Page 8

ONE YEAR LATER

Cody

S hould I be carrying boxes in, too? Yes. Can I carry them in myself? Yes. But it’s a thousand times hotter to watch Ari carry them in. Ari’s got his shirt off and tucked into the back of his jeans. Sweat’s glistening, dripping from pectorals I’m sure were carved by magical elves. He sets the box down, wipes his brow with the back of his arm, and smiles at me like I’m a wonder of the world.

“Hey, baby.”

“You need help?” I ask, but only because I know what he’ll say.

“Nah. I got this. Besides, I know how much you love watching me work—don’t deny it.” His eyes light with mischief. “Also, those new glasses make you look like Superman. Just sayin’.”

I can’t figure him out. He genuinely thinks the world of me. It took me a while to accept this as fact, but after some time, it was hard to deny.

His sister Bea said one day, “Do you know that when you’re not here, all he does is talk about you?”

I hadn’t known that. To prove it, she listed off a bunch of my favorites, including the exact title of the comic book I saved for a long time to buy. Clearly, Ari had spent a great deal of time gushing about me. He somehow made me sound like I’m some kind of hero as if I’m out there saving the world, curing incurable diseases.

“And you snore a little while you sleep, but he loves the way you snore,” she added.

He might gush about me a little too much, but even the slight sting of embarrassment didn’t temper the gallop my heart took off at. Ari’s a little obsessed with me, and I’m not mad about it.

Ari hasn’t moved. He’s leaning against the countertop, dripping sweat onto my clean floors—er, our clean floors now—staring at me as if he’s seeing me for the first time.

“How do you do that?” I ask.

“Do what?”

“Look at me like you’re falling for me all over again.”

He takes a step toward me. His thick fingers sink into the waistband of my jeans, pulling me toward him. Heat pours off him, stifling the air around us.

“Because I fall in love with you every day.”

“I love you, too, Ari Meyer. So, fucking much.” There’s a sting of tears, glassing over my eyes. How did I get so lucky? How did I capture the attention of the world’s most tenderhearted man? I may never know, but I’m keeping him forever.

“Those are all of my favorite words,” Ari whispers.

He yanks one of my legs around his body until it’s locked around him and then his lips descend.

T hat’s it for these guys! I hope you enjoyed this little peek into the Heartbreak Hockey universe.