Page 24 of How We End

“Help, yeah.Change your fucking game, no.Just tell me you’re not, and I’ll believe you,” Anders said.

“Fuck you.”I walked to the shower.For hockey being a team sport, I’d never felt more alone.

CHAPTERTWELVE

WYATT

October 27

“How much time do we have left?”Julian asked as he twisted a piece of my hair around his finger.

“Thirty-five minutes.”Time always slipped away with him.It was almost three, and he technically only had half an hour left.“You want to shower?”

“I have a shower at home.”He lay on his back, blue neon washing over his face.Every time we were together, I saw a little more of him.Tonight, he’d been exhausted and sore, which meant I could take my time.Savor him.And I liked that.

“I bet the sunsets from up here are amazing,” he said, nodding to the large windows that made up the west walls of the master suite.

They were.That was why Maverick made sure nothing blocked them.I watched the bright neon light up the night sky.Some days when things felt too heavy, I’d pull the pale blue and golden curtain shut.I didn’t want to be reminded of my past mistakes.“I hate sunsets.”The words slipped out before I could stop them.

“Who hates sunsets?”

I let the past slip back.“Uh… no one.Um… the view is why there are so many windows in the suite.The whole hotel is like that.Some magazine said that this was the best view in all of Las Vegas.Most of the construction budget was for the windows.Or so Mavrick says.”

He sat up and grabbed my hand.“Tell me why.”

“I don’t know.I guess windows are expensive.Something about being soundproof or something.”I shrugged.

“Not about the windows.What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” I said, slipping from the bed and putting on a robe.“Are you sure you don’t want to shower?I could scrub your back.”

“No, I don’t want to shower.Tell me why you hate sunsets.”

“I don’t.I love them.”That didn’t come out as convincing as I had hoped.“It’s nothing.”I forced a smile, picking his shirt up off the ground and shaking it out.“When’s your next game?”

“Why?”

“I’ll watch it.”A flash of blue, then gold neon cut across the room.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”I smiled, happy to be off the subject of sunsets and stupid things I’d never say again to a client.

“Come here.”Julian sat on the edge of the bed.I stepped between his legs.He pressed a kiss to my stomach, then lifted his gaze to mine, concern softening his features.

“Why do you hate sunsets?”

I tried to step away, but he held me in place.“Why do you care?”

“Maybe I have some big event planned for you at sunset.”

“Do you?”I ran my fingers through his hair, enjoying the ease at which he was right now.

“That depends.Why do you hate sunsets?”He slid his hand under my robe and up my thigh.

“What would you plan?”I was stepping close to a line I didn’t want to cross with him.The let’s-make-plans-for-the-future line.

He shrugged, pressing another kiss to my bare stomach.“Tell me first.”His eyes looked greener in the low light.“Please.”