“Yeah.”
I crouched down next to the bed and smiled. “You know that’s kind of a romantic gesture to do for someone, sweetie.”
“Then I guess I’m romantic when I wake up. Don’t get attached to it.”
“I won’t,” I said. I reached for her face and stroked her cheek. “It’ll be okay. All of this.”
“I didn’t say it wouldn’t.”
“There’s a lot behind those eyes, Madison.”
“Same for you.”
“I’m sort of an open book to you,” I said.
“And what am I to you?”
I thought about it for a second.
“You’re like a book that lets you read the first five pages,” I said. “Then the rest are glued together.”
“Just five pages?”
“I think for me you’ve given maybe ten.”
“Ten pages,” she said. “That’s a lot to me.”
“I know. I just want to read the whole story, sweetie.”
“Maybe you should worry about writing a new story rather than reading an old one,” she said.
“You know, that makes a lot of sense. I don’t want to talk about books anymore though.”
“You started it.”
“I know I did. In more ways than one.”
I leaned in and kissed Madison.
Then I rested my forehead to hers.
“Mav…”
“I know,” I said. “Relax. Go back to sleep. Or maybe take some pictures.”
“What kind of pictures?” Madison asked. “Want me to roll over and take pictures for you?”
“That sounds delicious,” I said. “But if I’m late for practice we’re going to get caught even worse than we already are.”
“Sounds like you have a problem then,” she said.
She smiled and started to move, teasing me.
I had to get out of that bedroom and apartment before I stayed.
Because I was at the point where I wanted to stay for good.
I threwout my right leg and blocked Lay’s shot.