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I shift slightly to face her. "You said you were waiting. That you want it to mean something. Was it always like that for you?"

She hesitates, then nods. "Yeah. I don’t know… I guess I always knew I wasn’t going to be the hookup type. There was never anyone I wanted to give all of myself to and risk getting crushed over. Not just physically. Emotionally too."

I nod, slowly. "Makes sense."

She tucks her legs under her. "My sister was the wild one. Party girl. Boys. Drinking. Some people didn’t respect her, especially when we were in college. It changed as she got older, but I saw what it did to her back then. And I didn’t want to be a cautionary tale. I just… I held back. I guess I figured if the right person came along, I’d know."

"And no one came close?"

She shrugs. "No."

The air stills for a moment. She quickly adds, "Not that I mean…"

"No, I get it," I say. And I do. "But, didn't you ever just want to have some fun and get some experience?"

"I had my fair share of fun, but I never handed over the full-access pass. Your turn. What about you?"

I exhale and lean back into the couch. "College was a lot of fun. I had some hookups and a few short-term relationships, nothing long-lasting. Hockey came first, always. Women liked the status, the attention, the lifestyle. And hell, when I was younger, I liked being wanted. I took advantage of it. Not proud or ashamed, just honest. It was instant gratification and it was great, but now it leaves me… I don’t know, empty."

Mandy nods like she understands.

"Sometimes I wonder if the other guys feel it too. I mean, we joke and boast and talk trash in the locker room, but deep down, I think a lot of them feel the same. Maybe not James. He seems to thrive in the madness."

That earns a soft laugh from her. "James is a fun and exciting mess."

"Exactly."

She rests her head on my shoulder. "Do you ever think about when the right time is? To let someone in for real?"

"Yeah. I think about it more than I used to. Before, I didn’t want the complication. The distraction. But lately, I’m starting to think the right person isn’t a distraction, they’re the anchor."

She hums softly. "Maybe it’s about timing and the person. I think both have to align."

"Maybe." I glance down at her. "I never thought I’d be into a girl who uses color-coded tabs and finds tort law sexy."

"Excuse you, tort law is riveting."

"If you say so."

We sit in a comfortable silence, until she glances at the clock.

"Holy crap, it’s one a.m.?"

I glance over. "Yup."

She stands slowly, grabbing her hoodie. "I should get to bed."

I walk her to the door. Before she steps into the hall, I catch her wrist.

"Mandy?"

She turns.

I pull her in for a kiss. "You really know how to drive a guy crazy, don’t you?"

She smiles, soft and real. "Good. You deserve it."

As she walks down the hall, I close the door, lean against it, and exhale.