And he looked up at me with a sauce-splattered face. God, he had no shame.
“Really, what for?” he asked, tossing another clean bone onto the growing stack.
“For getting so snippy when you said you’d heard from that Leafs scout. What was his name? Larry Peterson?”
“Leon Purvis.”
“Yeah, Leon Purvis. Anyway, that was a seriously big deal for you. You had every right to feel excited about it. I should’ve been more supportive and I wasn’t, so I’m sorry.”
He had this look of amazement that said he was shocked that anyone would’ve had the humility to come right out and admit something like that. Call me an old-fashioned farm boy if you want—I’ll wear it proudly—but I believe in being accountable, even when it’s inconvenient.
“Bro,” he said, “I never expected you to come right out and say that.”
“Me either.”
“I wish I had witnesses.”
I suppressed a laugh. “Why? You think I’ll go back on it or something?”
“No, I just want to remember where I was the first time you admitted to being wrong about…anything.”
“Once I thought about it, I realized I was wrong. That’s not so hard.”
“So, what had you all worked up about me hearing from the Maple Leafs? Jealous or something?”
“It’s not that I’m jealous. My time will come. I’ve worked hard, and I’m determined as hell. I’ve just got to be patient and good things will happen.”
“You’re jealous.”
“I didn’t even imply that I’m jealous.”
“Yeah, yeah, you did. But you were the bigger person, and I pushed my limits. I’m sorry.”
“Now who’s apologizing?”
I smiled at him. He smiled back. Goddamn, I swear to you that “sexy as hell” isn’t a big enough phrase to describe the look on my boyfriend's face at that moment. That look reminded me of why I’d let Kayden get away with so much in the first place.
“I think I was just put on edge by other issues,” I said.
“Like what?” Kayden had a genuinely curious expression now, which meant I needed to have a good response.
“Let’s say you’re drafted.”
“What’s this ‘let’s say’ shit? I’m gonna get drafted. That’s a given.”
“Okay, you’re gonna get drafted, hands down, period, nothing could possibly stand in the way of it. That’s gonna put a real strain on us, won’t it?”
“Ohhhh, I get it. Because a pro team, even in the minors, will account for even more of my time than the Larkin Lions ever have?”
“Well, sort of, but not exactly.”
“And you’re worried I won’t have time for you—for us—anymore.”
“By the way, I’m fully expecting to get drafted too. You know, sooner or later.”
“By the Leafs? What are the odds of that?”
I paused. That was my point exactly, only I didn’t want to admit it just then. It was all hypothetical at that moment, so I couldn’t say one way or another. Kayden continued eating hiswings, but even he had to know the conversation wasn’t truly over yet.
