Page 61 of Almost Ravaged (Men of Evercrisp Orchard #1)

Chapter fifty-two

Sawyer

E lectrifying energy radiates through the lobby of the arena. Students dominate the facility, taking up every seat and huddled in groups in every corner, the entire place a sea of green and gold.

My pulse thumps wildly as I take it all in.

Today is the Lightning Bolts’ home opener. Atty and Ty’s first game at Holt University.

I don’t have to clock in until after the game, just in time to help close the place down.

I worked late twice this past week, so I have all the procedures down.

Though now that I see just how many people we’ll have to clear out of the building, I’m beginning to regret committing to the closing shift.

With any luck, the Lightning Bolts will win and everyone will be anxious to move on to the after-parties.

Rather than have Mercer pick me up at the residence hall—because how awkward would that be?—I told him I’d meet him here. Though I’m early. I was tired of sitting around my dorm, watching the clock .

When I arrive, the ticket line is wrapped halfway around the building, so I jump in to help, checking student IDs as Kai collects the money and Grant issues tickets.

While I wait for the next person to find their ID, my phone vibrates in my pocket.

Technically I’m not on the clock, and this girl is taking forever, so I fish out my phone and check the screen.

Ty: Need to see you

The message elicits a little tug on my heart. But it doesn’t give me the usual zap of excitement, nor does it inspire the hopefulness his messages used to.

We had our shot. We gave all we had. We did our best to wade through the dysfunction of our shared past. In the end, it didn’t work. I’m finally at a place where I can accept that it was never meant to be for Tytus and me.

I’ve moved on, and I hope he can do the same.

I’ll always love him on some level, but with my time and attention focused on Mercer and Noah over the last few weeks, the pull I used to feel toward Ty has finally started to ease.

I type out a quick text.

Me: I’m in the lobby, selling tickets. Not sure how much longer I’ll be out here, though.

Once Mercer arrives, I’ll be anxious to break away from the sea of students and find our seats. I still can’t believe he agreed to attend the game with me. I have no idea if he even follows hockey, but he insisted he wanted to be here today.

I’ve returned to checking IDs when his scent infiltrates my senses.

Smiling, giddy inside, I hand back the ID, then tap Kai on the shoulder.

“I’m out.”

They nod, a twinkle in their eye when they notice Mercer. “We’ll clear out fast tonight so you can close quickly. Wouldn’t want you to miss out on any evening plans. ”

With a playful shove, I turn on my heel and stride to where my man has wandered off to wait. Leaning back against the skate rental counter, with his hands shoved into the pockets of his wool coat, Mercer looks divine. It takes all my restraint not to make a running leap for him.

Once I’m within arm’s reach, he straightens, then subtly leans forward so he can whisper in my ear.

“Hello, sweetheart. What I wouldn’t give to kiss you right now.

” The confession makes my insides turn to goo.

We talked about this the other day. Despite agreeing to exclusivity (with Noah), and the knowledge that we’re not technically defying any university policy, we decided it would be best to keep PDA to a minimum.

I shift from hip to hip as Mercer assesses me. “You look… festive.”

I snort. Festive is putting it mildly. I always go all out for the boys’ games. Typically, I rotate between their jerseys. I even bought new dark green eye black and sparkly gold body paint to show my Lightning Bolt spirit.

Head tipped back, I grin. “Are you telling me you’re not decked out in green and gold under this stuffy coat?”

He cocks a brow and smirks. “I’ll have you know this ‘stuffy coat’ is custom tailored and made of double-sided 100 percent merino wool.”

I roll my eyes. “Pretentious bastard.”

He gives my hip a squeeze, using his coat to block the action from view, then murmurs, “I didn’t expect you to activate brat mode in such a crowded venue, Ms. Davvies.”

A thrill shoots through me at the threat in his tone.

“What can I say, Professor? You inspire me.”

He emits a low growl, and I’m about to say fuck it and reach for him when I catch sight of movement in my periphery.

At the sound of a throat clearing, I straighten. The sultry voice that follows makes my hackles rise.

“Professor Eden?”

A tall, lithe woman about my age stands before us. She’s wearing a thick wool coat—go figure—and her honey-gold hair is curled in big waves that cascade around her shoulders. She’s very pretty, her flawless skin accentuated by her subtle makeup.

“Hello, Ms. Miller.”

As soon as he says her name, I know .

They were together. He was with this supermodel of a human. And if the way she’s assessing me is any indication, she wasn’t the one to end it.

I don’t trust myself to speak as jealousy claws at my insides. I sidestep, fully prepared to bow out of this interaction.

