Lucien: It doesn’t matter. If it means I get to see you tonight instead of tomorrow, do it.
Talia: Okay, thanks. Will you ask my dad to find me a seat for the game in the arena if possible?
Lucien: Yep. If you find a flight, text it to me and I’ll pay for it.
Talia: Okay. I have to look now, so I can still make the Cleveland flight if I don’t find one.
Lucien: Hopefully I’ll see you tonight. I don’t care what it costs, so don’t consider that.
Talia: Okay. I’ll try my best to find one.
It only takes me about five minutes to find a flight departing at 4:10 with seats available. I text it to Lucien and he buys it immediately.
Tonight’s not going to be a boring night on my dad’s couch after all.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lucien
* * *
“Beaumont,” Coach says, inclining his head toward the visiting coach’s office space.
I was about to go do my pregame stretching, but I go into the office instead, where he’s sitting at the desk, his hands steepled beneath his chin.
“Close the door,” he says.
I do. Sitting down in the chair across from him, I ask, “Were you able to get it?”
He furrows his brow. “Get what?”
“A seat for Talia tonight.”
“Oh, yeah. She’s on the glass.”
I relax. “Great. Thanks.”
“I didn’t do it for you, I did it for my daughter.”
Fucking grouch. “Thanks for doing it for her.”
He studies me for a few seconds, then asks, “Are you in love with Talia?”
This feels like a trick question. Like he’s about to accuse me of doing something I didn’t do.
“Yes, Coach.”
“How many times have you been in love?”
“Um ... I don’t know. Once, maybe? I thought I was in love, at least. But I was only nineteen. Life looked a lot different then.”
“Why did that relationship end?”
“My travel schedule. She said I wasn’t around enough, but it’s not like I can pick and choose which games I go to.”
“This job is hard on relationships.”
I nod, wondering where he’s going with this.
