Page 41 of No Shot (The Toronto Tundra #2)

Ugh, that ’ s the stuff, man. The sweet side of her that I see more and more every day.

“ No coffee, Soup. I just came for you.” I wink, and spot the instant flush that crosses her cheeks.

Damn, I like her so much.

***

“ So…” I start, looking over at Bri settled comfortably in the passenger seat of my car.

“ So…?”

“ How much did you miss me?”

She chuckles into her coffee cup. “ Soooo much, I like, couldn ’ t eat or sleep without you.” She bats her eyelashes and tosses her hair over her shoulder for emphasis.

“ Alright, I get it, Miss Independent.”

“ Ask silly questions, get silly answers.”

“Fair enough,” I reply.

“ I ’ m happy to see you, though,” she says, staring back at me, her eyes sparkling brighter than usual. Her navy turtle neck is making them pop. She looks beautiful as always.

I smile back at her and reach for her hand, lacing my fingers through hers. I press a kiss to the back before resting our hands between us.

“ I do want to talk, though,” she continues.

“ Uh-oh,” I joke, glancing over to her, noting no sense of playfulness on her face.

“ You ’ ve been a little off lately.” I ’ ve been a little off for a while. I just haven ’ t been as good at hiding it anymore.

“ Tired, I guess.” The sigh she releases has me feeling like I ’ m getting an ‘ I ’ m disappointed in you ’ lecture from my mother.

“ Come on, Penn. I know that ’ s not it.

” I don ’ t want her to push this. I can ’ t handle this conversation because I know how it will end.

I free my hand from hers, rubbing it down my face before gripping the wheel.

We ’ re two minutes away from her school, I just have to make it there.

“ You said you can ’ t talk to me about these things, but you can. I ’ m here with you right now.”

“ That ’ s the problem,” I mumble in frustration.

“ That I ’ m here?” Confusion flickers across her expression. No, that ’ s never the problem.

“ Right now . Just for right now.”

“ I don ’ t get it…” What doesn ’ t she get? She set the deadline. We can see where this goes as long as we ’ re both in Toronto . That ’ s exactly what she said. She made it crystal clear.

I grip the wheel tighter, pulling to a stop in front of the main campus building.

“ You don ’ t think this would last if I get traded?”

Her eyebrows draw together, head tilting. “ What?”

“ You don ’ t think we could keep dating if I leave Toronto, right?”

“ Well, that ’ s not the point.” She sounds as flustered as I feel right now. “ A long-distance relationship, you don ’ t want that. I told you I ’ m not someone who can drop everything and follow someone else around.”

“ I ’ m not asking you to follow me around. I ’ m asking you to give us a chance.”

“ I—but—I,” she starts, before snapping her jaw shut and closing her eyes for a second to suck in a breath. I ’ ve never seen her this speechless. It ’ s an easy answer for me.

“ Are we not having fun?”

“ We are, but—”

“ Are we not good together? Do you not see any sort of future for us?” My voice is laced with hurt, but I ’ m too far gone to stop it. All the frustration I ’ ve been trying to suppress is bubbling to the surface. I see this, a future, a life. I want her to see it too.

She shakes her head, looking down at her legs.

“ That ’ s besides the point, I-I told you.

I said it from the start, I ’ m not like that, I can ’ t be like that.

I ’ m focused, I have school, I ’ ve been working so hard for this.

Once I graduate, I don ’ t know where I ’ ll end up, but my career has to come first.”

I ’ m not trying to stop her from chasing her dreams. I would never want to be a distraction or do anything to prevent her from her goals.

Her determination is my favorite thing about her, not something I ’ d ask her to give up.

All the words flow through my mind, but I just can ’ t manage to get them out.

I nod, keeping my eyes focused ahead of me.

“ I understand.”

She reaches her hand over the center console to rest it on my thigh. “ Penn—”

“ It ’ s fine. I get it.” I knew it too. “ This was just fun, nothing more.”

“ N-no—”

“ You ’ re going to be late for your class,” I state, not bothering to look at the time. I just can ’ t sit in this rejection any longer.

She shakes her head. “ It ’ s fine, I don ’ t care…” Doesn ’ t care? We ’ re talking about the girl who schedules fun time into her planner.

“ No, it ’ s not. This is important for you. I don ’ t want you to miss any part of your lecture.” I reach into the backseat to grab her tote for her, placing it gently on her lap.

“ Thanks.” Her voice is soft and timid. I barely recognize it.

“ So listen, the next few days I ’ m going to be super busy. I scheduled a bunch of extra sessions with the team trainers and need to really focus on my game.”

She nods, avoiding eye contact with me. “ Oh, sure, yeah. No worries, I have a lot of studying to do anyway.” Bri unbuckles her seat belt and starts to pull open the passenger door.

I rush out of the car, to her other side, holding it open the rest of the way.

When I offer my hand, she takes it, and the connection sends sparks like it always does.

When she looks up at me, though, I ’ m hit with a wave of sadness clouding my vision. She is too damn perfect. I can ’ t help myself. I lean down, planting a single kiss on her warm cheek.

This feels an awful lot like goodbye.