Page 126 of Home Game

He lifted his hand and touched my cheek. “I will never let him near you again, you know that, right?”

I wanted to believe his words, but it wasn’t a promise he could keep. At some point, I’d be on my own. One of these days, I’d get a call back for an interview and then I’d be out in the real world working. Then I’d need to move out. I needed one company to call me for an interview.

Except Terrance had my phone.

I sat up with worry. “Terrance has my phone.”

“It’s okay. We’ll get you a new one.”

“No! I gave out that number for all my job applications.”

Ryan clicked on the light and squinted at me. “You’ve been applying for jobs?”

I lay back down. “Yeah.”

“Since when?”

“I don’t know. For a while. Why?”

“I don’t know. I thought maybe you’d want to go to school or something.”

I snorted. At this point, I had the clothes on my back. I was a long way off from going to school. “One day.”

Ryan clicked off the light. “Is that something you’d be interested in?”

“Yeah. When I can afford it.”

He paused so long I wasn’t sure he was still awake. “What would you take?”

“I should probably do something practical.”

“Forget about practical. What would you study if you could pick anything?”

“Accounting.”

“Really?” He looked shocked. “I thought you’d say something like interior design.”

“I’m good at accounting.”

“Then that’s what you should do.”

I loved how nothing ever seemed to limit Ryan. I couldn’t decideif he earned that attitude when he started making big money, or if that attitude made him successful.

“One day, but first I need a job.”

“Do research.”

“For what?”

“For school.”

I already knew to become a CPA, I needed a bachelor’s degree from a University. Post-secondary education was for wealthy people. It would take me years to save up for school.

“What’s the point?”

“Because even if you don’t know how you will achieve your dream, you still need a plan.”

I lay there thinking about that. “Don’t you think I’d just be setting myself up for failure? To dream about something that seems so far off?”

---