Page 111 of The Way the Heart Breaks: Jade’s Story

He laughs. “The phone?”

“My dad had one installed in my room.”

“No shit?”

“No shit.” I sit cross-legged on my bed and wind the phone cord around my finger. “And we have call waiting.”

“Fancy.”

“I know. I'm practically living in the future.” I joke.

“So I get put on hold for somebody else? Only if it's important. I'm important.”

I smile. “You are.”

There’s a little pause on the other end, and he sighs, or groans? I don’t know exactly, but I know I like it.

“I like hearing you say that.”

“Good.”

“So, what did you do after practice?” he asks.

“We ate at the farm.”

“What'd you have?”

“Steak.”

He laughs. “Of course you did.”

“What?”

“We had steak too.”

“Where?”

“Lucatelli's.”

I sit up. “You went to Lucatelli's?”

“Yep. Lucas and I go every pre-game night. Have for years.”

“That’s adorable.”

He laughs. “Adorable?”

“Your bromance, totally adorable.” I laugh, and he does too. I love his laugh. I love his laugh. It’s deep and easy, and when he really gets going, he can't hide it. His whole face lights up, his shoulders shake, and suddenly that big old football player sounds like the happiest boy in the world. God, I miss that sound. “What kind of steak did you have?”

“New York strip medium rare. Baked potato, green beans, bread, so much bread.” He yawns, then goes quiet for a second.

“We had strip steak too. I like mine medium.”

“Yeah?”

“John trades hay for a cow every year.”

“A cow?”