Page 42 of Light It Up Red
“First, to brag that the Knights kicked your asses tonight. And then to tell me that you need to learn how to hit harder,” she says.
“Hit harder, huh? I’ll be sure to knock a few teeth loose next time.” I laugh while shaking out my right hand. My knuckles are still bruised from the blow I landed on him.
“I watched the highlights. What’d he say to you to make you hit him?”
“Nothing,” I grunt.
“Travis, what’d he say?” she pins me with a glare, and I groan.
“Lili, I get very limited time to talk to you. I’d rather not waste it on discussing some other guy. Now, how was your day?”
“Same, same. I ate, drank wine, and shopped. What else is there to do in Italy?”
“I wish I was there with you,” I tell her.
“Me too. Two more weeks and I’m all yours.” She smiles.
“Anything else happen?”
“Nothing at all. It’s weird. Feels like something is going to happen, but no one is saying anything.” She sighs. “I’ve been dropping hints about Canada by the way.”
“We don’t even know if I’m going yet, babe. We shouldn’t be poking the beast with uncertainties,” I tell her. It goes without saying that the beast is her father.
“You’ll get it. You deserve it. I’ve never seen a better hockey player in my life.” Lili smiles at me.
“You’re biased, but thank you,” I tell her.
“So… I was thinking… when the season’s over, we should take a trip of our own.”
“Yeah? Where do you want to go?”
“If it’s with you, I’d go anywhere,” she says.
“Name a place in the world you haven’t been and always wanted to see,” I tell her, “and I’ll take you there, Lil. Our season is almost over. We’re not going to the playoffs.”
“Mmm, it’s going to sound boring,” she says.
“Nothing with you will ever be boring. Where do you want to go?”
“I was thinking of renting a house, upstate. In the suburbs. A normal, run-of-the-mill house. No frills. Just the two of us… doing everyday, mundane things. Like grocery shopping and cooking and all that,” she says.
I smile. “That sounds awfully domesticated.”
“It’s stupid. Don’t worry about it,” she says while waving a dismissive hand at the screen.
“It’s not stupid. I love the idea. Let’s do it. I’m going to find a house, and as soon as I’m free, I’m taking you away,” I tell her.
“Are you sure? We can do something else, anything really.”
“I’m sure. Nothing sounds better to me than being domesticated with you, Lili.” It’s the fucking truth too.
“Okay.” A huge grin brightens her face. Who would have thought such a simple thing could make her so fucking happy?
“There is one condition, though,” I tell her.
“What’s that?”
“I’m doing all the cooking.”
