Page 77

Kota

“I can’t believe we’re here,” I said, mesmerized. I’d been smiling since the skyscrapers first came into view, and the closer we got to the heart of the city, the bigger my smile became.

“I can’t believe we’re still stuck in traffic,” Crew whined.

Giggling, I watched cars inch forward in the lane beside us. Meanwhile, we’d been stuck in place for almost five minutes without moving at all. Our first taste of city life.

“I can’t believe the four of us are going to be living together again.”

“ I can’t believe Bridget’s bio mom agreed to move to Chicago to be closer to her.”

Was this some sort of new game we were starting? Seemed like it.

“I can’t believe you guys are about to be in the NHL,” I said.

“I can’t believe you’re going to be working at a fancy biology lab,” Crew grinned.

I laughed again, staring out the passenger window. The city was so alive; even from our stationary place on the highway, it was like a never-ending array of movement and life around us.

Trains were still sailing past. Planes louder than missiles were flying overhead, preparing to land into O’Hare. Cars were cutting each other off to get to the nearest exit.

It was the perfect time to be moving— spring had arrived, each day getting gradually warmer. I wasn’t quite sure how warm it would be just blocks from Lake Michigan, but it probably helped create perfect weather in the summer.

I took it all in like a child seeing Chicago for the first time. “I can’t believe you’re a champion ,” I teased, giving Crew a light poke in his side.

Giving me a quick, starry-eyed gaze, Crew’s dimples sank deeply into his cheeks as he smiled. “I can’t believe you’re still bringing that up.”

I was tempted to lean over and stick my finger in those pretty dimples just for the hell of it. “Are we almost there?” I chuckled.

“I think so. GPS says thirteen minutes.”

The GPS failed to mention that traffic would add another fifteen minutes.

That was okay though. I didn’t mind spending a few extra minutes in the car with Crew.

Based on Lane and Bridget’s location, they were stuck miles behind us. It’d probably take them at least an hour to get to our new apartment.

Finally, Crew and I beat the traffic, driving through downtown and managing not to turn the wrong way down a one-way.

There was a parking garage that connected to our building. Luckily for us, we were on the top floor, the fifteenth floor, which meant we’d have the best view in the building.

I’d never actually seen the apartment in person, only in pictures. Lane and Crew had set out a few weeks ago to apartment hunt, catching a flight in the middle of the night without telling Bridget and me.

At first, we were ticked off. Obviously, we would’ve wanted to join, but the boys insisted on choosing the apartment, because up until then, Bridget and I had vetoed every option they’d shown.

The reasoning? They were all expensive as hell. They were all beautiful, I’d admit, but absolutely out of our price range.

For Lane and Crew though, they no longer had a price range. Their NHL contracts were in full swing, so they took it upon themselves to find the most lavish four bedroom available, telling us not to worry about the rent.

Stepping into the apartment, it was even more stunning than the photos. The floors were light-colored hardwood, accompanied with white walls, which brightened the place.

The wall on the far side of the apartment was made of floor-to-ceiling windows, and I ran over, squishing my body up against it in the shape of a star.

“Wow,” I said, my hot breath leaving fog.

Whoops.

The apartment overlooked Lake Michigan. From the crystal blue hue and the endless span of water that disappeared once it met the horizon, it honestly looked like the ocean.

Boats were scattered throughout the lake, and Navy Pier was just as lively as everything else in this city; the ferris wheel was spinning peacefully, and from this height, people looked like ants running around.

It felt like I was standing in a fairytale.

“It’s so beautiful,” I said.

Appearing beside me, Crew smiled. “It is.”

“You better not hit me with that cheesy line right now.”

“What line?” he asked.

“It’s beautiful, but not as beautiful as you,” I said in a mocking tone, causing that full, husky laugh that I loved so much to roll through his chest.

“Noted. Alright,” he nodded. “I won’t call you beautiful then.” Once I shot him a look, he let out a snort and shielded his grin with the back of his hand. “You’re gorgeous?” he said, trying to smother away the hardness in my eyes. “I love you?”

Raising a brow, I waited silently.

“Is there something else I should say?”

I couldn’t hold back my laughter, stepping over to wrap my arms around his midsection. Nuzzling my face against Crew’s chest, he tightened his arms around me, squeezing like this was the last time we’d see each other rather than the start of our lives.

Standing there for a moment, the only sound was our heartbeats pulsing in sync, and nothing in my life had ever seemed so perfect before.

“Well,” I quietly said, treading away as Crew reluctantly let me go. He watched me head straight for my purse that I’d thrown into the empty corner; I pulled a small bag of pretzels out and took a seat on the floor.

“You have snacks?” he laughed.

“I always have snacks,” I said. “Do you want one?”

Scoffing in disbelief, Crew sat in front of me. “You’re offering to share your snack with me?”

“You’re right. That does seem unlike me, doesn’t it?” I nodded, speaking through bites. “I’ll share with you, though.” My own voice sounded foreign to me. It was higher-pitched, sweeter and smoother. That cruel note that used to overtake me was nowhere to be found. I dropped a few pretzels into Crew’s hand.

Observing our new apartment as we ate, we were a bit clueless as to what to do next. Lane and Bridget were still far, and we weren’t ready to start unpacking after the long car ride.

We obviously had no furniture or TV or even Rob K to play with. I’d lost rock, paper, scissors the other day, which meant Bridget got to take him in the car with her.

So, for now, it was just me, Crew, the floor, and our pretzels.

“You wanna play rapid fire questions?” I asked.

“Sure,” he said through a mouthful. “You go first.”

“Okay,” I leaned back into my hands, thinking. “Do you miss your old lifestyle?”

My question seemed to catch Crew off guard. He froze, blinking at me before his eyes creased at the corners, softening. “No. I don’t. I like my life how it is now.”

I gave the tiniest smile, butterflies soaring around in my belly. I used to hate that feeling, but now, I welcomed it, longed for it.

“My turn,” Crew said to himself. “Do, uh... do you think we’ll get married someday?”

Just when I thought the butterflies couldn’t flutter any more sporadically than they already were, they proved me wrong.

“If this is your way of telling me you want me to propose to you , then no,” I joked, relieved to hear his laughter once again. “But honestly... yeah, I do. Maybe.” My chin fell towards the floor, a shitty attempt to hide the red staining my cheeks. “Do you think we will?”

“Yeah,” he rapidly said. “I do.”

My grin was threatening to break my face in half. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he said softly. “You’re my favorite pain in the ass.”

The End.