How It Rolls (19 page)

             
I looked him directly in the eyes because the emotion which had brewed in me for weeks was about to verbalize itself. 

             
“This Falcon.  The one who smiles like I’ve just rocked his world.  The one who plans the most amazing dates.  The one who buys me skates.  Don’t get me wrong, I dig solemn Falcon, I do.  But I love that no one but me gets to see this part of you.  It’s like a secret you save just for me.  I love how you keep those things for me.”

             
“I love you so much,” He leaned forward and put his forehead on my chest like loving me wore him out. 

             
I nearly choked as my next words came out, “I love
you
Falcon.”  He sucked in a swift breath and looked back in my eyes. 

             
“I’ve got an idea.” I said, trying to take the spotlight off of myself.

             
“What?” He could barely speak through the vainglorious grin on his face.

             
“I think you’re great at taking care of everyone you love.  That’s why they rely on you.  So here’s the deal.  Take care of everyone.  Love them the best way you know how.  And…”  He looked at me, exasperated, it seemed like I was fraternizing with the other team.

             
“And,” he asked. 

             
“And I will take care of you.”

             
He threaded his fingers through my hair, “How about we take care of each other?”

             
All I could do was nod. 

             
He leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes.  He pulled me back with him and I laid my head on his shirtless chest.  We stayed like that for at least a half an hour.  I rose and fell with his breaths until I started to drift off. 

             
“Come on, let’s go to bed.”  He said but his arms told another story as they crushed me tighter to him.  He hefted both of us up and carried me the few steps to bed.  We fell asleep, tangled in each other.

             
The next morning I woke to the theme song of Jem.  There’s only one person who would do that—Nellie. 

             
“Nellie, I swear if someone hasn’t died, you will rue the day you called me this damn early.”

             
“I had a dream about your derby name.  I’m changing it.”

             
“Can this wait?”I closed my eyes hoping it would make her go away. 

             
“No!  You’re dying your hair teal and you’re the Teela to Falcon’s He-Man. So—you’ll be Serial Keela, like Killer, but it’s a play on Teela.”

             
“Ok, I’m Serial Keela, I get it.  Can I go back to sleep now?”

             
“Ugh, yes.  Tell Falcon hello for me,” the phone call ended by me hanging up on her giggles. 

             
He groaned beside me.  “If she wasn’t pregnant I’d go over there and flick her in the forehead for calling this early.” 

             
“Oh babe, you’re so tough.  You might go to jail for flicking her in the forehead.”

             
He flew at me and I squealed as he suddenly crouched above me. 

             
“You did not just insult the tough, rugged man that is Falcon, did you?” That just sent me into another fit of giggles.

             
“Ugh,” He rolled back over onto his back and crossed his arms.  I snuggled into his side and fell back asleep.  It was too early for this crap.

              I woke up a few hours later to an empty apartment.  I got dressed and got ready for work.  I moved to pick up my derby bag and heard a clang on the floor.  I saw a key ring with two keys on it and a note. 

It’s about time you had a set of keys.  One’s for the door.  One’s for the mailbox.  Love you
.

             
I picked up my phone on my way out and called him.  How could I not?

             
“Hey, I’m walking into class.”  He said it in a whisper.  In my rush I’d forgotten to look at the time.

             
“Sorry, call me later.” He hung up. 

             
I made it into work and I went into Nellie’s office to try and get time off.  I knew I hadn’t been here long and there was a good chance she would say no.  I walked in and she sat at her desk, talking on the phone.  She smiled and motioned for me to come in.  I sat down and listened as she made what sounded like a doctor’s appointment change since Owen would be out of town. 

             
She hung up the phone and turned to me.  “What’s up?”

             
I took a deep breath and answered, “I know I haven’t been here very long but I was wondering if I could have next weekend off, the weekend when we don’t have a bout.”  I cringed as I asked her. 

             
She squinted her eyes at me, “Of course, no problem.  Amber was just asking me for more hours.  She can take your shift since she was supposed to be off that day.”

             
“Great, thank you.” I moved to get up and she scoffed.

             
“Not so fast sister.  You’re seriously not telling me why.”

             
“Um, I have plans?” I knew it would aggravate the piss out of her but I couldn’t help myself.

             
She cocked her eyebrow at me, “That’s fine.  I’ll ask Falcon.  One day you’ll learn to just tell me.”

             
“Ok, ask him, Coach,” I challenged her.

              About four in the afternoon, as I finished packing up shipments, I heard his voice, talking to Nellie. 

             
“I’m not telling you.” His laugh could be heard through his voice.

             
“I’m your best friend Falcon, tell me now.  That totally falls under best friend knowledge.”

             
“I’ll tell you when we come back, ok?  We just wanna get away without everyone knowing where we are.”

             
“Ugh, fine.”  I could tell there was a small tinge of hurt in her voice. 

             
He came into the inventory room the epitome of every edgy woman’s fantasy and leaned his shoulder against one of the bookshelves.  He had an envelope in his hand and held it out to me.

