Round 27

A nxious thoughts ran free as I walked into the office the next morning. William and I hadn’t chatted last night, and neither had Neema and I. I’d been too afraid to ask them anything.

My desk was as I’d left it. Thank goodness the party hadn’t moved inside the office as it had a few years ago when, the following morning, everyone arrived at work not only tired and hungover, but then had to clean up dirty cups and leftover pizza from their cubicles.

One guy even found a used condom. No one ever owned up to it.

After dropping off my bag and setting up my laptop, my next stop was the kitchen. I turned on the coffee machine and inhaled the delightful aroma of freshly ground beans. The tapping of footsteps carried over the purr of the machine and paused. I glanced over my shoulder in time to see the back of Mr. Markham as he sped away.

When I got to my desk, Shaun’s lips were drawn down in a deep frown. I swallowed hard, waiting for it.

“Rose, was it William? They’re saying one of the Batmen assaulted Mr. Markham. Was it William? Is that why you left?”

It must have been written across my face. Before I could answer, Shaun dropped his head into his hands. “Oh no, oh no, oh no.”

“Did he not speak to you last night?” I managed, taking my seat.

Shaun shook his head. “Neema and I had no idea what happened. I only heard about it this morning through gossip. A Batman. Rose… what happened? They’re saying Batman beat him to a pulp, and he had to be rushed to the hospital. Someone else said Batman pulled out a gun and threatened someone, and Mr. Markham managed to disarm him before being punched or something.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“No,” Shaun said, his face red and his chin trembling. “What’s ridiculous is that my brother punched our boss .” He rubbed his palms across his pants. “This is typical.”

“Typical? William is not violent.” My need to defend him jumped out.

Shaun’s gaze finally met mine, full of apprehension and fear. “I wouldn’t call him violent, but he sure as hell isn’t afraid to throw fists—or receive them.”

Frustration banged against my chest. “William is not the villain in this story.”

Inhaling a sharp breath, Shaun dropped his eyelids and let go of the breath he’d held. “What happened?”

“I don’t condone violence.” I opened my laptop and stabbed the power button. “But Jeffrey Markham, our boss , sexually harassed me, and when William asked him to apologize, he punched William. So you decide.”

He slapped his hand against his forehead. “I should have led with that question. Are you okay?” He wheeled over.

“I’m still processing, but without William there, it could have been a lot worse.”

The entire day went by without having to face Mr. Markham. I heard some of the rumors that twisted and turned with each new person, and none of them were the truth.

By the time Shaun and I walked back to his place, we still hadn’t figured out how to deal with it and hoped it would blow over. In all the rumors, no one had figured out which Batman it was, and it seemed no one knew I’d been involved either.

Beside me, Shaun’s walk was stiff, and his jaw muscles were working harder than usual. He hadn’t let William off the hook just yet.

“How come you two are so different?” I asked.

He glanced over at me, his face scrunching in pain. “It’s a long story, and it’s not really mine to share.”

“I know his mom died when he was young.” I sped up, trying to keep up with Shaun.

“Did he tell you that?”

I nodded.

“Oh.” Shaun’s eyebrows, which had been permanently down all day, popped up. “He doesn’t like speaking about her—or anything from back then, I guess.”

“I’ve gathered he has a weird relationship with your dad,” I said as we reached the building, choosing my words carefully. “But you seem close to your dad.”

“We have the same dad, but really different versions of him.” Shaun’s voice dropped lower with each word as we approached their apartment. “It’s not something I fully understand.” His shoulders tensed, and he gave me an apprehensive look before unlocking his front door.

Entering the apartment, I inhaled the scent of soy sauce before I spotted William standing in the kitchen.

The kitchen. That kitchen.

Get it together, woman.

“Hungry?” William slid his hand across the counter where I’d gripped for my very survival only a few days earlier.

Was it hot in here? The cooking must’ve heated up the area.

Apparently, it took extraordinarily little for me to forget the current shitshow that was my life.

Shaun threw his backpack on the couch and approached the counter wearing the same frown he’d worn that morning. “Always.”

“What’s with you?” William asked, taking in Shaun’s expression as he stirred vegetables into a skillet.

“You beat him up?” Shaun rested his elbows on the counter and rubbed his hands over his face. “We work for him, man.”

