Page 16 of Take My Heart
‘And that means you can’t like them?’ Brody puts the mustard-covered bread on top of the other piece of bread, which has ham stacked on it.
‘Well, no. I guess I don’t care. I don’t really watch football.’
‘Everyone has a team they root for. So what’s yours, assuming you had to pick?’
‘I guess I’d root for the Bears.’
‘You guess?’ People don’t guess about a team. You root for a team you like, one that means something to you.’
‘Okay, then maybe I would root for the Packers. My parents grew up in Wisconsin and my grandparents are from here. I grew up watching the Packers with my grandfather.’
Brody smiles. ‘So youarea Packers fan.’
‘I wouldn’t say I’m a fan. I just watched a few games with my grandfather.’
‘You’re more of a Packers fan than a Bears fan.’
‘Maybe, but like I said, Cam would kill me if he heard me say that.’
‘Why do you care? You’re not with him anymore.’
‘Yeah, I guess you’re right.’
Brody’s words knock me into reality, a reality I keep trying to deny. I feel like I’m dreaming all this, but I’m not. Today really happened. I left Cam at the altar. Our relationship is over.
I no longer have to like what Cam likes or do what he wants. I never liked the Bears, but I said I did to make Cam happy, toavoid getting into an argument. My mom always said to pick my battles and I didn’t think football was something worth fighting about. But thinking back, I didn’t fight for anything. I let Cam take the lead and make decisions for both of us.
Why did I do that? How did it even happen? And why didn’t I realize it until now?
Chapter 4
Brody
‘Do you always make sandwiches like that?’ Kate asks, watching as I stuff the rest of the sandwich in my mouth.
‘Like what?’
‘On the counter instead of on a plate.’
‘Why would I dirty a plate? Then I’d have to wash it.’
‘But now you have to wash the counter.’
I brush the crumbs off it with my hand. ‘There. It’s clean.’
She smiles. ‘You and Cam would not get along.’
I hold up the loaf of bread. ‘You sure you don’t want me to make you one?’
She pauses, eyeing the bread. ‘I am a little hungry.’
‘What kind do you want?’ I set the bread down and untie the bag.
‘I’ll do it,’ she says, coming over to me. ‘Can I use a plate?’
‘Go ahead.’ I go to the fridge to get a soda.
‘Where are they?’
