Page 135 of Keeping Score

I forced a smile that didn’t meet my eyes, but thankfully Mr. Reilly was too overjoyed to pay me much notice. I couldn’t help the sinking feeling in my stomach. I wanted to say, don’t get excited yet. The other shoe might still drop. It always does.

After all, hadn’t my own father told my mother they could work things out right before he left?

My mind instantly came up with a million scenarios. Mrs. Reilly might take it back. It might be a passing moment of selflessness. Or maybe it was a bold-faced lie as she continued to build a case against him. I didn’t know. I didn’t know this woman’s character, so I had to suspect the worst. I had to be prepared for anything.

But, for now, I let him have his moment. He was doing everything right on his end. He secured housing. He had been consistent in working.

The rest was on my end. I had to finish drafting the parenting agreement—something stating, in permanent terms, the days and times he would have his children. I wouldn’t breathe easy until we took it to court and had it declared fair and legal by a judge, so no one could take it away from him.

Because in my experience, every time you felt something was just in your reach… that’s when it usually got ripped violently away.

Chapter Forty-Three

Brody

Was I a traitor?

Or a liar? Or just an overall shitty person?

There had to be a word for a guy who kept playing with his teammates every day without even mentioning the possibility he might not be renewing his contract at the end of the season.

Logically, I knew guys did this all the time. It made no sense to bring the topic up to anyone when I wasn’t even set on it myself. But still, I’d never been the type to keep secrets. I’d never been the type to do anything except tell people whatever the hell was on my mind at any given moment.

It was an issue, actually. So maybe I could just view this whole thing as an experiment in practicing my own self-control.

“What’s up with you?” my teammate Ryan said, skating up next to me during warmups. “Do you have something to tell us?”

I jerked my head in his direction fast enough to hurt. “What do you mean?” I asked, feeling my eyes go wide and buggy.

Play it cool. Play it cool.

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“This.” He gestured a hand up and down the length of me. “You’re acting twitchy as hell lately. The guys sent me over to ask if you’re on something.”

I blinked. Okay, I guess he wasn’t as on to me as I thought he was.

“What the hell? No.” I said, affronted. “Why would you even think that? We get drug-tested.”

He shrugged. “Didn’t know if you just didn’t care, since you and your girl split or whatever.”

Yeah, I thought wryly, I guess I need to work on my nervous tics.

“Well, I’m not on drugs.” I said. “And even if I was, do you think I’d tell you?”

“Sounds incriminating.” He looked at me skeptically. “So, are you saying there’s a chance you might be?”

“No, I’m just pointing out the error in your methods,” I said, mostly because I was prone to rambling and helplessly trying to deflect from the real reason I’d been a bit on edge lately.

“Whatever, man.” he said, not looking entirely convinced. “Just don’t screw us over with a shitty performance tonight, okay? We’re counting on you.”

I scoffed. “When have I ever?”

“Never.” Ryan grinned. “That’s why we were worried. We can’t afford to lose you. You’re one of the best we’ve got.”

My eyes widened. It was rare to hear something like that, especially from a guy like Ryan. And look, I knew my stats. I knew that I was a fan favorite. But it was one thing to see social media posts about you made by strangers online, and quite another to be told it by your own teammate.

“I got you,” I told him, feeling like a liar. “You know that.”