Page 21 of Fair Play
Five hundred a shift is really good money.
Good enough to make me push away the demons of the past and look toward the future.
Now I just have to figure out if I still remember how to skate.
The next week is busy,between school and work, but it’s nice having my own car. Not to mention having the townhouse to myself. Bodi has a cleaning service that comes once a week, which was a pleasant surprise, but I’ve been able to cook meals and freeze some for days when I’m busy.
Sleeping in Bodi’s bed has been a nice bonus too. The couch is fine but definitely not as comfortable as his bed. Unfortunately, he and Rome will be home tonight so I’m camped out on the couch with my laptop, finishing a paper that’s due next week when I hear the garage door open.
“Hey.” Rome’s deep voice is a verbal aphrodisiac, and I do my best to tamp down the desire that courses through my veins every time he opens his mouth. I’ve never had this kindof visceral reaction to a man before—it’s bewildering—but I’m determined not to let him see it. No matter what Athena said.
“Hi.” I turn with what I hope is a friendly smile. “How was the trip? You guys won all four!”
He nods. “It was good.”
“Where’s Bodi?” I ask when he doesn’t come in behind him. They went to the airport together so I assumed they would come home together.
“He went out. Said to tell you he might not be home tonight since we have tomorrow off.”
“Oh. Okay.” I nod. I know what that means.
Bodi is insanely popular with the ladies.
I don’t want to think about that, though. Or the fact that he’s going somewhere else to get laid.Gross.
“How’s the car?”
That makes me grin. “It’s amazing. I seriously can’t thank you enough. It’s a dream to drive!”
“I’m glad.” He perches on the back of the couch. “It’s not giving you any trouble? It’s in great shape but you never know when a car sits for most of five years.”
“So far so good!” I pause. “I, uh, I’m really grateful. You don’t know how much easier you’ve made my life. I’m being serious.”
“It was no problem at all. Really.” His eyes find mine and, as always, the ever-present spark flickers like a beacon summoning me to a flame.
I’m totally going to get burned, but I walk toward it anyway.
“I’d like to take you to dinner,” I blurt. “As a thank you.”
His expression doesn’t change, except for a tiny tic in his jaw that’s barely noticeable.
“Sweetheart, I’d love to spend time with you but…”
I know exactly what he’s not saying and it irritates me.
“Bodi doesn’t get to tell me who my friends are,” I say firmly. “I can take a friend to dinner to thank him for doing somethingnice for me. He has no say. I refuse to let him suck the joy out of my life because he’s still lost in the what-ifs.”
Rome frowns. “What does that mean?”
This is hard to talk about, but for some reason, I feel comfortable sharing with Rome. “The thing is, he frames it as being an overprotective big brother, and on the surface, that’s true. But the deeper explanation is that he’s afraid something is going to happen to me. Like it did with our parents. We have no one but each other.
“At the end of the day, it’s just us, and deep down in the dark recesses of his soul, he’s scared. He thinks by keeping me close, keeping me from dating hockey players, or driving a car, or even living five hundred miles apart—he’s going to keep something bad from happening to me again. Like it did in the accident when our parents were killed. And we both know that’s not how life works.”
“We also know he’ll kick my ass if I touch you.”
“You’ve already touched me,” I tease.
“You know what I mean, Billie.”
