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“I like tapes. CDs scratch too much when you rewind them and then they don’t work right.” “What are you listening to?” “I don’t know the name. I just picked a song to remember the moment.”
“I pick a song when something cool or important happens so I can remember it. Then when I want to relive a moment, I rewind it back and start the song from the beginning.”
That thing I’ve been looking for since I moved to Chicago? That connection? That one person some search their entire lives to find? I had already found her when I was twelve years old. At least, I thought I had. I know what I’m looking for because I had it once, and now the only girl I’ve ever loved is moving into the house next to mine.
“The guy you were with tonight.” I slowly shift back to face her. “Who was he?” The set in her jaw is evident even from here. “Not your job to worry about.” Nodding, I turn back to my house, hands casually tucked in my pockets as I continue to walk. With my back to her, I make sure my words are loud enough for her to hear them. “Lose him.”
“Well, maybe that was the first time you were told, but I know for a fact it wasn’t the first time someone liked you.”
If I would allow myself to admit it, I missed Hallie Hart.
“You used to be my best friend, and yeah, we haven’t seen each other since then, but I’d rather hold on to the memory of the sweet neighbor boy I loved than replace it with this version of you.”
“But you hate me, remember?” His attention immediately meets mine, glare hard. “I don’t hate you. Hurt, yes. But I could never hate you, Hallie.”
“Do any of these draw your eye? Do you see anything that you’d like to wake up to every morning?” Waiting for his response, I pull my attention from the books to him. Only to find him already looking at me.
“I’m going to do it!” His tipsy grin is way too big. “I’m going to go ask for her number.” “Hey, Rook?” He looks my way, so stupidly excited. “Yeah?” “Sit the fuck down.” “Yep.”
There’s nothing I crave more than these moments when she has her attention on me.
“And what happened that was so important when you heard it?” I already know the answer, but I want to hear her say it. She smiles down at me softly. “It was the first time I realized that you may feel the same way about me as I’ve always felt about you.”
I know you love your mom, we all love your mom, but you’re a grown-ass man now, Rio. At a certain point, our parents’ opinions can’t be more important than our own.”
I want to see him. I want to watch him work his fist over himself. I want a front-row view to witness this man come undone. Fuck it. If he’s saying my name, I’m basically in the room already.
Maybe then you’d understand why I’ve been starving for you for six years now.”
“We’re not hiding this anymore. I’m done pretending like we haven’t planned out our entire future. I’m done acting like you’re not mine.”
“You’re not assuming anything.” I pull him down to kiss me. “I’m all in too. It’s you and me.” Again is what I’m tempted to say, but for good feels more accurate.
“Rio, playing for Boston is your childhood dream.” I shake my head. “You’re my childhood dream.”
we’re all a bunch of transplants from other places who found a home in the windy city…and with each other. I’ll speak for all ten of us when I say, there’s nowhere else we’d rather be.
