Page 37 of Boards & Betrayal

I knew it would catch up with me soon… but not now.

Chapter 12

Tom

The rain hammered down, drowning the night in a steady rhythm. Ally sat beside me in my '67 Chevy Impala, soaked to the bone. Her auburn hair clung to her cheeks, droplets tracing paths down her pale skin.

"You know," she said, her voice barely audible over the rain, "I don't… I don't do this. I don't go home with guys. I just…" She let her voice trail off, eyes cast downward.

"You don't have to justify this, sweetheart," I replied, resting a hand on her denim-clad thigh. The warmth of my palm seeped through the fabric, grounding both of us in the moment. "Just relax. We're going to have fun."

"Fun," she murmured, almost as if testing the word on her tongue. Her blue eyes searched mine, filled with a mixture of curiosity and hesitation. "Do you mind… would it be okay if I got to know you?"

"We spent the entire night talking," I pointed out, a smile tugging at my lips. The irony amused me—hours of conversation, and yet here we were.

"Yes," she said softly, "but I don't know things about you. Important things."

"Like what?" My smile widened as I leaned back in my seat, giving her my full attention while also driving back to my place.

"Like… what's your favorite color?" she asked.

I chuckled softly, finding the simplicity of her question endearing. It felt like an innocent peek behind the walls I'd built so carefully.

"Blue," I answered after a moment. "The color of the sky right before dusk." I paused. "Like the color of your eyes."

She nodded thoughtfully, her fingers absently tracing circles on her thigh where my hand had rested moments before. The intimacy of the question surprised me—it wasn't something people usually asked in moments like this.

"And yours?" I prompted.

"Green," she said without hesitation. "Like the forests back home."

I nodded, glancing at her from the corner of my eye as I navigated through the rain-slicked streets. Her curiosity seemed to put her at ease, and I was willing to play along.

"What's your favorite book?" she asked, her voice soft but insistent.

I thought for a moment. "ProbablyThe Old Man and the Sea.There's something about the struggle, the persistence. It resonates with me."

"Do you have a favorite movie?" she continued, her eyes lighting up with genuine interest.

"Field of Dreams,"I replied without missing a beat. "It's about baseball, sure, but it's really about redemption and reconnecting with the past."

She smiled at that, nodding as if she understood completely. "What about music? Do you have a favorite band or artist?"

I hesitated, not because I didn't have an answer, but because sharing these little pieces of myself felt strangely intimate."Bruce Springsteen," I finally said. "There's something raw and real about his music."

Ally looked thoughtful for a moment before asking, "Do you have any hobbies?"

I chuckled softly. "Hobbies? I used to play guitar, but it’s been years since I picked it up. That, and hockey. But…"

"But?" She raised her brows.

"A knee injury took me out of the game," I said. "That, and…" Well, she wanted answers. "The girl I was seeing at the time found out she was pregnant."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You play guitar? That's… unexpected."

That was her focus? Not my kid, but guitar?

"Yeah," I admitted with a shrug. "Picked it up in high school to impress girls, but it turned into something more."

---