Empty Net
Page 101
Audrey was in a fit of giggles, “You’re such a dork!”
“You know it’s true,” he said smacking her bottom before walking away. Audrey shook her head, still giggling as she finished up with her check book. It was hard to concentrate because Tate was in the room. She watched as he moved around the kitchen, picking up different things, glancing at them and putting them back down. In a way, Audrey felt he was nervous.
“Are you nervous?”
Tate chuckled, looking back at her, “Why would I be? It’s Lucas and Fallon.”
Audrey eyed him some more, watching as he moved his hand through his hair before taking in a deep breath. Audrey laughed, pointing a finger at him before she said, “You are!”
Tate’s cheeks grew red as he looked away, shrugging his shoulders, “Maybe a little. It’s different now.”
Audrey nodded, “Yup, now you’re not the cute little goalie who hangs out at the house.” She moved towards him, snuggling close to his chest as she said, “You are my cute little goalie boyfriend, the guy who means a lot to me.”
Tate shook his head, looking up at the ceiling, “I don’t know what it is. Maybe I am nervous they won’t think I’m good enough to be your boyfriend.”
“You are good enough, babe, and they love you. You know that, don’t worry about it. It’s not like you’re meeting my parents.” Tate looked down quickly, worry all over his face causing Audrey to giggle.
“When do I do that?” he asked.
Audrey shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know. Do you want to?”
She didn’t know how she felt about Tate meeting her parents. She knew Fallon and Lucas would love him, that’s why she wasn’t nervous. But her parents? Her Dad? Um, yeah, she would need lots of time to prepare for that.
Looking up, Tate shrugged his shoulders, “Back home, I would have known the parents before the girl, so this is weird.”
Audrey nodded, “Yeah, people usually wait ‘till they are serious before they meet parents and all that.”
“Okay, so soon then?”
Audrey smiled, her heart warming. She had never been with someone who wanted her, and wanted the whole world to know it. She never once felt this confident in a relationship. Never felt like it would last forever and no one could touch them, but with Tate she did. It was so invigorating, so amazing, so perfect.
Nodding, Audrey said, “I’ll call and see when it’s a good time for them.”
“Awesome.”
“Maybe this summer we could make a trip to Sweden, see your family. I would love to meet Matilda and your parents,” she said brightly, but when Tate looked up, meeting Audrey’s gaze, her smile fell. He had a sad look in his eyes, and it made Audrey’s stomach drop. Did he not want her to meet his parents? “What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head, “are you ready to go?”
“Yeah,” she said moving away from him to slowly put things in her purse, “did you not want me to meet your family?”
Tate didn’t look at her as he took in a deep breath, “I would want nothing more, love, but we can discuss that later. Let’s go to your sister’s.”
Audrey watched him for a minute as he went to get her coat and his. When he held it out for her, Audrey grabbed her purse and then moved towards him to put her jacket on. Tate took her hand in his, and they made their way outside.
“You can drive, right?” he asked as she locked the door.
“Sure, do you not want to?”
Glancing back at him, she saw that he looked worried again. “No, I don’t like to drive.”
It made sense, she thought as they made their way to her car. He was probably not used to driving in the States, and he always rode with someone else when he needed to go somewhere. Audrey started the car and backed out the driveway while messing with her radio, trying to get her iPod to play. Finally, Demi Lovato’s voice rang through the speakers, playing one of Audrey’s favorite songs.
“Oh my God, this is my jam!!!” Audrey yelled out before she started to move to the music. When the chorus hit, she sang at the top of her lungs, even though God knew that with her voice she shouldn’t be, “You my only Shorty!” Glancing over at Tate, she sang to him and then giggled before letting go of the wheel to do the sprinkler. Stopping at a stoplight, Audrey was fist pumping while singing her heart out. She looked over at Tate, hoping that he had joined in with her, but he was clutching the armrest, and looking straight out the windshield.
“You don’t like this song?” she asked.
Tate did a quick shake of his head, “No.”
“Oh,” she said, reaching for the iPod to change the song.
“Do you always dance in the car?”
Audrey nodded, grinning up at him, “Yup, it’s fun.”
Looking back down at her iPod, she found another Demi Lovato song, and put it on just as the red light changed to green. Hitting the gas, Audrey took off, rocking out to the amazing music. She was the music, moving, singing with no cares in the world. She wasn’t paying attention to Tate, which was probably bad, but it was the way she was. In the car, she didn’t talk, she was too busy singing or dancing.
“Tonight, tonight, I’m letting go,” she sang, bobbing her head to the hard hitting beats. She was so lost in the music, that when Tate yelled out, “Stop the car!” Audrey jumped before looking over at him.
