Page 148 of Made Better Together

“I don’t think they’d see it that way. I mean, I know I don’t.”

I take a deep breath, not wanting to seem dismissive. “I’ll think about it, okay?”

“Okay.” She gives me a small smile, and a moment later, changes to a lighter subject. “This is so exciting. Your own place. How do you feel?”

I accept the shift in topic readily. “Not that I wasn’t grateful to Rawley, but free. Like I’m finally an adult.”

“I get it.”

“It truly was time. Especially with my conversation with Milo last week.”

He’d called me on the previous Tuesday, first checking in on how things were going with the Waves.

“As good as they could be. It’s unlikely I’ll get play time, but it’s as rigorous as I expected.”

“It’s tremendous experience. One you can capitalize on in many ways, which gets me to the purpose of this call.”

“Yes?”

“SLP continues to grow, and I need to add a junior associate soon. I’d like to offer you a position after the season is over. It’s the same role Grace had when she started.”

Wow. Not what I was expecting from this call. “That’s…an honor. Thank you for the opportunity.”

“I’ll send you the details in an email to review. There will be a clause that addresses whether you stay in the NFL for future seasons. Bottom line—we’ll figure it out. The clients you could bring in with the NFL connections are well worth it.”

It was an incredible offer, especially with the uncertainty that I’d ever make a practice squad again, let alone a fifty-three-man roster. Eden even suggested she’d switch to a different management firm if I ended up going full-time at SLP after the season, so we no longer would be dating in secret.

Either way, “after the Waves season” is our joint pledge on when to go public. It’s not without some debate, but whenever we consider coming clean earlier to Milo and Del, or even Grace, it seems like bad timing.

She’s so busy too. I don’t love the idea of her having to deal with the fallout of us going public in the middle of her playoff push. Not to mention we’ll be with our families for Thanksgiving next week, separately. She’ll start talking to NWSL teams right after the NCAA championship, and then she’ll have her school finals and travel to California for Christmas.

Not a good time for drama, so we’re still sneaking around. At least, it’ll be easier with my new apartment.

That doesn’t mean we can’t make another next step. With the apartment secured, I’m ready to ask a question that’s been on the tip of my tongue the last few weeks. For a title I think I finally can live up to, with my newfound self-sufficiency.

I guess I could have brought it up earlier, with the way we were progressing, but it didn’t seem right until I was worthy.

Here goes nothing.

“I was hoping we could christen this place in another way.” Fuck. Probably could have found a way to say that less suggestively.

Not surprisingly, she looks intrigued. “Oh yeah, and how would that be?”

I take her right hand. “Eden, Rosy…”

“Yes?” she says breathily.

“I hope I’ve made it clear how much you mean to me already, but to make it official…will you be my girlfriend?” A little formal, but I wanted to make it feel special.

“Oh.” She brings her free hand to her mouth. “Connor…”

Shit. “You don’t have to…”

“No, no.” She drops that same hand over mine. “It’s just…that was so sweet. No…I’ve never been asked that way. Of course I’ll be your girlfriend.”

She leans over and kisses me firmly on the lips, sealing her promise.

I return it with equal intent before pulling back. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask earlier. I’ve been thinking about it for a while…”