Rewind It Back (Windy City, #5)(116)

Spoken or unspoken, I feel the exact same way.





Chapter 37


Rio


Whiskey in hand, I sink into the hot tub, making sure to align my body with the jets. We just got home from a two-game road trip where both of them went into overtime, and thanks to the added minutes on the ice, my body is aching.

It always does around this time of the year, though. We’re at the mid-point of the season with games, practice, or travel happening almost daily.

So even though I should probably be getting some sleep, seeing as it’s close to two in the morning, I know it’ll be a futile attempt until Hallie gets home from her shift at the bar. She was cleaning up to get out of there around the time our plane landed, so Zee dropped me off at home to wait for her here.

With one arm spread wide on the ledge of the hot tub, I grab my whiskey and take a long pull, letting the liquid burn as it goes down.

I fucking need it.

I called my mom today and tried for what felt like the hundredth time to explain Hallie’s side of things. She wouldn’t even let me get past her name. I understand she has so much resentment built up towards my dad and the whole situation in general, but she’s taking her anger out on the wrong person.

Same as I did.

If she heard Hallie’s side of things and saw the big picture, she’d be a lot more gracious and understanding. I know she would be. But I don’t think she wants to understand anything when it comes to my dad’s affair.

They’re the two most important women in my life, and it’s stressing me the fuck out.

It’s not like Hallie is asking me to choose between them. Shit, she doesn’t even know how bad it’s been between me and my mom lately. But if there ever comes a time that I need to choose which relationship to keep safe, I won’t make the same mistake twice.

I’ll choose Hallie every time. I just hope my own mother doesn’t put me in that situation.

And then there’s Boston.

Because yeah, I think that’s happening.

My agent got quite the insight during our last home game. Boston’s front office is making way for me to join their lineup. Which is my dream. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

But there’s another part of me that doesn’t quite believe that anymore. Because I recently got everything I’ve ever wanted, and those dreams are wrapped up in one single person, not in a career achievement.

Fuck me. I’m exhausted.

I’ve been on this endless loop of what-ifs whenever it’s quiet and I’m forced to think. My brain hasn’t stopped spinning since I was home last, so I take a long swallow of my whiskey and hope that’ll be enough to quiet things until Hallie gets here.

The steam billows around me as the jets go to work on my sore and aching muscles. I sink into the water, trying to tune it all out for a moment, when a flash of headlights bounces off my back fence, the way it does whenever someone turns down our street, and I instantly know it’s her.

By the sounds of it, Hallie pulls into my driveway and parks my truck there.

I hate that she gets home this late. I hate that she’s working a second job, but even more, I fucking hate the reason why.

I’m about to get out of the hot tub to go find her inside, when, through the back-door slider, I spot her marching through my house, straight towards me. She opens the back door, and the force in which she does tells me something is wrong.

“Rio DeLuca.”

Oh, she’s pissed. At me, it seems.

She stops at the base of the stairs that lead up to the hot tub, arms crossed and hip cocked out with attitude.

“Hi, baby.” My tone is cautious. “I missed you.”

She simply raises a brow, as if she’s expecting me to explain myself.

“So much?”

“What the hell, Rio?”

I stretch my arms out wide on the ledge of the hot tub. “I’m going to need you to be a little more specific.”

“Do you want to explain to me why I went online to make a loan payment, only to find that it’s fully paid off? In fact, both of my loans are.”

I should probably be concerned that she’s clearly upset, but I really enjoy it when she’s feisty like this. She also looks so fucking cute, fully bundled up in her wool trench coat and beanie pulled down over her ears, only allowing about an inch of the ends of her hair to peek out.

“Hallie, let’s go inside and we can talk about this. It’s freezing out.”

“No.”

Her quick defiance is fucking hot, so I stay seated, tracing the rim of my glass with my fingertip. “Then get your ass in here.”

She seems thoroughly unimpressed with the idea of joining me and judging by the way she doesn’t move to do that either, I know she’s not going to give up until I give her an answer.

“Fine.” I take a long swig of my drink. “I get that you feel prideful when it comes to money, especially towards me. But we aren’t on opposite teams anymore, baby, so put down the armor.”

I watch as her shoulders loosen an inch.

“I had every intention to pay them off the morning after we got back from seeing your dad, but I didn’t want you to think I was trying to buy your forgiveness. Because I wasn’t. I’m still not. But, Hal, if I was around when your dad got sick in the first place, the way I should’ve been, I would’ve taken care of the financial aspect anyway. You know that. And I think that’s why you were so against my help before.”