Page 51 of Catch
“Argh. That was horrible. I let the girls do what they want. Right now they are both in soccer, outdoor and indoor, but Vee wants to take dance and Rose wants to play football so this might be it for soccer. And both play the piano and go to French class.”
“Your children are learning French? That’s very cool.”
“It’s so easy for them to learn at this age. They are really like sponges.”
“That’s what Ruby said,” I said.
“Ruby?”
“Yes, the kindergarten teacher at your school.” It never occurred to me that Parker would be jealous, but I heard it in her voice.
“Oh, that Ruby.” I could tell she was biting back a retort. “She’s nice,” she said.
“She says she’s a Cheetahs fan. Her family has season tickets. It’s nice to meet the super fans,” I said.
“You probably have more super fans than you know. I’m sure you get a slew of women trying to hook up.”
“That’s what the spam folder is for.” It bothered me that she thought I was interested in dating. She didn’t know the relief I felt when Lexi moved out. I didn’t care that Lexi cheated. I only cared that she took a lot of my things. I had nice things. I worked hard for my nice things. They made me happy. People didn’t. “Look, I really need to go to sleep. Coaches get in a lot earlier than players. And I hope Grayson shows up on time because if he doesn’t, I don’t even want to know what Coach Tatum will do.”
She blew out a heavy sigh. “I wish I could control him more, but his actions aren’t up to me,” she said.
It was weird and sad that she had no say in what her husband did. Why was Grayson out all night? I was hesitant, but I asked the obvious question. “Why isn’t he home with you?”
“This is actually what I wanted to explain.” She paused and the silence was killing me. “Grayson and I have an open marriage. Not a lot of people understand that, but it works the best for us right now.”
I fumbled my phone and caught it before it landed on Crowbar’s back. I was shocked. “Wow.” Of all the things I was expecting her to say, open marriage wasn’t on the list. “Wow.” So much for me being cool about such a personal matter or showing support. “How long ago did you open your marriage?” I asked. That seemed like an okay question to ask.
“When Rose was still a baby. I’ve been too busy with the kids, so I haven’t had the time to pursue anything recently, but this arrangement allows us to be our true selves.”
It was totally vague and I wanted to know more. “Recently? But you have in the past?” I backpedaled immediately. “Wait. You don’t have to answer that. It’s not my business.”
“A few times early on, but then I got busy with the girls. That and my situation and need for privacy is too much for some people to handle.”
My heart felt like it was airborne. Of all the people in this world, I never would have thought Parker would be okay with an open relationship. “You’ve always been a private person. It makes sense that you would be private about this too.”
“Neither of the women I dated agreed. They thought I was closeted, but I was protecting my family, not hiding.”
“So Grayson knows you date women?”
“Of course.”
I stood and paced. This was so much to process. I knew too much. My mind was telling me to hang up and run away, but my heart wanted more. “Sounds pretty lonely.”
“It can be, but I stay busy and Grayson and I have a wonderful relationship. We both would do anything for the girls.”
I heard the smile in her voice and knew she had made peace with their decision. It still blew me away. Sharing somebody I loved with another person would be hard for me to accept. Good for them. “As long as everyone is happy. That isn’t what the problem has been with Grayson, right?”
“I didn’t realize how late it is. You have to get up so early. We can talk another day.” Discussing Grayson was clearly off-limits. “Thanks for listening, Sutton. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re right, it’s late. And thank you for trusting me with your secret. Cone of silence, I promise. Sleep well, Parker.”
“You, too.”
I ended the call and sat there motionless even though my heart was racing. What was going on there? Not once had I ever heard a rumor about Grayson stepping out on Parker. Is that why she kissed me last week? Was she looking to start something with me?
I shook my head. I didn’t know the rules of an open marriage. I just knew that I didn’t think I could be with her because that probably meant the relationship would be behind closed doors again. I wasn’t doing that again for anyone. I plugged my phone in and slipped back into bed. It wasn’t my place to worry about them, but Parker still had a pull that was impossible to ignore.
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