Trading with the Boys

Despite everything, I also felt guilty. The things Eric had insinuated, although maybe not in proper context, were all true. Yes, I’d rented his old room. Yes, I’d taken up with his former teammates… in more ways than he could ever possibly know or understand. And yes, I’d even taken the car. Although that last part I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about, considering it was the only real asset Eric had ever left me with.

When it came to my ex-husband, I didn’t feel badly at all. He was every bit the self-centered asshole I remembered, and then some. He hadn’t paid a lick of child-support after running off to Europe, and had barely even kept in touch with his son. Somehow he’d assumed I’d stay and take care of things here — the house, David, everything. That he could just come back and find everything exactly the same, despite having abandoned his previous life for an entirely new one.

We watched movies together as we usually did, only this time I passed out on the couch. I woke up wrapped in Tate’s arms, to the sound of birds chirping and the morning sun streaming in through the windows. It was a beautiful day outside. Everything seemed calm, tranquil. So very different from yesterday, when I was emotionally drained.

A quick shower later, I was an all new woman. I got dressed and stepped into the kitchen to the smell of coffee, bacon, and eggs. Maybe french toast? I was eager to see…

Then I turned the corner, and saw four men seated around the table, instead of three.

“Hi Serena.”

David was seated beside his teammates, with Cole on the other side. The four of them seemed to be smiling, even laughing. It lifted my heart to see them in such good spirits.

“David…” I smiled. “I— I didn’t know you were—”

“Coming for breakfast? Yeah. Neither did I, but here I am.”

A cup of coffee was pressed into my hand. I didn’t even see who did the deed.

“We were catching up on old times,” said Jacob. “Friends. Gossip. School stuff. You really didn’t miss anything.”

I nodded, glad to see everyone getting along. As strange as it was, I was happy to see David’s anger from yesterday had dissipated.

“That box of your things!” I said, suddenly snapping my fingers. “I brought it down. It’s in the living room.”

“I know,” he said, nodding toward the others. “They already gave it to me.”

“Oh.”

“I was hoping to talk to you, though,” he said calmly. Pushing back from his chair, he stood up. “Can we take a walk?”

My stomach flip-flopped uncertainly, but of course I nodded. I didn’t know what he wanted from me, or what else he might need. But whatever it was…

“Yeah sure,” I said. “Let’s go.”

We went out through the back door this time, instead of the front. Everything was bright and beautiful, especially in the morning sun.

“I see Jacob’s been keeping up with everything,” David noted, leading me down toward the back end of the yard. There were flower beds back there that I used to keep. Right now they were empty. “Except for this, though.”

“Yeah, that one’s on me,” I said. “It was too much work, too much weeding. I had to give up on it, when I started working double shifts.”

David nodded, with his hands in his pockets. He looked reluctant. Like he had to ask me something.

“I’m sorry you had to work doubles,” he said finally. “That’s sort of my fault.”

“Nah,” I said dismissively. “There are a ton of other things around here that—”

“Serena listen,” he interrupted, his voice going suddenly serious. “I don’t know what’s going on between you and the guys. They won’t say anything to me, but I can tell it’s something.”

I’d been raising my coffee to my lips. A butterfly flitted between us, as I stopped mid-sip.

“You don’t have to say anything by the way,” he went on. “Whatever it is, I don’t even need to know. Because as long as you’re happy, I don’t really care.”

His eyes met mine, and surprisingly there was no judgment. There was nothing there except peace now. Peace… and a maturity that wasn’t there the last time I’d seen him.

“All I know is that you were there for me,” David continued. “You did things my father should’ve done. That piece of crap left us both in the dust. And no matter how he acted yesterday, he knows it.”

I was stunned. Everything coming out of his mouth I’d wanted to hear for years. But listening to it now, it was the last thing I expected.