Page 120 of Interference

“Hey, she’s not exactly a toy breed either.”

“No, but she’s maybe slightly bigger than an average dog.” I picked up my own coffee from the cupholder. “Your cats are large.”

“Pfft. Fake news.”

I choked on my coffee. He just snickered. I rolled my eyes and flipped him off, then took another sip. “And the cats—they’ll really be okay alone in the house?”

“Oh yeah.” He waved a hand. “They’re cats.”

“Yeah, but they obviously like having someone there.”

“They do. They’re used to being on their own from when Simon and I were traveling, though, and this is a fairly short trip.”

There was that. The League’s schedule was brutal, so we couldn’t stay in Portland very long. He’d played a game last night, and he had to be back for practice two days after Christmas. He’d offered several times to get me a train ticket and pick me up at the station if I wanted to stick around for a few more days, but I’d declined. I didn’t need him spending more money on me, and anyway, my mom had her hands full enough without me overstaying my welcome. As it was, we were staying in a hotel just so we wouldn’t be in the way.

Thinking about all that brought my spirits down a little. I took a deep breath. “Listen, uh… Fair warning? I don’t know how sick my dad has been recently. He’s had some stretches where he’s okay, and others where he’s…” I squirmed in my seat. “Not okay. And it’s kind of hard to see, you know?”

Anthony nodded as I spoke. “That’s gotta be rough for you.”

“It is.” I thumbed the lid on my coffee cup. “I’m not sure I’m ready for it.”

“I don’t think anyone’s ever ready for that.” He glanced at me, and even with his sunglasses on, the softness in his expression came through. “I’ll be there, though.” From the creases in his forehead, I wondered if he was scrambling for the right thing to say. Something reassuring that wasn’t a platitude or a cliché. Because really, who the hell knew what to say in situations like this? I sure as hell didn’t.

I reached across our coffees and covered his hand with mine. “I appreciate it. And I mean, it is Christmas. So I don’t think it’ll be all doom and gloom.”

The tension in his expression eased. “I’m sure it won’t be.”

I hoped it wouldn’t. My family was usually pretty upbeat, especially around the holidays, and I didn’t imagine even my dad’s illness would kill that completely. Not when this might very well be Dad’s last—

I cleared my throat. “So, uh, will it be weird if I introduce you as my boyfriend?”

The question seemed to catch Anthony a little off-guard. He tensed slightly, glancing at me. “Uh. I mean, I’m not sure what else you’d tell them. I’m assuming not ‘booty call’ or ‘fuck buddy.’”

I snorted, grateful for the levity. “No. Definitely not.”

He chuckled, but then he sobered, shifting in his seat. “We, um…” He swallowed. “All joking aside, do you think… Do you think ‘boyfriend’ is accurate?”

I studied him. Something about the way he said it made me think he was hoping I’d say yes. “I… Well, it does fit?”

Anthony glanced at me, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly. “Yeah?”

“Well, yeah.” I shrugged, grinning myself. “We’re not just screwing, you know?” I had a split second to panic, thinking I’d read way too far into everything.

But that smile… oh my God.

He reached across the console and laced our fingers together. “No, we’re not just screwing. We can figure out all the details as we go, but… ‘boyfriends’ works.”

I almost laughed. Not because it was funny, but because I was just so blown away that this was real. This man who’d scraped me up off the street and was now taking me to Oregon to see my parents thought this thing between us actually had some legs. Holy shit.

“I agree,” was all I said, and his smile made my heart flutter.

We drove in comfortable silence for a mile or so. Then he glanced across the console at me. “So does your family have any weird Christmas traditions I should know about?”

I chuckled. “Like what?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “One of my teammates said his grandma gives everyone—and I mean everyone—underwear on Christmas.”

I burst out laughing, which felt fantastic. “Seriously?”

---