Page 16 of The Goalie in Room 1

I nodded, still petrified of the unknown, but the crippling anxiety of my situation before the officer sat me down and gave me a tiny hint of a reprieve was gone.

“Is this all your things?” Officer Vale asked, pointing at the suitcases easily seen from where we sat.

Remembering my bed, I muttered. “Yeah,” then continued, “All I could carry, anyway.”

“So there’s more?”

My throat bobbed as I swallowed the emotions clogging it. It was a stupid fucking bed.

“Just some furniture. My bed and stuff.”

“We can arrange for it to be picked up and stored. And I’m sure Phoenix won’t mind if you use your own bed. I don’t know about you, but I sleep better on my own mattress, no matter how comfortable the one I’m lying on is.”

My eyes found his, and the earnestness in his gaze loosened my lips. “Same. And yeah, if it’s no problem.”

“No problem whatsoever.”

He looked over his shoulder, and my gaze followed his. Mrs. P was trying, and failing miserably, to appear like she wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.

“Guess I need to deal with that,” I said.

“Yeah. She was worried.”

“About her rent⁠—”

“Yes, but not solely. She really was worried about you.”

“Yeah, I skimmed the texts. I didn’t realize…” I swallowed, unable to voice how far I’d let myself fall into depression when the reality of my situation had collapsed in on me.

I stood and walked to the front door, pushing it open. “Hi, Mrs. P. I’m sorry…”

“You had me frantic, young man.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I’ll pay you whatever⁠—”

“Cash, is everything all right?”

I swallowed back the tears that sprouted and burned in my eyes. Looking back over my shoulder, I studied the officer standing in what was once my kitchen, the nicest I’d ever had, his phone pressed to his ear. “Not really, but at least there’s an option now. I’m sorry I didn’t move⁠—”

“Nonsense. The money was the least of my worries when no one could get in contact with you. I was afraid you’d fallen and hurt yourself.”

“I’m sorry I worried you. If you’ll let me know how much I owe you, I’ll get you the money.”

“No apologies and forget about the money. Use it to figure things out for yourself,” she said, taking out her phone and tapping away on the screen. A moment later, mine buzzed in my pocket. The text on the screen revealed she’d given me the month free.

“Mrs. P…I can’t let you…”

“Oh pish! You hush. I don’t have any kiddos of my own. I’ll do what I want. You just stay in contact. I mean, if you want.”

I nodded, swallowing and leaning down to hug the woman who’d treated Mason, Nolan, and me like grandkids the whole time we lived here. She’d brought us cookies and invited us to Thanksgiving and Christmas every year.

“Ma’am, would it be okay with you if Mr. Benjamin stayed here to meet with the movers?” Officer Vale asked when he stepped out on the front porch.

“Of course.”

“Good.” He turned to me and said, “A couple of my friends own a moving service. I’ve arranged for them to come and pack your stuff and move it to the new place. I’ll be by to pick you up and take you there after my shift. If that works?”

I nodded, blown away by the generosity of these two people.