Page 29 of The Tryout

He follows me back into the living room, onto the sofa.

“So, what rules did you and Poulin have?”

“Oh, we didn’t have anything…formal. I guess just, like, clean up after yourself?”

I nod, grateful to be living with the one hockey boy who isn’t determined to grow a new species of bacteria in the corners of his home.

“That works. What about having friends over?”

“Oh. Um, I don’t, but you can.”

That uncertain look is back again, as though he’s got something he wants to say but can’t figure out how to say it. I think it over.

“I might. But maybe not too loud or too late? And definitely not the day before a game, yeah?”

Relieved, he nods.

“Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.”

“Same rules for hookups?”

“Hookups?”

“Yeah, if we bring someone home, are there any particular rules we want in place? I don’t usually do sleepovers, but you might want to.”

If I thought I’d seen Finn blush before, it’s nothing to what I see now. The red travels all the way up to his scalp.

“Um, whatever you want.”

I lean over, putting a hand on his arm.

“No, it’s not about what I want, it’s about what we are deciding.”

I feel like we have to get this out of the way now or we’re going to spend the rest of the season with Finn holding back from saying when things annoy him.

He blinks at me, and for a moment, I worry that I’ve broken him. Then, he takes a deep breath.

“I think…it would be fine if someone sleeps over, but I’d appreciate some warning? And probably the same deal as with the friends – not the night before a game.”

I’m tempted to ask about the not too loud, but I worry Murphy might actually self-combust if I do.

“Do we shop together for groceries, or buy our own stuff?”

“Can we…buy our own to start?”

I nod, still intending to find ways to expose him to some more flavors. He’s basically inhaled one of everything I brought over.

“Anything else you want to add?”

To his credit, he seems to actually think about it for a bit before shaking his head.

“I don’t think so.”

“But you’ll tell me if there is?”

He nods silently.

I pull out my phone, pulling up Zillow first. After a few searches, I pull up the calculator app and do a few quick calculations