Page 126 of The Import Slot
“I think we need to talk about it.”
“Talk about what? Talk about how you were fucking Vicky for years without any of us knowing, getting her pregnant and discarding her like an old gear bag.”
“It wasn’t like that!” Liam yells.
“What was it like then? Because I remember that one summer being a complete gong show. My mom couldn’t get through to her. She spent the whole goddamn summer rebelling, sneaking out—”
“We were kids. That’s what kids do! I–”
They snap at each other back and forth for a few beats before I step in, tossing my stick to the side.
“Why does it even matter now?” I say.
“Because she’s fucking heartbroken still,” Johnny shoots at me.
“She’s not the only one. She could have fucking fooled me, though,” Liam says, his eyes landing on Gary inside.
“Fuck him. She only brought him today because she’s trying her best to make it look like she’s moving on. She’s hardly spoken to him,” I say.
“You’ve had no problem fucking about, though, Lee. It’s all over the fucking Internet,” Johnny says.
“It’s all been a show,” Liam huffs. “I’m just as broken-hearted as she is. Twice she broke my heart, twice!”
“What do you mean, ‘a show’?” Johnny stops what he’s doing and rounds on Liam, ignoring his declaration of heartbreak.
“What do you expect me to do? I just played it up a bit and made it look like I was having the time of my fucking life. Like I said, I’m just as heartbroken as she is,” Liam says.
“Don’t you fucking dare!” Johnny leans over to Liam as if he’s taking a swing, but ends up leaning against the balcony railing, which makes me nervous. “Don’t you play the victim!” Johnny screams. It’s weird because I’ve never seen him get so pent up about anything before, but he screams into the night.
“Johnny, buddy, come away from there,” I say, and he turns back to me.
“You don’t get to say shit,” he points his finger at me. “Neither of you—” he moves his finger, pointing between Liam and me, “think about anything else other than hockey and yourselves, and now you’re telling me all this time Vicky is crying herself to sleep because you can’t keep it in your pants when there’s been nothing going on?”
Johnny’s eyes water as if he’s holding back tears. I know he’s got a short fuse, but I’ve never seen him like this.
“I don’t know what the hell has gone on between you and Vicky, but it sounds like you need to fucking talk because neither of you has communicated at all. Both pining after each other. It’s fucking toxic.”
“Johnny—” I start.
“You’re one to fucking talk,” Johnny rages. “Did you know Ryan has failed to mention his chat with Ronnie to Jen?” he throws at Liam.
Liam turns to me, his back toward the door. “I bet they’ve offered you four years? Are you a Jet for another four years? Congrats, bud!”
The door creaks open, and Jen is standing there with a tray of some Finnish biscuit she’s made for Jani, but her expression, which was a smile, drops.
“Four years?” she says, placing the tray down on the little table outside. “Wow. That’s great news, Ryan. Anyway, I thought you might like to try some of these before Jani eats them all. They are called ‘joulutorttu’”
She slips back inside without a backward glance.
“Dammit, Johnny,” Liam and I both say simultaneously.
“What? She was going to find out eventually,” he shrugs, draining the rest of his beer.
I should be more pissed off at Johnny than I am. He’s poking all the bears this evening, but he’s right. Of course, she would find out eventually, but I didn’t want her to find out like this.
I head back inside, closing the door to the balcony behind me and make a beeline for Jen, who’s near the oven.
“Do you want a drink?” she asks.
