Offside

CHAPTER 16

HALF-TIME

Lying on the Skyes’ couch, wrapped up in warmth, my dream continued.

“What do you mean which one to believe?” Greg asked.

“Well,” Nicole started and then paused. I could feel her body twisting in my arms and felt her fingers pushing the hair off my forehead. “It’s like he’s a different person depending on what he’s wearing. He even said something about it once, when he was dressed up for that banquet thing you dragged me to. He was so…suave, I guess, because he was wearing a tux. Then when he puts on his jersey, he acts like someone completely different. That first day he was here—when I found him at the cemetery—that was the first time I thought this is the real Thomas, you know? Not an act.”

“That’s got to be a little confusing for you, hon,” Greg said.

“It’s giving me whiplash.”

I felt her hand on my cheek and pushed against it instinctively even in sleep.

“His Mom’s death…that really messed him up, you know?” she said softly.

“It messed them both up,” Greg replied.

“Did you know her? Did you know Thomas’s mom?”

“Yeah,” he replied, “I did.”

My dream deepened as I felt Nicole’s fingers twisting bits of my hair around my ear. I lay back on the picnic blanket in the yard, and the rain misted over us though we never got wet. Fucked up dreams.

“They dated in high school…”

“She left town and moved to Chicago, following some artist type…”

“Lou brought her back here…”

The words in my dream didn’t really make sense to me still, and the sensations of Nicole’s touch were more than enough to capture and hold my attention. I sighed and nuzzled against her, feeling her hair tickle my nose as I basked in her scent.

Warm…delicious…my Rumple.

“They got married…”

“Thomas came shortly after…”

The voices in my dreams faded with the scene, casting me in deeper sleep. As I felt consciousness grip me again, I groaned at my stiffened muscles as I shifted on the couch. I rolled off and on to the floor with a thump and a gasp.

I heard giggling.

“Oh fuck, that hurt,” I moaned. I flopped over onto my back and rubbed at my shoulder, grimacing.

“You’re funny,” Nicole said as she crouched down next to me. “Hungry?”

“Very.”

“Get up, then.”

She giggled again as she headed into the kitchen and left me on my back. I tilted my neck backwards painfully as I watched her saunter out of the room, her long legs teasing me with the tightening muscles as she walked. I moaned again as I rolled over and pushed myself up on my hands and knees.

“I thought you soccer players were supposed to be in good shape.” Greg’s voice jumped out at me from his chair. I startled, having no idea he was sitting that close, and just about fell off and on to my face.

He laughed at me, too.

“Anytime you want to come lift weights with me,” I suggested as I looked up at him, “you let me know. We’ll see how you’re doing a couple hours later, old man.”