Game of Love (The Remingtons, Book One: Love in Bloom Series)

Chapter Twenty-One, Game of Love

Chapter Twenty-One

MIDNIGHT FOUND THEM eating pizza on the living room floor while outlining their ideas for the educational software. Ellie watched Dex staring intently at their notes. He looked the most content when he was creating or planning. She would like to think that he looked the most content when she was in his arms, but she knew that at those intimate times, while he was happy, he worried that she'd leave again. She was working on that. She was thinking of the way he'd come home midafternoon and made love to her when he lifted his eyes from the notebook and smiled.

"You had a meeting tonight, didn't you? When you texted earlier, you said you had a late meeting." She remembered it explicitly.

He shrugged. "I wanted to see you."

"You blew off your meeting to see me? But I had just been to your office."

Dex ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"Did you think I wouldn't be here?"

"No. I can't make you stay, El. I know that. I can only hope that you want to stay."

"I do."

"I believe that you do. But that's not why I blew off the meeting. I realized today when we were deciding on our release date that what you were doing mattered. It mattered a hell of a lot more than the gaming empire I built, and—"

"That's not true."

"Hear me out. I'm proud of what I've done, and what I do, but as I said earlier, I've also been really conflicted about it. This afternoon I felt driven to do something about it. You made me feel that way. You're willing to work extra hours and put yourself out there with no promise of extra income or anything other than knowing you're doing something of value for kids."

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't have much besides time or ideas to give to anyone."

He sighed. "Ellie, when we were growing up, you gave me everything I needed even though your own heart was bleeding. You inspired me then, and you inspire me now to do something about what I've been feeling. I can and will continue with my gaming, but, Ellie, I've got the technical skills you need to make your dreams come true. With your brains and vision and my technical abilities, we can do this."

"Oh, Dexy." He had the most generous heart of any person she knew, and it drew her from where she sat on the floor to his lap. She ran her fingers through his hair and forced herself to say what she felt so strongly that her heart ached. "I so love you."

He leaned his forehead against hers. "Thank you," he whispered.

He stayed in that position for a long time. There was no mistaking how much it meant to him to hear her say she loved him outside of a moment of passion. When he lifted his head, he said, "Wow. All it takes is a diatribe about helping kids? I'll remember that."

Ellie knew he was making light because the moment was so heavy it threatened to draw tears from both of them.

"We'll do this together, Ellie. Just keep your promise about that asshole, okay?"

"Yeah. I will." Guilt pressed in on her and she had to ease it, if even just a little. "Dexy, I have to tell you something else." Before he could react, she said, "He wasn't very nice to me. I don't want to talk about it, but I wanted you to know."

He nodded. "You don't want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, silently praying he'd give her the space she needed.

"I had lunch with my mom and Siena today."

She saw something wash over his expression too fast for her to read. Relieved that he wasn't pushing her, she went with it. "You...yes. How did it go?"