Page 34 of The Penalty

“Well, I know who I’ll be coming to when I have to set up my 401k in the future.”

He laughs. “Happy to help.” He pauses briefly before asking, “Have you always had trouble sleeping?”

I shake my head and sigh. “No, this is new. I think just the stress from everything is starting to be too much. My mind can’t slow down. I’m always thinking of what else I need to do.” Or how much money I need to make.

He nods. “I wish I could give you advice, but I can’t. I often find myself in the same position. Especially during the season. Hence why I’m still up right now.”

“I wish I could be like Kylie. She falls asleep within seconds of hitting the pillow.”

He chuckles. “She’s always been like that. Even as a baby. She was such a good napper, too.”

“I believe it.”

He grabs the deck of cards from the side table. “Wanna play again?”

I smile, thinking about all the time I spent playing with my brothers at home. We didn’t have money for a lot of fancy toys, but cards were something we definitely had. When all our friends were getting new video game consoles, our parents bought us board games. It was something we could do as a family. “Let’s do it.”

“You know how to play gin rummy?”

I act like I’m offended by the question. “Of course I do.”

He laughs and then shuffles the deck. “My apologies for underestimating you.”

We play for the next hour, talking while we play. I learn a lot about his childhood. How he was kind of a loner until high school, when he became a star player. He attributes that to his big ego. I laugh, but I haven’t noticed any ego at all. It’s the opposite, actually. He seems to not realize how much of a big deal he is. I like that about him a lot.

I tell him about the time I tried out to be a cheerleader and ended up kicking another girl on accident. She got a huge bruise and never spoke to me again. I also didn’t make the team and never tried out again.

It’s easy to talk to Tyler. He listens and asks questions, something guys my own age seem to have forgotten to do. I haven’t dated much in college, but the times I have, I felt like I was talking to a wall. It was like I was there to be an attractive accessory and that’s all.

Eventually, we put the cards away and turn our attention to the TV. He’s got ESPN on, which just so happens to be one of my favorite channels, thanks to my dad and brothers. Mom would always try to get us to watch something else, but sports was something we agreed on.

I don’t know when or how it happened, but when I wake up, my head is on Tyler’s lap. His head is tilted back on the couch pillow, and he’s clearly asleep. His hand is on the top of my head almost as if he fell asleep stroking my hair.

I don’t want to move.

But this is not a position we want Kylie to find us in, no matter how innocent it actually is.

I try to sit up without waking him, but I’m unsuccessful. His eyes crack open as soon as I’m off his lap.

“Sorry,” I whisper. “I think I fell asleep.”

His dark eyes roam over my face, and he reaches out and lets his fingers trail down my cheek. It’s a flutter of a touch, but it feels so good that I can’t help but lean into it.

I hate it when he pulls away.

“I should go to bed,” I say. I wish he’d say no. Tell me to stay with him. But he doesn’t. He only nods in agreement.

“Yeah. Me too.”

We both stand from the couch, he turns the TV off, and we walk upstairs together. His fingers brush mine once we get to the top of the stairs. It was likely an accident, but it sends a spark through me.

I stop in front of the guest room I’ve been staying in. “Goodnight, Tyler.”

“Goodnight, McKenzie.”

I walk quickly into the room before I can do something stupid like ask him to stay with me.

FIFTEEN