no denying he was right when he reamed into me on how my personal relationship with Brody had influenced my judgment on reporting a story. Although two days later he calmed when he realized there was a way to exploit that personal relationship. Brody agreed to an exclusive interview if his team made playoffs. That got me off the hot seat with my boss—for now.
One morning, Brody left early for his first practice after his suspension. My red throw pillows were strewn all over the living room floor from when we’d gone at it on the couch the night before. I picked up the two monogrammed red pillows, then the brown rectangular one I’d had since high school. Tracing my fingers along the script that spelled out LOVE, I briefly thought about the boy who’d given it to me so many years ago. I felt guilty for starting to let Drew go, but it was a decision I knew needed to be made. Too many years of my life had passed in a blur since the accident. This was the first time I didn’t want to stand by and watch more pass. I wanted to live them.
After a long shower, I got myself ready for work. I was sitting on the edge of my bed, zipping up my knee-high leather boots, when the small framed picture of Drew that sat on my nightstand caught my eye. Brody had never said a word about it, even though it was impossible for him to have missed it. I looked down at the first boy I fell in love with and closed my eyes, thinking of all of the good memories. Up until now, I had always thought of Drew as just my love, not my first love. Realizing that he may have been my first but would likely not be my last was a monumental moment for me. I stood, holding the photo, then did something I never expected to do—I packed the photo into a box inside my closet. Drew would always have a piece of my heart, but there was finally room for someone else.
Chapter 20
Brody
After practice, I swung by my place and grabbed the wooden checkers set I’d bought for Marlene’s birthday. It wasn’t the exact one she used to have—this one was nicer—but it looked similar. On my way, I stopped at the florist and picked her up a bunch of colorful flowers.
“Morning, ya old bastard.” I smiled at Grouper.
He scrunched up his forehead and looked at me funny. “What the hell are you so happy about, dipshit?”
“What’s not to be happy about? I’m damn good looking, got a weapon for an arm, and you work for me, not the other way around. Life is fucking stupendous.”
He shook his head. “Must be contagious. Haven’t seen Marlene in this cheery a mood in years either.”
“She should be. Eighty-one today. You didn’t look that good when you were her age.”
Grouper grumbled something.
“Where is the birthday girl? Day room?”
“I think her visitor took her back to her room a little while ago.”
“Visitor?”
“The one who was here a few days ago is back again. Brought Marlene a present, too.”
“What are you talking about? No one visits Marlene, except me.”
Grouper shrugged. “Thought you knew. Pretty girl with the biggest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. They wouldn’t have let her past security if she wasn’t on the approved list.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood up. The biggest big blue eyes I’ve ever seen. I tore ass toward Marlene’s room. By the time I reached the door, my heart was beating like it was the first week of practice and I’d just run five miles in full pads.
Hearing her voice, I froze. Willow had moved from the Deep South to New York when she was ten, but she always kept a hint of her accent. The way she strung her words together was almost lyrical. It was something I’d always loved about her. I could lie with my head in her lap for hours, listening to her babble about all the things she wanted to see someday. But in that moment, as I stood on the other side of the door, the sound was worse than nails scraping down a blackboard.
I should have taken a moment to tamp down the anger boiling up within me, but I didn’t. I pushed the door open. Willow was sitting on Marlene’s bed, her back to me. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
At the sound