Page 88 of Fair Play
“Is this a trick question?”
“Nope. I’m serious. Where do we go from here?”
“I feel like telling you the truth, which is that I have no idea, is going to go against me in this conversation.”
“It’s not a test. My point is that you’re ready to spread your wings while I’m trying to set down roots.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you have to set down roots? Why can’t you fly with me? Your flight plan may be different but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the journey together. We have our entire lives ahead of us. I’m not minimizing your love of hockey, but most guys don’t last much longer than thirty-five, and they don’t just lay down and die—they find new passions. So in a way, we’re in the exact same place in life.”
I stare down into her beautiful face and it’s like a weight is lifted from my shoulders, one I didn’t realize I was carrying. The fear of not being able to play anymore has been crippling in a way, and it took Billie to remind me that life doesn’t have to end when my hockey career does.
“You have a college degree, right?” she continues after a moment.
I nod.
“So you can do any fucking thing you want. Yes, we have to work to pay the bills, but you don’t have zero money. Come on… how much is in your bank account right now?”
“I don’t know. Around six grand.”
“And in your savings?”
I shrug. “Twenty grand.”
She giggles. “You know how much is inmysavings account? A big fat zero. You know how much is in my checking account?”
“Babe, come on, it’s not?—”
“No, seriously. Guess. It’s not zero. I’ve always had a job. Actually… guess how much was in it when we met, and how much is in it now.”
I have no idea, but it seems important to her for me to guess. “Uh, two hundred?”
She laughs. “Close. A hundred and fifty. And now?”
I give it some thought because she’s been working really hard, and though she buys groceries and gas for the car, I know Bodi won’t take money from her and he paid for six months of car insurance.
“Fifteen hundred.”
“Close. Sixteen hundred. And there’s two hundred in my purse. You know why?”
I shake my head.
“Because I will always land on my feet, and together, nothing will keep us down.”
Chapter 33
Billie
I may have said too much toosoon because I can all but see the wheels turning.
There’s a part of me that regrets speaking up but I don’t want to feel like I’m walking on eggshells around him.
I know he’s nervous about the future. He’s had two disastrous marriages that cost him almost everything, both emotionally and financially, but if he doesn’t trust me to not be like them, what are we even doing? This isn’t some starter romance for me. He’s everything I could possibly want. I truly don’t care about money even though I know it’s important. But if Bodi and I could survive without parents, then Rome and I can make it work even if we’re poor for a while.
“Is that too serious for you?” I ask after a moment, hoping he doesn’t hear the hurt in my voice.
