Page 40 of Fake Out Hearts

“No. We don’t talk very often, so it hasn’t really come up. She’ll probably still be the first I tell though. I mean, it’s not like I have a lot of other people to share the news with, you know?”

“Yeah, I get that.” I pull a couple plates out of the cabinet and load one up with eggs, a couple pieces of toast, and a fork, then pass it to her. “It’s not much, but bon appetit.”

“This is really sweet of you, Theo,” she says, although she doesn’t dig in. She pokes at the eggs with her fork for a few seconds but ends up setting it down on her plate. “You said you’re close with your parents. Tell me more about them.”

I make my plate before sitting down at the stool next to hers. “Where to start? They’ve always been my biggest supporters, especially my mom. That can make them a little overbearing sometimes, but I know they mean well, so it doesn’t bother me too much anymore.”

“They sound lovely. How long have they been together?”

I laugh because I honestly don’t know. “Uh, good question. Long enough that I don’t think the number matters anymore.”

“Is that code for you admitting you don’t know?”

“Sure is,” I say, and Becca chuckles. She spreads some of the avocado on her toast and takes a little nibble off one corner.She doesn’t seem to be eating much, but maybe she’s just a slow eater? We definitely don’t have that in common, but that’s okay.

“You know, they’ve had their struggles over the years, just like any married couple, but I think they love each other more now than they ever have. It kind of makes me jealous sometimes, especially since it seems to come so easily for them,” I say, although I don’t know where it’s coming from. I’ve never told anyone that before, even though it’s true.

“Why jealous?”

I shrug. “With my lifestyle and always being on the road, it makes it hard to find someone to be with and really keep the connection going. Someone who gets it. So I don’t know, sometimes I worry I won’t ever find what they have.”

“I know the feeling,” Becca says, and her gaze drifts off to the side.

“What do you mean?”

“I love my mom, and I know she loves me, but there’s a weird sort of distance between us. There always has been, mostly because of the way she can’t stop bouncing around. She’s always made room for the men in her life, but she hasn’t ever done the same for me.”

“I’m sorry.” I can’t imagine how or why anyone wouldn’t want to be close to her, but hearing this about her relationship with her mom just makes me feel even more protective of her.

Becca shrugs. “I appreciate it, but it’s not your fault. Nothing for you to be sorry about.”

“I guess you’ve lived the roadie lifestyle too, but in a very different way.”

“Right. And not by choice. I’ve watched my mom chase after so many men that never really wanted her and who just ended up breaking her heart. And then I went and did the same damn thing, so at this point, I’m sort of convinced that’s all love is. Chasing and heartbreak.”

I have to fight the urge to hug her, to tell her all the ways I want to make sure she feels taken care of now, especially since she clearly missed out on that with her mom—and that dickhead Kaplan. My parents never had much money growing up, so we had more than our fair share of struggles, but they always made me feel loved and appreciated, no matter how hard we were struggling.

I can tell from how quiet she’s gotten that Becca probably doesn’t want to keep talking about this, so I let the silence settle while we eat. She leaves half of her eggs on her plate and only eats one piece of the toast before pushing her plate away. I hope the conversation didn’t get so heavy it ruined her appetite.

“So I guess it turns out I’m an even worse cook than I realized, huh?” I joke.

Her eyes widen, and she shakes her head vigorously. “No, no! I’m sorry. It’s not that at all. I just… don’t have much of an appetite when I’ve got a lot on my mind, if that makes sense.”

“It makes perfect sense.” I cock my head at her and grin. “So then why don’t we do something to take your mind off all that?”

Becca lifts an eyebrow at me. “Like what? I’ve had a lot of big surprises lately.”

“Nothing bad,” I reassure her. “I have a home game tonight, and I was wondering if maybe you’d like to come?”

Her face lights up, excitement blooming across her beautiful features. “Are you kidding? I’d love to!”

Something warm fills my chest. I fucking love how much she loves hockey. “Great. I’ll get you a rinkside ticket.”

“But what about the rest of the team? Aren’t they going to have a million questions?”

“Oh, I’m sure they will, but we can handle that. I mean, assuming it’s not too much for you this soon?”

“No. I need a distraction, and a hockey game is just about the best thing I could think of. Plus, it’ll be nice to get out and start meeting some new people.”

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