Page 70 of Pucking the Team

I picked up my wine and went into the living room. After drawing the heavy gray drapes, I sat on the huge sofa and picked up the remote. I turned the music down but left it on. It was a countdown of nineties movie classics, and I liked it.

“Ah, I love this one.” Ben flopped next to me and put his feet up on the table.

“You likeTitanic?” I asked.

“Sure, great movie. Who doesn’t love Jack and Rose?”

“True.”

Theo joined us and sat on my opposite side. He set a glass of water on the table and rested back.

I reached for his hand. It was warm in mine, and he nudged his shoulder close as though wanting to be nearer to me.

Worry tugged at my heartstrings. I didn’t like to think that he was going through something on his own.

“How’d it go, Theo?” Ben asked suddenly.

There was a pause, then Theo spoke. “A day of laughs.” He huffed. “Like always.”

I pressed my lips together, not wanting to appear nosy.

“Did he tell you?” Ben asked, turning to me.

“No, and if he doesn’t want to, that’s fine.” I paused. “Whatever is going on is clearly personal, and it’s not like you’ve known me long and—”

“You really didn’t Google us?” Theo said suddenly. “Not even after the other day?”

“No, I really didn’t. And what about the other day?” I tried to think back. “Why? Did you Google me?”

Theo kind of shrugged. Had his cheeks gone a fraction pink? “A bit.”

“You did? When?” I was surprised.

“Today, I was hanging around, I was missing you…crazy, huh?”

“No, not crazy.” What was he hanging around for? And where? Hospital?

“Are you mad that I searched you?” he asked me. His voice held a hint of vulnerability that made me melt for him a little more. “I understand if you are, I hadn’t really planned to. Not normally my style.”

“No, I’m not mad, and Dylan must have Googled me, too, or something like that, to have found that picture of me and Eduardo.”

“Apparently,” Ben said, “he follows the guy on social media, and every day he posts a link to his blog. He’s a big Viper fan.”

I nodded. “Fair enough.” I looked at the small Band-Aid on Theo’s left elbow crease. “And what did you find out about me?”

“I mainly wanted to see your face—plenty of images of your face to be had.”

“There are.” I knew that for a fact.

“And of you in designer clothes.” He paused. “Only one of you with that asswipe Steven, and it’s a good scroll down.”

“I made a point of avoiding us being photographed together, which is good now, less explaining to the masses.”

“Sensible.”

“And I’m sorry,” Theo said. He turned his hand over so he was holding mine in his and he set his other over it. “About your parents, that really sucks.”

I swallowed and closed my eyes. Them being mentioned was giving me an emotional slap. “It was a long time ago.”