             
I took it from him as I told him, “You could’ve told her.  I think we hurt her feelings.”

             
He shrugged and looked in the direction of her office, “I just want to go somewhere with you where no one can call me and ask me about business stuff or anything.  I just want you, alone.”

             
“It will be great.  What the heck is this letter?” 

             
I opened it and had to read it three times through before it sunk in.  Falcon had busied himself with carrying boxes to the front.  He came back and must’ve seen something on my face.

             
“What’s wrong?  Is something the matter?”

             
I shook the letter at him, wordlessly begging him to make some sense of it.  He read it and read it again. 

             
“So this lawyer says you have unclaimed property in your name?”

             
“What the hell does that mean?  Is it a chair, or a goat or what?”

             
“I guess you need to call him and make an appointment.”  I reached out and grabbed his phone out of his pocket.  Mine was in my purse.  I leaned into him to get the number off of the letter and called it.  They told me they had an appointment the next morning at ten.  My luck it was an ant farm or a collection of mollusks. 

             
“Ok, tomorrow at ten.  He asked me to bring my ID and my birth certificate.”

             
“You have your birth certificate?” Falcon asked.

             
“Yeah, I do.  I wonder what it is.” 

             
He shrugged, “I guess you’ll find out tomorrow.  Are you hungry?  You have about an hour and a half until practice.”

             
My hands flew to my hips in protest.  “Oh, first we’re taking days off and now you’re sneaking me out early.  Just because I’m your girlfriend, shameful.”

             
“That’s fine.  I’ll go eat by myself.  Just so you know, I’m going to get a loaded burger.  You know, the ones with cheese and bacon inside them?  But you’re gonna be here, starving, without me, have fun.”  He said it all with such a satisfied smirk on his face. 

             
“Ok, ok, let’s go.”

             
We passed by Nellie’s office and out of nowhere he grabbed me, fixing me under his arm like a football and began his charade.

             
“Nellie, there’s a starved derby girl under my arm and I must take her to eat burgers before she faints and is unable to attend practice.  End of story.”

             
Nellie laughed, apparently over the earlier episode, and said, “If you’re gonna take her, you have to take me too. I’ve got a derby girl in my belly to feed.”

             
“What if it’s a boy? With Owen’s temper and your blue hair?”

             
I chimed in, intrigued by the conversation.  “He’s gonna be a zebra.”

             
Nellie grabbed her stomach and made a disgusted face, “Gross!  No child of mine will be a ref—ever.  Now let’s go.”

             
We piled into Falcon’s truck and Owen met us at the restaurant.  We talked and laughed while we ate burgers stuffed with bacon, cheese, and everything in between.  Owen and Falcon took off together in Owen’s Bronco and Falcon handed me the keys to his truck to take Nellie and I back to the bookstore.  Practice was extra grueling.  Nellie was making us all learn how to do jumps and though I was pretty decent at most skills, I sucked at jumping.  It’s like I got halfway in the air and then freaked out.  By the time practice was done everything hurt.  And I knew that I hit my jaw on the track more than once in the same place.  I was sure it was already bruised.

             
“Oh shit, I’m turning off my phone tonight.”

             
“Why?” I churned my jaw back and forth.

             
“Because your face is busted up.”  She touched my jaw line and I winced.

             
“Youch, Nellie, easy.”

             
“Get some ice on that.” She said and turned her attention to the other teammates. 

             
I decided to sleep in my car that night.  I didn’t want to deal with Falcon freaking out about my face and I kinda just needed some alone time to think and wrack my nerves over that letter I received earlier in the day. It was probably nothing.  I was just being silly.  I called Falcon to tell him that I was staying at my place.  He sounded less than pleased.  That part was certain.  I still needed ice so I went to a gas station, bought a cup of ice, piled it inside of a towel and put it on my face.  Then I took a couple of pain relievers.  A text came through on my phone.

             
F: Nellie called and apologized for your face.  What does that mean?

             
R: Um…

             
F: Come home—please.

             
I decided that even after my decision to spend some time alone—I didn’t want to be alone.  Being alone with my headphones was the way I’d always had to deal with life.  But I didn’t have to do that anymore.  I hesitated before opening the door.  I got to use my key for the first time and when I entered he sat on the couch.  I dropped my bags on the floor.

             
“I’m cool; just get over here so I can check you out.”  I walked over to the couch and sat beside him. 

             
“It’s fine.  I just worked my ass off today.  When you work hard in skates, sometimes your face cashes the paycheck.  That’s all.”

             
He turned to me and tried to maintain a straight face as he lightly ran the pads of his fingertips over my jaw.  He looked me in the eyes as he reached for my arms, asking permission to continue the inspection.  I nodded and he inspected my arms, my legs, my back, my stomach, until he was satisfied. 

             
“Let me run you a hot bath.  It will relax your muscles.  Did you take something already?”

             
“Yeah, I did.  Thank you.”  He got up and started the water in the bathtub.  Even the sound of it made me begin to relax.  I walked into the steamy bathroom and he leaned against the counter.