Shaun blew out an irritated breath before walking away toward his bedroom.

William froze and inhaled a shaky breath. Even though Shaun had left, William still spoke softly, as though wishing Shaun could hear his thoughts rather than his words. “I wouldn’t have done it if he didn’t hit me first. I swear.”

“I believe you,” I said, walking into the kitchen and placing my hand on William’s tense back.

“I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”

“You haven’t.”

William turned to face me, and the area beneath his chin was colored in a rainbow of blues and purples. “He shouldn’t get to talk to you like that because he’s your boss. That doesn’t make him above the law or more important than your rights. And I’ll bet you’re not the only woman he’s doing this to.”

“You’re probably right,” I said.

William paused as though he wasn’t expecting me to say that.

“He’s lucky all he got was a broken nose,” I continued, examining his bruises. “And maybe a concussion. I’ve never seen anyone headbutt another person in real life.” I released a long sigh. “I wasn’t raised with violence.”

William’s eyes turned glossy as he looked beyond me instead of at me. “I’m sorry.” A darkness clouded over his gaze as though his mind was somewhere else.

“Does it hurt?” I touched the spreading deep blue across his skin.

“I’ve been through much worse. This…” He gestured to his jaw, and pain flashed over his black eyes. “… is nothing.”

Every time William spoke of his past, I pieced together another part of his upbringing, and it all equaled something I could barely imagine.

I opened my mouth to say something, but he stopped me.

“Stop distracting me before I burn this.”

The heavy concern in my stomach relaxed. “Anything I can help with?”

“No, thanks. I’ve seen the contents of your fridge, and I’m guessing you survive mostly on grilled cheese.”

“And mac and cheese, or sometimes just cheese.” I leaned on the counter, watching him focus on the meal. “When did you learn how to cook?”

“At my school, once you were around sixteen, you had access to the home ec rooms, provided you bought your own ingredients.” Grabbing a spoon, he lifted a piece of onion out of the pan and brought it to his mouth. “Hmm… it’s missing something.” That wicked grin covered his face as he lifted an index finger. “Maybe some maple. I think you know where it is.”

“Ungovernable man.” I smiled, my cheeks flushing.

I leaned down in the same place William had kneeled not long ago and searched for the bottle. Finding it, I straightened and handed it to William.

Shaun came out of his room, now wearing loungewear after changing out of his work clothes.

“You could put your pajamas on. No one else is here,” I told him. “Look at William. He doesn’t care that I’m here. He’s in pajamas.” I pointed at his bare feet. “He’s not even wearing any shoes.”

“Pajamas are for sleeping,” Shaun said, his tone still clipped.

Patrick used to say the same thing.

“Could you help me with the seating chart?” Shaun asked me, making a point of avoiding William’s gaze.

“Of course.” Approaching Shaun, I pulled him close. “He wouldn’t have fought if Markham hadn’t started it.”

Shaun’s glare softened, and a huge sigh escaped him. “Still, he shouldn’t have… Never mind.” He shook his head, but instead of leading me to the couch away from William, he pulled me up to the kitchen counter and climbed onto a bar stool.

Sitting across from the kitchen was a bad idea. I could barely focus on the seating chart. Instead, I kept stealing glances at William as he cooked. I couldn’t help smiling at the way he frowned into the wok as if offended by it or when he inhaled through his nose and then scratched around for some spice. I could never tell what he’d chosen, but he’d pour the powder and herbs directly out of the jar, mix it in with the vegetables, and inhale again before his frown lines softened. He repeated this process multiple times until his frown lines disappeared entirely. That was when I knew it was time to eat.

“How much out of ten?” He turned to me with a bowl in one hand and a serving spoon in the other.

“Ten!” I shouted.

He gave me a nod of approval, scooped a healthy serving of vegetable stir fry and noodles into the bowl, and then reached across the bar and handed it to me.

The maple syrup and soy sauce combination titillated my senses. I’d have to add this to the long list of things I desired from this man. Another craving only he could satisfy.

“Shaun, how come you’ve never cooked for me?” I asked, twirling noodles around my fork.

“I’m not really good at it.”

