Page 47
The elevator doors ping open and I guide her inside. Courtney’s mouth is still hanging open when I press the button for the underground garage.
“Also,” I sidestep into her, using our joint hands to lift her face to mine. “I told you you’re perfect, because that’s how I see you. Even when you hide behind the sass or when you push me away. I see you, Courtney, and I… I swear… sometimes I forget to breathe.”
I lean in. Ready to show her how much I want her. Every second of every goddamn day since I set my eyes on her.
Court licks her lips and I lower my face to hers, the tip of my nose trailing along hers. Her minty breath zings into my lungs as I dip just enough to?—
Fuck.
You have got to be kidding me.
The damn elevator dings to a stop. Doors opening to Jayden and Eli just as Courtney and I pull away.
“What’s up, man?” Jayden greets at the same time as Eli gives us a curt, “Hey.”
Court glances at me and then back at them with a wave and croaky, “Hi, guys.”
She feels too far away, and I hate it. Not being able to touch her and kiss her and just be us around other people.
Nothing escapes Jayden, though. His eyes bounce between Courtney and me. Brows tugging up into his forehead as his mouth twitches knowingly.
Here we go. I know what’s coming before he opens his shit-eating grin.
“Huh,” he chuckles, slipping his hands in his pockets as he and Eli get in. “You feel that?”
“Feel what?” Eli gives him a confused look.
Here’s the thing, I never know if he really is oblivious to the shit that goes on around us or whether he simply chooses to ignore it.
The guy is so detached from everything and everyone…
except the game and Jayden. The two of them have the closest partnership in the sport.
They’re so fucking tight, there’s been rumors.
People talk… it’s part of the game. And normally it’s bullshit, but I don’t know if that’s the case with the two of them.
I also don’t know if it’s not. Honestly, I don’t fucking care as long as they keep showing up for the team.
“Really?” Jayden nudges him with his elbow. “You can’t feel that…”
“Feel what , JJ?”
“That crackle in the air… like it’s hot in here.”
Eli shakes his head, turning to face the doors. “It’s not even that warm. Forecast says it’s going to rain.”
“Feels warm to me.” Jayden rolls his eyes, turning around with a nod to the large bowl in my hand. “What’s that?”
“None of your business,” I retort.
“Doesn’t look like none of your business. Doesn’t smell like it either…”
Courtney snort-laughs under her breath. I flash him my middle finger .
“Rude…” He faces the doors, taking an interest in whatever Eli is scrolling through on his phone. “Why are you still watching that video?”
All six-seven-feet of him straightens beside Eli’s lean-muscled six-five frame. When you see the two of them next to each other, it makes sense that they are impenetrable. They’re giants.
“Just… I don’t know… watching tape.”
“You’re doom scrolling The Wolves page. What are you looking for?”
“How we’re gonna end them this season,” Eli states as the doors open to the garage.
That was weird. But I get why Eli is obsessed with The Wolves. We choked to them in the Conference, and it’s an embarrassing truth we will never forget. Thinking about it kills me inside.
Jayden claps Eli on the back. “Come on, Preacher. Let’s go.”
They head towards Eli’s G-Wagon while I follow Court to my Lexus.
I open the door for her, hand firm on her lower back as I help her in and after she’s buckled her belt I place the dessert on her lap. The second I shut her door and slide into my seat, I reach for her.
“Come here, Snow.” My hand cups her jaw, and I pull her to meet me in the middle. “I call you beautiful because I can’t take my eyes off you.”
With a quick nip to her pouty bottom lip, I take her mouth before she can argue.
It’s not gentle.
Because if she can’t accept my words, I’m going to make sure my actions back them up.
Coach’s backyard is bustling. It’s the third year Coach has hosted the team at his place, and like last year, it’s become bigger.
Kids are running around with water bombs and super soakers, some of the guys are engrossed in the baseball game on the outdoor TV while the wives and partners are gathered on the lawn.
The scent of grilled meat and wood smoke hangs in the air as I glance up from the outdoor pool table and find Courtney watching me.
Her smile is soft as she stands next to her dad by the grill.
She looks so at ease that it makes me wonder if given the chance or reason, would she stay? In LA? With me?
It seems silly to miss something that’s right in front of you, but every time I think about her leaving, my chest hollows out .
“So what do you think?” Matheo nudges me with his elbow.
“Huh?”
“Dude, where’s your fucking head at?” he grumbles into our circle while Dylan looks over his shoulder, directly at Courtney.
