He sighed but didn’t make a comment.
“I turn on music.” The radio was never on when we were in the car. I wasn’t even sure what he liked to listen to.
“I don’t want to listen to music right now.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“I want to do that even less.”
I faced forward and looked out the window. “Alright then…” The day started off great then turned to shit. I was certain his mood had nothing to do with me, so I let it be. I hadn’t done anything wrong, so there was no reason for him to be upset with me.
After five minutes of silence, his phone started to ring through the Bluetooth system. On the screen, the name of the person appeared.
Mama.
I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the way he stored her name on his phone.
He sighed again then took the call. “Hey, Mom. How are you?” He hid his foul mood and spoke like everything was perfectly fine. If anyone else had called, he probably would have ignored the call.
“I’m great, Con. Your father and I just got home, and Lars is making dinner.”
“I’m on my way home too.”
“Then I won’t keep you on the phone long. I just wanted to invite you to dinner this Friday. Your aunt and uncle will be there, along with Carter and Vanessa. I hope you can make it. Your father and I miss you.”
My eyes softened.
“Of course, I’ll be there.”
“Great,” she said. “Sapphire will be joining us as well?” The eagerness was obvious in her voice.
“Yes.”
“Good. You guys can stay in your old bedroom.”
We’d be spending the night. I hadn’t expected that, but I guess it made sense since it was a five-hour drive.
“Sounds great,” Conway said. “I’ll talk to you then.”
“Love you.”
Conway acted like a macho man all the time, but I knew there was a softer version of himself underneath that bravado. He showed that side to me after I spent months yanking it out of him. And he showed it to his family much more easily. “Love you too, Mama.”
The call ended.
Conway kept driving like the phone call never happened.
I wanted to tease him about it, but I decided to go easy on him. “Your old bedroom, huh? What’s that like?”
“It’s on the second story. My old furniture is still there. I have a private bath and a small living room.”
I guess they lived in a mansion too. “Is that the room where you brought all the girls?”
“Yes.” He finally looked at me. “Jealous?”
“No. But I’m prepared to wipe away their memory…”
He smiled for the first time since he fell into his sour mood. “I like the sound of that.”
* * *
I carried my stuff across the hall and hung up the clothes Dante had bought for me. A section of Conway’s closet had been cleared so I could hang up my things. I didn’t have nearly as much stuff as he did. He had more suits than I could even comprehend.
One of his top drawers had been cleared out, so I put my underwear inside along with the lingerie he’d placed in my dresser. His room was much more masculine than mine, decorated in dark tones and sharp furniture. My room was much prettier, with splashes of gold and champagne. But I still preferred his room to mine…since he was included.
Ever since he told me there hadn’t been anyone else, my mood had drastically improved. Now the jealousy was gone, along with the stomach pains and the sorrow. He offered me everything I wanted, everything that could make me happy.
I finally had someone I could trust.
In a world so cruel, it was a blessing to have a friend like Conway. He was honest with me, took care of me, and he was loyal to me. He’d given me so much without asking for much in return. Without him, I would have nothing.
And I knew it.
He said he would never love me, and romance wasn’t on the table, but that was okay. The connection and foundation we had were enough. It gave my life meaning, filled it with affection.
I didn’t know how long this would last. Maybe one day he would get tired of me, and it would end.
But I wasn’t going to think about that right now.
I finished moving my stuff over and then finally left my old bedroom for the last time. Now, this new space was mine, a space that smelled like a powerful man. Just when I’d sat on the couch, Conway walked inside with two hangers in his hand.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“I had Dante pick up a few things for you to wear tomorrow.” He set them over the back of the armchair then loosened his tie around his neck.
“That was nice.” I picked up the first one and found a high-waisted skirt with splashes of black, red, and green. It immediately reminded me of Italian culture, of the infusion of the various colors. I looked at the next outfit, a navy blue sundress. “These are beautiful…”