“That’s putting it lightly.” William smiled, staring at Shaun, who was looking down at the chart. His voice softened. “Sometimes I think it’s the only reason you moved in with me.”

Shaun finally looked up to meet his gaze. A silent conversation seemed to happen across the island, and the tension in Shaun’s shoulders dropped.

“Dude, the spaghetti and meatballs you made on the first night?” Shaun kissed his fingers. “You won me over instantly.”

William beamed in that special way he reserved for his brother. My heart reached out, wishing he could always smile like that.

“When did you move in together?” I asked.

“Funny story actually.” Shaun side-eyed his brother and grimaced. “In my first year at college, I found an apartment, paid the deposit, and when I showed up with the moving truck, there was already someone else living there. I tried contacting the landlord, or who I thought was the landlord, and surprise surprise, the number had been deactivated.”

“What?” I nearly choked on a long noodle. “You got scammed? Didn’t you view it beforehand?”

“I did.” He sighed. “It’s a pretty elaborate scam. They give you the official viewing date, so I rocked up to an open flat with a few other people. They assume you’ll contact them directly if you’re interested. Maybe I was a little gullible.”

“A little gullible?” William gave Shaun a smug grin.

“Wait, what happened? What did you do?” I had reached the last sliced pepper in my bowl and wished there was a bit more.

Without asking, William took my bowl.

“Well, I couldn’t get my deposit back, so I was completely broke and too embarrassed to tell my parents,” Shaun explained. “I knew William was studying, too, and I assumed he’d be staying nearby, so I took a chance and called him.”

“It was a mistake giving you my number.” William handed me another bowl of food. “I let him in for one night, and then he never left.”

I smiled at William, enjoying the story and thankful for the second helping.

“Thanks, man, for helping me out,” Shaun said. “Even though… you know… you didn’t have to.”

William shrugged, his discomfort apparent again.

While I wanted to know everything about him, I didn’t want to force it out of him. He also had no reason to tell me. It was easier keeping it on the surface level, where perhaps he wanted it to be… where it should be if we were still playing.

Sometimes it didn’t feel like a game.

To me.

“With these delicious meals, I’d never leave either,” I said, hoping to ease the strange ache in my stomach.

Even though no one had knocked, Shaun hopped up from his meal and opened the front door. Neema walked in, ignoring us, and followed the delicious aroma of William’s cooking into the kitchen.

She breathed in through her nose, her eyes lighting up. “Thanks, William. You sure you don’t want to live with us after the wedding?”

A stone dropped into the deepest part of my belly. Logically, I knew there would come a day when Neema wasn’t my roommate anymore and I’d need to get my own place. I always figured Patrick would ask me to move in with him before she moved out.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be fine. Besides, I expect you’ll need to accommodate your adopted adult child over here.” William gestured toward me.

Neema and Shaun laughed.

I rolled my eyes. “I can take care of myself. I am a grown woman.”

“Growing stopped early, though,” William teased.

I shot him a dirty look. “Oh, someone is feeling very funny today.”

He smiled at me, and all was forgiven. Damn, I was easy.

“Have you decided what you want to do?” Shaun asked, cozying up against Neema on the couch. “I know we’re joking about it, but you’re more than welcome to stay with us.”

“No way. I did the math a while back. If I get the promotion I’m going for, then I could afford our place by myself. Worst case, if I don’t get the job, I could afford a studio.” Though I tried to sound confident, the thought of moving had my nerves frayed. “Have you found a place?”

Neema clapped her hands together in excitement. “Oh, I forgot to tell you! We were thinking I’d move in here since the wedding’s so soon. It’s close to both our offices, and to yours, which means you can come here after work every day.”

“Even if you stayed in a different country, I’d find a way to be there every day. But thank you for making it easy.” I turned to William. “You’re moving out? Where?”

His unconcerned gaze met mine. “Haven’t figured it out yet.”

“You don’t seem stressed enough for someone who’ll be homeless in a few weeks.” My anxiety built. I had been so busy lately that I’d barely thought about how things would change after the wedding. “I have a place to stay, and it still feels chaotic.”

“I love chaos.”

Well, he didn’t have to tell me that.

After dinner, William walked out to the balcony—a signal he’d like to see me alone.

“Hey,” I said, using my most seductive voice as I closed the door behind me.