Mercer shifts, closing the space I just put between us.

“I-I didn’t think you liked hockey,” the woman before us says with a stilted laugh.

Mercer leans in close enough that our arms brush, his eyes boring into the side of my head.

I can’t look at him right now. I don’t want any clues about what they once shared.

Just like I don’t want to consider whether this is what we’ll be when what we have ends.

Two strangers, one longing to reconnect while the other delivers the cold shoulder.

With a small sigh, he gives up and turns back to the other woman.

“I don’t particularly care for hockey, no. But my girlfriend loves the sport, and her brother is on the team. Alas, here we are.”

“Your— oh .” Her eyes go wide for a moment before she reins in her features.

My cheeks heat, and I’m sure my chest is crimson under my jersey. Did he just call me his girlfriend ? I guess when we talked about public displays of affection, we should have discussed public declarations of affection, too.

“It was nice to see you, Ms. Miller. Enjoy the game.” Mercer places one hand at my back to steer me into the crowd.

He walks at a clipped pace, only coming to a stop when we’re on the other side of the lobby near the uncrowded entrance of the rec rink. With a long sigh, he offers me a placating smile.

“I’m sorry about that. Are you bothered?” he asks.

A fiery blast of rage detonates inside me.

Am I bothered ?

Of course I’m fucking bothered.

“She was your student?” I ask, my tone sharp.

His is calm, gentle. “She was, yes.”

I tilt my chin up and scrutinize him. “And you fucked her?”

He winces. “Yes. But not while she was my student.”

I snort. “Of course not. You are well-versed in the university’s handbook and policies, Professor.”

With a low growl, he crowds my space and presses me flat against the glass at my back .

He’s standing so close I have to strain back to meet his gaze. “Watch it, Ms. Davvies. Unless you want me to find a more meaningful purpose for this smart little mouth.”

I shudder, and a heartbeat later, all the fight drains from my limbs.

Fuck my traitorous body.

Mercer notices.

Sensing I need the extra support, he circles my waist, the hold strong and sure. His fancy coat once again shields the gesture. I flutter my eyes closed, embarrassed by my outburst, then allow myself a few deep breaths before I meet his gaze.

“I fucked that woman, yes,” he says, his face hard, his jaw pulsing.

“I’ve fucked lots of men and women in my time.

What I haven’t done, ever? Is call someone my girlfriend.

Or boyfriend. I’ve never declared any sort of relationship status with another person.

But that’s how deep I’m in this. I want to be with you and only you.

Strike the ideas swirling around in that brilliant head.

” He presses his thumb into the divot of my chin.

“For as long as you’ll have me, with or without Noah by our side, for me, there will be only you. ”

I’m breathless. Speechless. Bowled over by his declaration. Yet somehow calm and fortified. Every word he spoke was true. I can feel the sincerity deep in my bones.

“Mercer…”

I sigh, at a loss for words.

The way he looks at me makes me feel so wanted. The way he talks to me makes me feel supremely valued and seen.

Of course I believe him.

I want this just as much as he does.

There’s no way I can put into words just how much he means to me. So I pop up on my toes and kiss him on the mouth.

It’s a quick kiss, longer than a peck, but not so long we get carried away. “Thank you for being so direct,” I say when I pull back. “And never making me question where we stand.”

He tightens his grip on my hand. “Your heart’s safe with me, Sawyer.”

I press my cheek against the soft wool of his coat, inhaling deeply. “I know.”

I believe him with everything I am.

My heart is safe. He wants me, in all ways .

When an announcement sounds over the loudspeaker—thirty minutes until the puck drops—he pulls back slowly. “We’re good?”

“So good,” I promise. Then, before I lose my nerve and the moment passes completely, I inhale a fortifying breath and pull my shoulders back. “I’ve never called anyone my boyfriend, or girlfriend, either.”

His understanding registers immediately, a sly smile blooming on his face. If he’s going to go around telling people I’m his girlfriend, then I want him to know me on a deeper level.

“Well, aren’t we a pair?” he murmurs.

That we really are.

Several chanting, shirtless students hoot and holler as they pass us on the way to the ticket counter.

“We have assigned seating, yes?” Mercer hedges.

“Yes.” I dig the tickets out of my pocket.

Atty hooked me up with a pair of season tickets in row ten, right behind the goal. It’s a major upgrade from the student section.

“I’ll grab snacks,” he says. “Meet you in there?”

We part ways, me heading to the bathroom and Mercer to the snack counter, as if being in a relationship is the most natural thing in the world.

I grin at this new development, forcing myself to take calm, slow steps instead of skipping down the hall.