“You know it’s true,” he said smacking her bottom before walking away. Audrey shook her head, still giggling as she finished up with her check book. It was hard to concentrate because Tate was in the room. She watched as he moved around the kitchen, picking up different things, glancing at them and putting them back down. In a way, Audrey felt he was nervous.
“Are you nervous?”
Tate chuckled, looking back at her, “Why would I be? It’s Lucas and Fallon.”
Audrey eyed him some more, watching as he moved his hand through his hair before taking in a deep breath. Audrey laughed, pointing a finger at him before she said, “You are!”
Tate’s cheeks grew red as he looked away, shrugging his shoulders, “Maybe a little. It’s different now.”
Audrey nodded, “Yup, now you’re not the cute little goalie who hangs out at the house.” She moved towards him, snuggling close to his chest as she said, “You are my cute little goalie boyfriend, the guy who means a lot to me.”
Tate shook his head, looking up at the ceiling, “I don’t know what it is. Maybe I am nervous they won’t think I’m good enough to be your boyfriend.”
“You are good enough, babe, and they love you. You know that, don’t worry about it. It’s not like you’re meeting my parents.” Tate looked down quickly, worry all over his face causing Audrey to giggle.
“When do I do that?” he asked.
Audrey shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know. Do you want to?”
She didn’t know how she felt about Tate meeting her parents. She knew Fallon and Lucas would love him, that’s why she wasn’t nervous. But her parents? Her Dad? Um, yeah, she would need lots of time to prepare for that.
Looking up, Tate shrugged his shoulders, “Back home, I would have known the parents before the girl, so this is weird.”
Audrey nodded, “Yeah, people usually wait ‘till they are serious before they meet parents and all that.”
“Okay, so soon then?”
Audrey smiled, her heart warming. She had never been with someone who wanted her, and wanted the whole world to know it. She never once felt this confident in a relationship. Never felt like it would last forever and no one could touch them, but with Tate she did. It was so invigorating, so amazing, so perfect.
Nodding, Audrey said, “I’ll call and see when it’s a good time for them.”
“Awesome.”
“Maybe this summer we could make a trip to Sweden, see your family. I would love to meet Matilda and your parents,” she said brightly, but when Tate looked up, meeting Audrey’s gaze, her smile fell. He had a sad look in his eyes, and it made Audrey’s stomach drop. Did he not want her to meet his parents? “What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head, “are you ready to go?”
“Yeah,” she said moving away from him to slowly put things in her purse, “did you not want me to meet your family?”
Tate didn’t look at her as he took in a deep breath, “I would want nothing more, love, but we can discuss that later. Let’s go to your sister’s.”
Audrey watched him for a minute as he went to get her coat and his. When he held it out for her, Audrey grabbed her purse and then moved towards him to put her jacket on. Tate took her hand in his, and they made their way outside.
“You can drive, right?” he asked as she locked the door.
“Sure, do you not want to?”
Glancing back at him, she saw that he looked worried again. “No, I don’t like to drive.”
It made sense, she thought as they made their way to her car. He was probably not used to driving in the States, and he always rode with someone else when he needed to go somewhere. Audrey started the car and backed out the driveway while messing with her radio, trying to get her iPod to play. Finally, Demi Lovato’s voice rang through the speakers, playing one of Audrey’s favorite songs.
“Oh my God, this is my jam!!!” Audrey yelled out before she started to move to the music. When the chorus hit, she sang at the top of her lungs, even though God knew that with her voice she shouldn’t be, “You my only Shorty!” Glancing over at Tate, she sang to him and then giggled before letting go of the wheel to do the sprinkler. Stopping at a stoplight, Audrey was fist pumping while singing her heart out. She looked over at Tate, hoping that he had joined in with her, but he was clutching the armrest, and looking straight out the windshield.
“You don’t like this song?” she asked.
Tate did a quick shake of his head, “No.”
“Oh,” she said, reaching for the iPod to change the song.
“Do you always dance in the car?”
Audrey nodded, grinning up at him, “Yup, it’s fun.”
Looking back down at her iPod, she found another Demi Lovato song, and put it on just as the red light changed to green. Hitting the gas, Audrey took off, rocking out to the amazing music. She was the music, moving, singing with no cares in the world. She wasn’t paying attention to Tate, which was probably bad, but it was the way she was. In the car, she didn’t talk, she was too busy singing or dancing.
“Tonight, tonight, I’m letting go,” she sang, bobbing her head to the hard hitting beats. She was so lost in the music, that when Tate yelled out, “Stop the car!” Audrey jumped before looking over at him.
