Page 71 of Against The Boards

“Do you want children?” she asked.

I wrenched my head to look at her in shock. “Is there something you need to tell me?”

Horror etched across her face. “Oh God, no! We always use condoms, and I got back on the pill to be sure. I don’t want kids.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, okay. Way to give a guy a heart attack.” Then I frowned, remembering that her week had been stressful because she had been complaining about headaches. “Wait, is that why you’ve been having headaches?”

She took a sip of coffee, so she didn’t have to answer.

“Angel, come on.”

“Yes,” she answered bitterly.

“Hey, I’m cool with using condoms. You don’t have to be on the pill if it makes you sick like that. I don’t want kids either.”

She shook her head. “Benny, I really don’t want kids. I’d rather be double protected.”

“What about an IUD?” I asked.

She shook her head in horror. “No way! I had one for a year and had to get it taken out. The side effects were worse for me.”

“Angel, why didn’t you say anything?”

She waved me off. “It’s fine. Again, I don’t want kids.”

“Neither do I, but I don’t want you to suffer because of the pill.”

“Is that why you and your ex broke up? Because you wanted different things?” she asked, changing the subject. I let her, even though I would press her about this later. I didn’t like her being in pain because she didn’t want kids. I was always careful. Always.

I sighed. “The whole kids and marriage thing isn’t for me.”

“Why not?”

“Look, my grandparents and my sister have great marriages, but I grew up watching my asshole Dad treat my mom like garbage, and she just took it.”

She set her coffee down on the bedside table and crawled into my lap. Her hands reached up and framed my face. “Hey. You’re not him, okay?”

I kissed her hand and ran my hands down her curvy body. I liked her straddling me like this, but I had to tell my dick to focus. This was a serious conversation, not playtime.

“I don’t want to be him. He’s a dick, and he cheated on my mom all my life.”

“Michael, you’re not him. I see that now.” She pressed a hand to my chest. “I see you.”

Something hit me right in the chest at her calling me by my first name instead of my hockey nickname. I took my free hand and kissed her tattooed wrist. “I see you too, bad girl.”

She glared at me. “Ass! We were having a moment.”

“Still are, angel,” I said, and I pressed my lips to her wrist again.

“Truth be told, I don’t want to get married either.”

“Why not? I thought all chicks wanted that.”

She made a face. “Nah. Not for me.”

“No?”

“I don’t see the point. It’s just a piece of paper. Why do I have to prove to people my love is strong with an antiquated institution?”