotiating my prenup to Shel. You know… the girl who just tore you apart for being poor? Well, her.
I never wanted Molly messed up in the shit between my parents and me, never wanted her to be on the receiving end of their crap; hell, I never even wanted them to know of Molly’s existence—she was too important to me to put in that kind of situation.