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“I missed you.” He kissed the top of her head, lingering for a beat before he hugged her. “I won’t stay away so long next time.”
“Nonsense! You’re playing hockey! Have fun.” She yawned and waved at me. “Excuse me, I need to lay down. Will you both stay for lunch?”
“Oh, no thank you.’ We’re full.” I smiled, avoiding Theo’s knowing gaze. It was hours past lunch. “You rest, Mrs. Sanders.”
“You seem wonderful. Would you visit again?”
“Absolutely.” I squeezed her hand before holding it out for Theo to take. He kissed his mom’s forehead and let me lead him back outside. The air cooled slightly, and the sunset greeted us over the nice lake nearby. Theo inhaled a few times before letting go, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and tugging my back against his chest.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you. I hope you know that. You are… everything, Audrey.” He kissed my temple. “You saw how she was… and my dad…”
“It’s complicated.” I closed my eyes and enjoyed how he felt around me. Large thick muscles, warmth and strength, soft clothes and gentle touches. For avoiding feelings most of my life, the loneliness was all worth it to wait for him. For us. “The love she has for you is real. It shines through.”
“How can she say she forgives my dad when she can’t remember things?”
“It’s probably short-term memory loss. She’ll remember the big stuff. She seemed healthy, happy even. Seeing you made her smile, and that’s not a memory she’d lose.”
He huffed and kissed my neck. “Can I stay with you tonight? I’m gonna be a mess, and I just want to lay naked with you.”
“That we can do.” I’d take care of him, like he had with me thousands of times. Because that was what a relationship should be like. You took turns leaning on each other. It wasn’t one-sided. I vowed then and there, I’d rather be alone and friendless than to accept half-friendships. That meant no more trying with my mom or Quentin. Unless they reached out and wanted to repair our family, I’d focus on myself and being happy.
With Theo, I felt whole again. I missed this feeling. I just hoped we’d make it last when he left to play for the Acorns.
24
Theo
It was our first game for the season, my final college home opener. I deserved a goddamn Oscar for being able to focus on hockey at all with the rest of my whirlwind life. In the three weeks since my dad announced he was a fucking cheater, I’d made more of an effort to see my mom.
It hurt every single time, but Audrey went with me. Sometimes, she stayed in the hallway. Others, she came in and played Uno with us. Em, Daniel, Penny, and I still hung out three times a week, but my dad kept his word. Not sure his word was worth shit after twenty-one days, but he’d stepped up. He came home from work, picked up my siblings, and went back to being our dad.
He didn’t seem like he lied. The two times he was late, he’d shared his location with me as he was at the store. He promised me he’d never lie to me again, and he said he wanted me to live my life.
How did I even do that?
Spending every second with Audrey, learning more about her, and getting to experience things with her. My life had been go-go-go all the time with fleeting relationships where there was no deep meaning. The fact I had someone like her? It made everything seem less intense.
I stood on the ice as someone sang the national anthem and stared into the crowd. Audrey was there. Her auburn hair was in a high pony, and she wore a navy and orange hoodie. It wasn’t my number on the back, but she was here. For me.
My chest filled with pride.
She shared she wasn’t sure about coming because of Quentin or her mom, but she wanted to see me play. She sat by Em, the two of them laughing at something on my sister’s phone, but something ran into my arm and made me lose balance.
“What was that for?” I hissed, not drawing attention during the song. Fucking Quentin Hawthorne stood next to me. His injury had improved, and he could skate. Not play during the game, but he could gently practice. I was happy for him as a fellow athlete. Being injured was a special kind of hell.
“My sister is here,” he said, his voice much less sarcastic than what I was used to. Things were less weird between us, but I wasn’t about to hug him or be besties for life.
Even after our chat, he hadn’t reached out to Audrey. I knew because I’d asked her. I hoped our talk would knock sense into him but nope. The kid was still an idiot.
“I texted her and asked her to come.”
Oh. My stomach tightened. I thought she came for me. “Good, yeah?”
It didn’t feel good. I wanted her for myself, regardless of how that sounded. I’d never voice that to her, but the blip of annoyance did intrude.
“I didn’t think she would. She never came to my games before, ever. Maybe a few times in high school, but dude, I’ve been thinking about what you said. I need to do something for her.”
Oh, she never came to games. That meant she came for me. Okay. Phew.
