I exhaled a deep breath and stood up to leave. Collins followed me to the door.
“Hang in there, kid. This is just a small bump in the very long road of your career.” He patted my shoulder as I opened the door.
“See you later, Coach.” I waved.
“Wait. I have to know… the bar fight. Why did it start?”
“Viper was in the bathroom and I was sitting there drinking my beer, not bothering anybody, but still pretty wound up from the fight and the game. Guy started telling everyone I was a goalie because I didn’t know how to throw a punch.” I shrugged. “He poked me in the back, so I proved him wrong. Then I proved him wrong again. Then again.”
“Wait a minute.” Collins frowned in confusion. “Viper wasn’t arrested, but his knuckles are all banged up. How did he get involved?”
I tried to hide my grin unsuccessfully. “He came out of the bathroom and I was fighting like four guys. I remember him yelling my name, asking who he should hit first. I didn’t answer, so he just started swinging.”
Collins sighed and shook his head. “You two are like Dumb and Dumber on ice skates. Go. We’ll talk in a couple days.”
I opened the door to my truck and looked across to the passenger seat as I climbed up.
Kacie jumped as her eyes snapped open.
“Sorry. Were you sleeping?”
She pushed her arms out in front of her and stretched her neck side to side. “I must have dozed.”
“I feel bad that you’re so tired today. It’s my fault.”
“Eh.” She winked at me. “You’re worth it.”
“So.” I sighed. “What’s the plan for today?”
Please don’t say you’re going home. Please don’t say you’re going home.
“Well, I should probably go home.” She craned her neck to look at the time on my dashboard. “Mom put the girls on the bus for me, but I need a shower desperately.”
“I don’t know…” My eyes lazily traveled the length of her body and back up to her face. “You look pretty hot in your pink pajama pants with little yellow ducks on them.”
She reached across and swatted my arm. “Shut up. I was in a rush to save my boyfriend from the clink. Anyway, about this going home thing, do you wanna come with me?”
“I do. Really bad.”
A lazy smile crawled across her lips. “I was hoping you’d say that. We’re gonna have to drive separately. My car is still here, remember?”
“No problem. I’ll follow you.” I peeked at her out of the corner of my eye and squeezed her hand. “It’s usually a good view from back there.”
She looked at me and raised a playful eyebrow. “Your back end isn’t so bad either, Murphy.”
We drove to my house in silence, content with just holding hands and being together again.
I pulled into my garage and parked in the space next to her Jeep. She didn’t make any immediate move for the handle, not that I was in a rush to get rid of her.
“So, I was thinking…” She paused.
Uh oh.
“How about we go to my house, I get cleaned up and get Lucy and Piper settled in—”
“Sounds good,” I interrupted.
“And then,” she continued, pretending not to hear me, “I was thinking we drive out to your parents so you can talk to them.”
“No.” I shook my head adamantly. “I’m not in the mood for that shit today.”
“Brody, hear me out.” She put her hand on my forearm, rubbing it gently with her thumb. “They’re still your parents whether they’re together or not, and you love them just as much as you did last week before you found this out. I think you’ll feel better if you just talk to them, especially your mom. I can tell from what you told me about your phone conversation you’re mostly mad at her.”
How does she always know this shit?
I clamped my jaw together and stared straight ahead at the concrete wall in front of my truck.
“Knowing what I know about your mom, she’s losing her mind right now over you not talking to her. I’m actually surprised after your game last night that she wasn’t sitting in the hallway outside your condo this morning.” She giggled.
I shot her a ‘not-funny’ glare and her smile disappeared.
“Sorry. Too soon.” She covered her mouth, trying to muffle her laugh.
“Fine. You’re…” I paused.
“Right?”
“No. Not right,” I said sarcastically, “but not completely wrong either.”
“Good. I win.” She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek quickly before hopping out of the car and running to hers.
We put the girls in bed that night and it was hard to walk away. I just wanted to hang out in their room with them and watch as they fell asleep.
The closer we got to my parents’ house, the stronger my urge became to turn my truck around and go the other direction.
I didn’t want to go there.
I didn’t want to talk to them.
I didn’t want to see them.
“You nervous?” Kacie’s sweet voice pulled me back to reality.
“No,” I answered flatly.