Page 70 of Take Care, Taylor
“Hey. What are you doing?”
“Thinking that it’s probably a good time for me to take out the expired stuff in your fridge.”
“Yeah, that would probably be a good idea.” I smiled. “I know you’re stressing over Weiss’s new poetry essay, but… if you feel like killing a couple of hours and watching the Bears play tonight, I can send a car for you.”
“You want me to watch you walk up and down the sidelines?”
“I can get you a seat in a suite, if you like.”
“That would probably be better than where I am now.” She lowered her voice. “The guys next to me are half-naked and drunk already, so who knows how bad they’ll be by kickoff.”
“You’re here?”
“Of course I’m here.” There was a smile in her voice. “I wouldn’t miss your first game—injured or not. Well, I would’ve missed it if I still hated you, but…”
Something loosened in my chest I hadn’t realized was tight.
“What section?”
“F. Seat 221.”
I walked out of the tunnel and onto the sidelines, scanning the crowd until I saw her face.
She waved at me, and I signaled for a security guard to go get her.
“You’re sitting in the season-ticket area,” I said to her. “When did you buy that?”
“A few days after I found out you were my roommate.” A blush crept across her cheeks. “I was planning to boo the fuck out of you whenever you did play—to get my aggression out.”
“How lovely.”
“It’s past tense.” She stood as the guard approached. “Now, I’ll cheer while watching your bandage.”
I laughed and ended the call.
When she met me on the field, I pressed a kiss against her lips.
The crowd noise blurred. For a second, it was just her—salt on her skin, rain in her hair, and every reason I’d stopped believing in luck standing right in front of me.
Then I held her against my side and led her up to a box.
“Hey, I— Audrey?” Michael’s eyes widened when he saw her.
“Hey, Michael.” She extended her hand. “Long time, no see.”
He glanced between the two of us, blinking several times.
“Shit, I gotta go,” he said. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Where are you going?”
“I need to make a phone call. Mom owes me some serious money over this.”
Audrey laughed under her breath, still tucked against my side. For the first time in months, the field didn’t feel like pressure—it felt like home.
TRACK 29. SOON IT GETS BETTER (1:49)
AUDREY
