Page 115 of All In: The Price We Pay

He pushes to the edge of his chair. “Is everything okay? Do you need help? Money?”

“No. Dad, no. Everything’s okay. But I have to figure out what to do next. My job . . . it hasn’t been what I imagined it would be lately. I need to make a change. I still want to do social media management, but on different terms.”

“You know you’ll always have a place in Arizona for you.” He takes my hand and squeezes it.

“Thanks, Dad. It’s good to know that. You’re not only a fallback for me, right? But it feels good to know that I’m wanted.”

“Of course. But I’m sure you’ll handle all of this with flying colors. And you also have Evan Sinclair.” His voice sounds incredulous.

“Dad, what are you trying to say? That you’re surprised Evan picked me as his boyfriend?”

With his eyes wide open, he reaches for the remote on the little table next to me. “For heaven’s sake, son, of course not. He’s lucky he has you.” The TV turns on with a soft hum. “I’d always thought he was so serious. He doesn’t suit you at all. I’d have imagined someone more like that rookie from the Monarchs for you. If it has to be someone from the Monarchs, anyway.”

“Oh. My. God. Dad. For starters, I’m pretty sure Sid is straight.”

My dad makes a dismissive wave of his hand, as if something like sexual orientation were irrelevant to a relationship. “Don’t assume. You should know better.”

I’m cracking up and we are grinning at each other.

“And, second, . . . ” He pauses.

I know exactly what my dad means. Evan comes across as incredibly reserved, aloof, and sometimes dismissive. “You have to get to know him. He’s not like he seems in the media. That’s . . . kind of a mask for him.”

Dad takes his eyes off the TV and eyes me. “You’re right. I don’t know him at all, and I’m sure you have good taste.” He takes a deep breath. “Your mom would be so proud of you. Just watch your step in the future.” He nods toward me.

I guess that’s his parental advice for this situation.

“I will, Dad, thanks.”

He flips through the channels until he lands on the game. It still hasn’t started.

“If you want to, we could go to a game in New York sometime. I’m sure Evan can get us tickets.”

“Hmm. Since the Coyotes don’t exist anymore, I might be willing to cheer for another team.”

I chuckle. “At least it wouldn’t be your team losing all the time.” My dig at his favorite team from Arizona, which was presumably disbanded due to incompetence, doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Watch what you say. I’m only beginning to get used to the idea of Evan Sinclair.”

My grin stretches from one corner of my mouth to the other. My dad smiles, too.

The odds of my dad becoming the next biggest Monarchs fan are a hundred to zero in favor of the Monarchs.

Chapter 27 – Evan

A week later, my apartment resembles a dorm room. And I don’t want to change a thing.

Ricky is lying on the sofa, Carly is painting Parker’s toenails on My coffee table, and takeout containers are piled up all around them.

The most important thing, though, is Parker, who’s grinning at me from the midst of all this chaos.

At the sight of the external fixator on his arm, my stomach clenches. The metal rods protruding from his bandage remind me of a horror movie. So much more could have happened.

“Oh, you’re back already?” Ricky sits up straight and starts picking up the trash. “Did you fly in from the arena?”

“Nope. Snuck through the streets like everybody else.”

“Damn, we must’ve lost track of time somehow.” Parker beckons me over.