Page 29

Drake

I lead Taylor through the house with my hand on her lower back, tempted to slide it to her ass.

But the realtor is beside us, staring over at me every few seconds.

She hasn’t stopped checking me out. Taylor hasn’t noticed yet.

Thank God for that. She would have a fit if she saw the eye-fucking this chick is sending my way.

I ignore her, pulling Taylor close to my side and steer her into the master bedroom. “What do you think?”

She peeks up at me with a smile so wide it reaches her blue eyes. “I like it. But it’s expensive… for the size.”

“I know you don’t have any issues with size,” I whisper against her ear, and she laughs. “Could you see yourself living here?”

She bobs her head. “Yes, I think so.”

“You think?”

“Drake,” she sighs. “You don’t have to spend this kind of money, so I have a place to stay while I’m at school. It’s too much.”

“This is for us,” I hedge. “Even if it’s only a temporary arrangement.”

“The resale value in this area is excellent,” Monica, our realtor, says with a bright smile. She flicks her blonde hair off her shoulder and strolls toward us. “You can easily recoup your money in a few years.”

“We’ll take it,” I tell her.

“Excellent.” She beams with delight, clapping her hands together. “Let’s head back to my office, and we’ll draw up the paperwork.”

Monica exits the bedroom, and we stay behind to check out the room once more.

The house is vacant, the current owner now living on the other side of the country.

While the house is too large for Taylor to live here alone most of the time, I want her to be comfortable.

And compared to my parents’ house, this place is a shack.

Taylor checks out the walk-in closet, which is large enough to fit a king-size bed, and I follow behind her.

“Thank you, Drake.” She wraps her arms around me and rests her head on my chest. “You didn’t have to do this. I don’t even know what else to say. I have no way of ever repaying you.”

“All I need is you,” I confess, planting a kiss on top of her head. She smells of the pear shampoo she likes, the scent filling my nostrils. “As long as you’re happy, so am I.”

She slides her hands to my waist and glances up at me, lips parted. “You never cease to amaze me, Drake Donovan. I wish everyone at school knew how wrong they were about you.”

“The only person whose opinion matters to me is yours. I couldn’t give a shit what anyone else thinks.”

I dip my head down to take her bottom lip into my mouth.

She moans as I slip my tongue inside. Our kiss is soft yet passionate, though there’s an intense hunger that’s always present between us.

Chasing after Taylor was the best decision I ever made.

And now, we’re one step closer to starting our life together.

I want to puke as I wait in the crowd, hoping that all of my hard work will finally pay off.

The event center is a mob of people, the Draft in the second round, and tensions are high.

With each name they call, my heart slams into my chest. My body trembles from the nerves shaking through me, but I do my best to still my hand that Taylor’s clutching for dear life.

Her body is rigid, and her jaw set so hard it looks like it could pop from its sockets.

She’s been a nervous wreck all week, despite her best efforts to hide it from me.

We moved into our new house last week, which only added to the stress.

I hired a decorator to take Taylor’s mind off everything, though I’m not sure she enjoys picking out paint colors enough to distract her from the fact we might not see each other for a while.

No matter what happens, we’ll figure it out.

Taylor has five more years at Berkeley before she can become a psychologist. Her dream is just as important as mine.

I would never ask her to stop pursuing her career path when I have every intention of following mine.

I know firsthand with my parents that long-distance relationships can work.

They did it for most of my childhood with no issues.

When they call my name, Taylor screams and squeezes my hand tighter. My mom cries, tears streaming down her cheeks. Chloe’s clapping and beaming with delight. Dad holds up his hand for me to slap it.

I take a second to process the reality of the situation.

All the years of pushing myself to the limit have come to fruition.

And then I let it all sink in again, realizing the news is better than I ever could have imagined.

Because the San Jose Sharks picked me, which is a little over an hour drive from our house in Berkeley.

Taylor and my family rise from their seats along with me. My girl attaches to my body. She’s holding onto me so tight I’m wondering if I will have to drag her up to the stage with me.

“You made it, Drake,” she says with fresh tears now spilling from her eyes. “I’m so proud of you. I knew they’d call you.”

I chuckle and press a kiss to her lips. “Thanks, baby. You make all of this worth it.”

Blush spreads across her pale cheeks. She mouths, I love you, and I say it back, before I hug the rest of my family and make my way up to the stage.

Time feels frozen when I put the Sharks hat on my head, adjusting it over my hair.

I say my thank you’s and smile for the cameras, my eyes fixed on Taylor the entire time.

Even in a crowd, I can find her. I’m so drawn to her, always have been, and for that reason alone I know I will always find my way back to her.