“Hey,” he replied.

Our eyes met, and all I saw was discomfort. Which seemed to be the theme of the day.

“I, uh… wanted to talk to you about something.” He swallowed hard and looked away.

He was going to break up with me. Well, we weren’t dating, so maybe not break up, but he was quitting the game we’d been playing. I knew it.

“You want to end this?” I tried to hide the fear in my voice.

He frowned at me. “What? No. Do you?”

I shook my head. “Then what?”

He hesitated before blowing out a deep breath. “I don’t think I should be the one representing your game.”

My eyes widened. “Why?”

“I don’t know if I’m the right person to do it. Earlier you spoke about your spreadsheets and your future plans.” He exhaled, turning away from me. “Rose, there are things you don’t know about me. I’m…”

“You’re what?”

He gazed across the rail toward the city lights. “The stakes are too high, and I’m worried that I’m not good enough.”

The statement was so ridiculous that if his voice wasn’t filled with so much pain, I’d have laughed.

“Send someone else,” he said, in an almost childlike tone. “I don’t want to mess this up for you.”

I stood beside him, our arms touching. “I don’t understand what’s going on here. Don’t you want to do it? I asked you if you wanted to do it, and you said yes.”

“I know. I do want to do it. I love this game, and I love…” He paused and looked at me for a long moment.

My heart stood still, and time stretched out before me.

He blew out another breath. “I love making games better. But it’s never mattered before, not like this. This is your dream.”

“Do you have some kind of stage fright? It’s not a presentation.” I gnawed on my lip, wishing away the rising panic. “If you’re worried about the bruise, just tell them you do martial arts or you hurt yourself saving a baby from an angry lion, or something.”

He did not laugh. Instead, fear overtook his usually confident expression. “No. It’s… I know how it sounds, but what if I’m not the right person? What if you’re supposed to send Shaun?” He glanced at me. “I have a record of ruining lives. Ask anyone.”

“Shaun? Really?” I studied him, not certain he was serious. When he didn’t react, I added, “How would you ruin it? You know it as well as I do.”

I searched his eyes for answers. There were none. He barely looked like the William I’d come to know. Instead, he looked young and afraid.

“You’ll have to trust me on this,” he continued. “I will ruin it. Somehow. And if I do, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“And you have to trust I would never risk my board game. I chose you because I believe, without any doubts, that you are the best person to do it. Overpower is as much yours as it is mine.”

My heart hiccuped as I said it.

I stood on my toes and gave him a quick kiss, hoping my kisses made him feel as invincible as he made me feel. He kept his eyes closed after our lips parted.

“You’re perfect. You’re not just good enough. You’re the best,” I said, my tone brooking no argument.

Perhaps he needed to hear me say it.

He leaned his forehead against mine, his eyes still closed as though trying to block out his own pain.

“Please say you’ll go.” I hoped he couldn’t hear the desperation in my voice. “You’re the only one I trust. Plus it’s this Monday, so you’re cutting it a bit tight.”

He opened his eyes and stared into mine. Finally, he blew out a long, slow, and defeated breath. “I’ll do my best.”

When I pulled him back into the living room, Neema looked up at us. “What time is the game thing?”

“Eleven,” we answered in unison.

“What time are you leaving here?” I asked William.

“Maps say it takes about forty-five minutes of driving, so I’ll leave just after nine. An hour’s cushion should be enough to get there and find everything.”

Had it been me, I would have left the night before and set up a tent in front of their offices, protecting my game with my body. But to each his own, I guess.

“This is so exciting,” Neema squealed. “I can’t believe your dream is coming true!”

“I can’t even think about it,” I said. “It freaks me out too much. What if it fails?”

Beside me, William went ramrod straight.

“William, play nice. No heckling.” Shaun gritted his teeth. “Or punching.”

“May the force be ever in your favor,” Neema added.

We all stared at her until she realized what she’d said. “I mean… ugh, you know what I meant.”

William smiled, but there was no dimple. He still didn’t seem confident about this, and his fear escalated my own anxieties. And to make matters worse, he didn’t kiss me goodbye that night. Not with his mouth, his hands, or his eyes. He seemed to want me to leave, and I couldn’t understand what had changed.