“That’s not what I meant. I don’t need you to spend money on me. I already have my brother doing it too much.”
I turn to walk out of the kitchen, but Zanders grabs me by the waist, pulling me into him. “Maybe you should let us. I’ve never had someone to spend my money on other than myself and the Maddisons, but it sounds nice.”
Turning to face him, I tilt my head. “I don’t give a shit about your money, Zee. I don’t want you to think that has anything to do with my feelings for you.”
I don’t want you to think another person is using you for your money the way your mom is trying.
He laughs it off. “Sweetheart, I fucking know that. You choose to wear secondhand clothes, and your brother makes millions of dollars a year. No part of me thinks you’re using me for my money.”
Rolling my eyes, I melt into him, realizing how ridiculous I probably sound.
“It’s actually one of the things that made me realize I liked you,” he continues. “I don’t give a fuck that your brother is famous, but it was nice to see that you weren’t impressed by anything material when it came to me. I couldn’t use that part of my life to impress you, and that was something I was used to doing.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, you sap. Fine, you can buy me new jewelry. But I want the expensive shit.”
Zanders’ deep laugh echoes off the kitchen walls. “Deal,” he seals with a kiss. “My laptop is on the table for you.”
Opening his computer, I make myself comfortable at Zanders’ dining room table.
“You’ll come pick up Rosie with me today?” he asks from the kitchen.
“I don’t think I should. It’s her first day with you. I don’t want her to get attached to me when she’s your dog.”
That causes the giant shirtless defenseman in the kitchen to keel over in laughter. “Vee.” He pauses, unable to speak. “Rosie is obsessed with me. You’re old news.”
Mouth gaping in mock offense, I shoot him a deadly look, but unfortunately, he’s not wrong. “Asshole.”
He shrugs it off, finding himself hilarious.
“Regardless, I think your guys’ first day together should be just the two of you.”
“Fine. If you insist.” He makes his way to me, coffee in hand. “Holy shit.” He pauses at the dining room table. “I don’t even know how you like your coffee.”
My eyes crinkle with amusement. This is cute and a whole new side of him I get to discover. “With alcohol preferably, knowing my mother is going to be on this call.”
“Alcohol it is.” He comes back with a bottle of Baileys in his hand, pouring the creamy liqueur into my black coffee.
“I was kidding.”
“I wasn’t.”
While I sit in the waiting room of our video chat, my knees bounce with nerves. I no longer have the gold ring on my thumb I can spin, so instead, I awkwardly fiddle with the hem of Zanders’ shirt I’m wearing while my eyes bounce around the room.
I was in this room for quite a while last night, but I somehow missed the vase of red roses hidden in the corner by the window.
“Zee!” I call into the next room over. “Are those flowers for me?”
He peeks his head around the partition, eyes on the vase. “Oh no. Not for you because last night was not a date. Not in the slightest.” His cheeky smile is adorable.
“Morning, Vee,” my brother says, popping onto our video call.
Zanders shoots me a wink, calming some of my nerves and leaving me alone with my family.
“Happy Birthday, Dad,” is the first thing I say as soon as he and my mother pop onto the screen.
My dad is dressed down as they sit in their living room, but my mother is decked out with a full face of makeup, her hair perfectly styled, and her outfit smooth and fitted. I would expect nothing less, even at this early hour.
“Happy Birthday, Dad,” Ryan adds. “Sorry, I have to make this so quick. I need to catch the team bus soon.”
“No problem, I know you’re both busy. I’m just happy I get to see my two kiddos.”
“Ryan, are you ready for your game tonight?” My mother bursts with pride.
“I think so. It’s slotted for ESPN. Are you guys going to watch?”
“Of course, we are.” My mother beams. “We wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
“Vee…” My dad sits forward, eyes squinting. “Where are you? That doesn’t look like your apartment.”
My eyes dart to Zanders as he walks into the room with a plate in his hand, but he makes sure to stay out of view of the camera.
“Uhh,” I hesitate. Regardless of my parents being allowed to know who I’m dating, I don’t want them to. I don’t want my mother to ruin this. “I stayed at a friends’ place last night.”
That causes Ryan to choke on his own saliva, knowing I’m full of shit. I’d pay good money that he knows exactly where I am even though I didn’t tell him.
Zanders places my breakfast on the table behind the computer, so no one sees him before he gives me a shy, apologetic grin and heads back to the kitchen. That breakfast he was working on is nowhere in sight. Instead, two pieces of our deep-dish pizza from last night cover my plate, which works for me. Zanders might not be great in the kitchen, but where he lacks in domestic skills, he makes up in other ways.
The five-hundred-mile distance between Chicago and Nashville couldn’t be more needed as I feel my mother’s disapproving gaze through the computer screen. I can sense her blue eyes analyze my clothing and makeup-less face before they linger on my disastrous morning hair.
I chug my boozy coffee and stuff my face with cold pizza as she does.
The conversation is relatively quick and painless, keeping the attention on my dad and his plans for the day, but when my mom asks me to stay on the call when my brother needs to leave for his morning shootaround, the nerves kick into high gear.
“How are you doing?” she asks.
My brows furrow in confusion. This is weird. My dad isn’t even in the room anymore to fake it for. “I’m good....”
My mother sits up straighter. When it comes to me, I rarely see her beaming smile, but it’s on full display today. “Brett called me the other day.”
“Oh God.” I bury my hands in my face. “Why?”
“He was hoping I could talk to you about giving him another chance, and Stevie, I really don’t understand why you wouldn’t.”
That motherfucking fuckface. What a little bitch. He went to my mother of all people, who he knows I have a rocky relationship with, in order to use her to manipulate me into giving him another chance. Because for the first time ever, I said no to his games, so he went to my mother instead.
Dick.
“Mom, I didn’t like who I was when I was dating Brett, so that should be reason enough for me not to get back together with him, and I’d rather not explain all the sordid details.”
“Well, Stevie, you’re not getting any younger.”
Can she stop with that bullshit line? “Why the hell does age matter?”
Oh shit.
“Excuse me, young lady. Do not raise your voice at me. And age matters because of children and marriage and all the other things I would have hoped you’d accomplish by now.”