Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 73002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Benedict was shaking with anger, but Wells was grinning.
Matty was out.
He did it for Wells. Wells had been so worried about fixing things for Matty, when Matty was off trying to fix and make things real for Wells. They were a mess. A crazy, totally insane mess that Wells wouldn’t have any other way. Matty was it.
With elation inside of him, he glanced from a grinning Thea to a glaring Benedict who looked as though he really was going to kill Wells at that moment. When Benedict’s phone started to ring, Wells shrugged. It was about to be a real trying time for Matty’s father, but Wells couldn’t care one bit.
He wanted to get home to Matty.
But first, he had something to say. Standing slowly, he held Benedict’s gaze as he said, “I don’t expect you to welcome me with open arms. I don’t even expect you to do the same for Matty, but please allow him to be happy. Love who he is, because he is a damn good man. Surely, you see that. Surely, you know that this is who he is, and he deserves to be proud of that. I know that I’m proud of him. That I love him, and that won’t ever change.” Pushing his chair in, he shot them both a grin. “Again, thank you for welcoming me, but I need to go home.”
Without letting either of them say anything, Wells left the room, running through the house and out the door, a grin so big on his face. As he reached his car, he got in. He had just started it when he noticed his phone was blinking with a text.
Matty: Did you see the announcement?
Wells: I did.
Matty: Come home.
Wells: I am.
Twenty-Seven
Matty was shaking as he paced his apartment.
He didn’t want to leave just in case Wells showed up. He tried calling him to get an ETA so that he could go get some beer and maybe some food, but Wells didn’t answer. Matty wasn’t sure if Wells would be there in the next ten minutes or the next ten hours. If he was coming from Vegas, it could be hours. But what if he had already been on his way back to New York when he saw it? Matty hated not knowing, and it annoyed him.
He just wanted Wells to be there.
Tapping his toe on the ground, he looked around, trying to find something to do. He considered calling Avery or maybe even his mom, but he didn’t have anything to say. He knew Avery was on her way to New Jersey and that his mom had gotten home fine. They had both texted him. A smile pulled at his lips as he thought of his mom. He hadn’t expected her to stay the night, but it was really nice to have her. She was the one who’d suggested calling Brendan for the press conference. It would be the ultimate declaration of love, as she called it.
And she was right. Matty felt so much better now that the weight of not knowing what would happen was gone. He felt good. His teammates and his organization went above and beyond to make him feel loved. His coach even sent him an Edible Arrangement that he had already devoured. Well, except for the strawberries since they were Wells’s favorite. His teammates had all messaged or emailed him, saying they were behind him one hundred percent. It was mind-blowing, and he wished he had done it a long time ago.
It would have saved him so much pain and loneliness.
Glancing around, he realized he had nothing to do. He had cleaned, he had eaten, and he had already watched his shows with Wells. All he could do was wait. As he went to fall onto the couch, though, his phone started ringing. Jumping back up, he jogged to the bar, reaching for his phone. When he realized it was his mom and not Wells, he found himself disappointed.
Swallowing past that, he answered the FaceTime call. “Hey, Mom.”
But when the camera came on, it wasn’t just his mom, it was Ashlyn too. “Hey! It’s us. Ashlyn and me.”
Matty grinned, feeling a little guilty as he sat back on the barstool. “Hey! You remember me, Ashlyn?”
His niece grinned, nodding her head. “Hi, Uncle Matty.”
“Hey! What are you up to?”
“Eating.”
“Hey, I love to eat.”
“Come eat with me.”
“I will tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” she pouted. “Today.”
She was tugging at his heartstrings, but before he could answer her, Avery was reaching for her. “Don’t make Uncle Matty feel bad. He’ll be here tomorrow. Great press conference, it’s all over the TV.”
Matty blushed. “Thanks. It felt good.”
“You looked great,” she answered, and his mom beamed.
“So professional and handsome.”
“Thanks, guys,” he said, looking away.
“Mr. Wells?” Ashlyn asked then, and Matty smiled.
“He isn’t here, sweet girl.”
Her little lip popped out as Avery kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry, Uncle Matty will come with Mr. Wells tomorrow, right?” Avery glanced over at him. “So we can eat as a family.”