He says nothing, but when his blue eyes meet mine, they’re narrowed to accusing slits. I swear I can hear him yell at me in his head: Daughters, sisters, and mothers are off-limits, asshole!
“We got Colorado, Vegas, and Chicago preseason. I was expecting Portland… like it would be interesting to see where The Wolves are at after last season.” Matheo keeps scrolling through the announcement. “They got Boston, Utah, Vegas, and Seattle.”
“The Wolves are our opener, it wouldn’t make sense to have them preseason,” I say, forcing my eyes to stay on the light beer in my hand rather than on my girl.
It doesn’t work for long. Especially when she walks by with that smile I can’t get enough of.
Her fingertips lightly brush against my hand as she brings over a tray of fresh burgers and a charred tofu-dog for Eli.
The instant she sits opposite me, next to Dylan’s daughter, I know I’m in trouble. I can’t stop myself from stealing glances. Under the table, my foot accidentally nudges hers, and a current passes between us.
Eventually, she allows Lily to convince her to join the Surprise Pong game across the yard. There’s a reason only the kids, rookies, and drafts play it—it’s fucking disgusting. Last year one of the guys was so sick, he had to be treated for dehydration.
Luckily, Court never gets to her turn. Coach starts bringing out the desserts, including his ice cream cart for the kids to go crazy over. I want to ask Courtney if this is what her childhood was like, but I know it’s not an easy topic for her.
Which is why I don’t take my eyes off her as she comes out of the kitchen, bowl in her hands and smile on her face.
She approaches Coach while he’s talking to Connie, and I’m not sure what happens.
Her face falls and before he sees her, she’s turning around, hugging the bowl to her chest while she rushes back inside the house.
What the fuck?
What the hell did I miss? I stare back at Coach and Connie. The two of them are eating dessert. Still talking…
Meanwhile my feet are carrying me into the house after Courtney. I don’t give a damn who sees. Right now, my only concern is finding my girl and making sure she’s okay .
I peer into each of the open doors until I end up in the kitchen. The dessert she made is abandoned on the island, but there’s no sign of her. I’m about to leave when I hear the faint sniffle coming from the larder.
I don’t think twice as I let myself in, closing the door behind me when Courtney looks up at me with tear-soaked eyes.
“What’s going on?” I ask only for her to shake her head in reply.
Normally, I would push for an answer, but it doesn’t feel like the right thing to do in this moment. Instead, I go to her and wrap myself around her. Holding her until she looks up at me and smiles again.
“Feeling better?”
Courtney nods in response, allowing me to carefully pat the mascara stained blotches around her eyes clean with the hem of my t-shirt.
“Want to talk about it?”
“It’s okay…” After a deep breath, she adds, “I’m just being silly.”
“About?” I know Court’s sensitive about certain things, but silly? Not so much.
“Dessert.” She sighs, melting into me completely before she tells me, “Connie made Eton Mess too.”
Oh.
A sheepish grimace crinkles her nose. “I told you it’s silly.”
“It’s not. People always underestimate how important the silly little things are to the big picture.
Like you know, when I miss home, I actually miss sitting in my mom’s kitchen talking to her while she cooks dinner.
I miss hugging Sabine when she freaks out during a horror movie…
and listening to étty and my dad argue over the right way to clear snow off the drive. ”
“Don’t you just shovel it to the side?”
“You’d think, right?”
A quiet laugh bubbles in her chest, warming mine with pride for being the reason she’s lighting up again.
“I wanted to do something nice,” she whispers. “To relive a memory we have together.”
“I get that. And again, I don’t think it’s silly,” I murmur into her hair.
“Did you see Connie’s?” she asks, blinking her emotions away. “It was perfect.”
I lift her chin. Brushing my lips along to the pink line in her hair—the scar I gave her.
“Looking perfect doesn’t make it better,” I tell her. “We had fun making it together. Made memories. The good kind that I’m going to enjoy reliving. A lot. ”
Her lips twitch as a deep flush glows bright on her cheeks.
“And I can’t wait to try it,” I whisper. “Because every bite will taste like you. Perfect.”
She looks up at me like I just hung her moon. Damn, I hope I get to do it again. And again. Because this fullness in my chest is too good. Too wholesome. Too perfect .
This feeling is all her, and there’s no way I’m ever going to be able to give it up.
Table of Contents
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- Page 47 (Reading here)
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