Page 37 of Rebound
ELEVEN
LAVINIA
The Titans are playing the Falcons tonight, which means Josh is here. Philly and Boston fans are eagerly watching the game, as well as the sportscasters because Roman is playing against his former team.
“I think I’ve changed my mind,” I say to Jules as we walk into the arena. “Let’s go home and watch the game in our pyjamas.”
“The Lavinia Callahan I know and love is not afraid of anything.”
It’s not fear that’s stopping me. It’s my tender heart. I haven’t had the chance to rebuild my armor.
“Why do men have to ruin everything?”
“If I knew that, I’d be rich,” Jules replies.
At least my entire family is going to be here tonight. We’re watching the game from the family suite because Dad and Mom wanted to come, and then Aunt Constance decided that she wanted to see Roman, so the grandmothers tagged along.
Mom is by my side as soon as we enter the family suite. “How are you doing, sweetie?”
“I’m fine, Mom. It doesn’t have to be a big thing.”
Mom watches me with tender green eyes, wrapping her arm around my waist. “Having your trust broken is always a big deal, Vinny. You have to give it time to heal.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. Like only a parent can, she gets right to the heart of the matter. I’m not in love with Josh. I mourn the time we spent together, the trust I put in him and our relationship.
“How much time?” I ask.
Mom laughs softly. “Oh, honey. No one really knows. The thing about time is, it takes time. You have to be open to healing and asking for help if it gets too much.”
She leads me further into the suite. Dad is talking to one of the player’s wives, but the grandmothers and Aunt Constance are already seated. Jules sits down next to them, already pulling her e-reader out of her bag and resting it on her lap. She’ll start reading once the game starts.
According to her, she lost all interest in hockey as soon as I stopped playing.
I sit down next to Aunt Constance, and she pats my knee.
“Do you think we’re going to see Roman Maddox play again?”
Jules perks up, turning to look at us. “Aunt Constance, do you have a crush on Mr. Maddox?”
Aunt Constance giggles, raising a hand to fluff up her blonde curls. “I just like looking.”
“At men young enough to be her grandsons,” Grandma adds.
“She’s always been jealous that I’m better looking than her,” Aunt Constance whispers.
Is this what Drew and I have to look forward to in our old age? In fifty years, we’ll still be bickering over hockey players and their plays.
“The puck’s about to drop,” Dad says, coming over to join us. He leans down and kisses the top of my head before settling in next to Mom.
Jules’s hand comes down on my knee and she squeezes it gently. When I look at her, her head is tilted to make it seem like she’s looking down at the rink when really her eyes are focused somewhere to the side of me. Surreptitiously, I glance at where she’s looking and freeze when I see Jessie Lewis, the pop star Josh is dating, sitting not too far from us.
I look away before she can catch me staring at her.
Someone squeezes my shoulder, and I look over to see Gran. “Don’t think about it, lovebug. A man who does that is not even worth a second of your precious time.”
I smile at her and turn back to watch the game. Their worry is justified, but honestly, I’m not thinking about Josh. I, like everyone else in the arena, am more focused on what’s going to happen when Roman faces his old team on the ice.
From the start,it’s not pretty. The Philadelphia Falcons are on the defensive and the Titans are trying to keep the puck. But they are no match for our team and there’s no one faster than Drew. When your first coach is Hall of Famer Aiden Callahan, you learn a lot.
