The TV switched off, and Tegan spun around to see Fiona had the remote in her hand. “While you’re under my house, you’ll obey my rules. Any programming of that nature is strictly prohibited due to fuckwitery. Is that clear?”
Tegan didn’t take her eyes off Fiona as she asked, “Did Owen really give up on all this for me? Am I the personal issue?”
“Well, you’re not an issue. But yes. He wants to be close to you.”
“But this was his dream! He worked so hard for it...”
“OK, OK... calm down Teegs...”
Tegan pressed her fingers into the front of her skull, her head pounding, her heart racing.
“OK, I think I got everything,” Fiona said after closing the front door, Tegan’s bags still in hand. “Can I fix you some lunch?”
“No thanks, I’m not hungry. Fi... why did you ask him over for dinner? You know how awkward it’s going to be, right?”
“It’ll only be as awkward as you make it. Look, the guy cares about you. Forget who he is and what he does. That’s a huge thing. He’s proven that by doing something I never thought possible. He walked away from the biggest match of his career.”
“Why would he do that though? It’s insane. Look what they’re saying about him!”
Fiona shrugged and replied rather sadly, “I guess, right now, nothing else matters to him.”
* * *
Owen arrived a bit before six, hoping to get Tegan one on one, but it seemed she was always either glued to Fiona’s hip or seated at the table playing with her phone, making an attempt to keep a distance between her and Owen. More than once, Owen had asked to help her carry something and was told abruptly that she was fine.
Owen was no expert on women but had been with enough to know when they said ‘fine’, nothing whatsoever was fine. The three sat down at the dinner table, and Owen glanced towards Tegan who kept her gaze firmly on the plate. She had worn a head scarf with a beautiful flower pattern, and yet when he quietly mentioned how pretty it was, she didn’t utter a word. No thank you. No acknowledgment.’’
Owen reached over to hold her hand and Tegan jumped in shock, spilling over her water glass and drenching the table cloth.
Fiona dabbed the area with napkins as Tegan tried to do. Owen, though, never took his eyes off Tegan. “Fiona... could you give us a minute alone, please?”
Fiona, usually the chatterbox, offered no retort or smart-ass comment. Instead, she left abruptly. Just as he asked.
“Are you alright?” Owen asked.
“Peachy, why do you ask?”
“Because, ever since I showed up, you’ve been treating me like a leper. What is wrong?”
“Nothing besides the obvious.”
“Well, why don’t you tell me the obvious? You have some kind of problem with me, so out with it.”
“Can we not? Not everything is about you.”
“Not everything is about you either. We are in this together.”
Tegan gave a false laugh and rose to her feet. “Are you kidding me? Together? Together in what? A freak show?”
Owen took a breath and rose too. “Don’t say that.”
“It’s true,” Tegan said, her voice breaking. “This is what you left your dream for. This. It’s all I am. There is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”
“I don’t want a pot of gold. I want you.”
“WHY?” Tegan burst out. “I havenothing,Owen. Nothing to offer you or myself. I don’t have a job or even a place to live anymore.”
“I don’t care about any of that—”