Page 29

TWENTY-FIVE

Owen

THEN

Sophomore Year

Ellie

Come outside.

I stared at the text on my phone for a minute, wondering if I was dreaming. If this was real. It was November, and I’d been back at college for a few months. The hockey season was in full swing, and I did my best to keep on top of classes, practices, and games.

Never mind trying to keep up with a long distance relationship. I felt guilty I couldn’t talk to her more.

But she was here?

I rushed down the stairs, throwing the door open and finding Ellie standing in front of me.

“Hi.” Her cheeks were flushed as I stared at her.

“Hey, El.” I couldn’t believe she was standing in front of me. God, it felt like an eternity since I’d left for school, even though it had only been a few months. Hockey season was keeping me busy, and there were more than a few nights lately that I’d passed out before I could call her or talk to her. “What are you doing here?”

She wrapped her arms around my middle, practically burying her head between my pecs. “I missed you.”

I chuckled, leaning down to inhale her scent as I hugged her back. “I missed you too, El.”

More than she could ever imagine. I’d never imagined it would be so hard to be away from her. Maybe I’d just taken it for granted, living next door to her for my entire life, but damn, I couldn’t wait for her to be up here in Seattle, too. In Portland, everything had been so easy. Now that we were a state apart, it had gotten harder to find time for us. Even just hanging out wasn’t as simple as it used to be.

Curling my hand around her chin, I tilted her face up till her eyes met mine. “I’ll be home in a few weeks for Thanksgiving, you know.”

“I know.” Ellie’s blue-gray eyes held mine, and she bit her lip. “I just wanted to see you,” she admitted. “And now that I have my license, I convinced my parents to let me come up for the weekend.”

Bending down, I rubbed my nose against hers. “I’m glad you’re here.” I grabbed the duffel bag off her shoulder and draped it over mine instead. Weaving our fingers together, I tugged her into the house. “C’mon. Come see my room.”

She blushed, but nodded shyly. While Penny and my parents had helped me move in this summer, Ellie hadn’t been up here for that. So she hadn’t seen my room yet.

It also reminded me we were completely alone in a way we’d never been before. Sure, we’d had plenty of moments, just the two of us. I found excuses to spend time with her however I could. But besides when I took us out on an adventure, there was always family around. And while we certainly made out in my truck more than once, that was it.

“My room’s on the second floor,” I murmured to her, guiding her towards the staircase. I enjoyed living in the hockey house. Loved my teammates and campus. Though some guys forwent college and playing in NCAA entirely to start their careers sooner, I liked the idea of having a degree for once I was finished with my career. My parents were both incredibly smart, and I knew after I was done being a professional hockey player, I’d be able to put my brain to work. Maybe I’d end up as a sports analyst or something like that.

Opening my door, I led Ellie into my room. There was a queen bed—because we were all big guys, and none of us wanted to remain sleeping on twin beds. Last year in the dorms had been enough.

Dropping her bag on the bed, I spun around, watching as she looked around the room. Mom had helped me pick out most of it, including my blue comforter and the little touches from home.

She ran her fingers over the framed photos of us that sat on my dresser. One of them was from prom my senior year, the two of us smiling with my arms wrapped around her from behind. There was a selfie of us from one of our hikes to Multnomah Falls. One from her seventeenth birthday party this summer.

Ellie turned to me, her face soft and full of emotion. “You have photos of us in your room.”

“Course I do. Gotta make sure everyone knows about my girl.”

She walked over, wrapping her arms around my middle before burying her head in my chest.

“Hey,” I whispered, hooking a finger under her chin and tilting her head up towards me. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

She bit her lip. “It’s stupid. I just—I couldn’t help but worry.”

“Worry what, El?”

“That there were other girls.” She shrugged. “That you’d decide you didn’t want to be with me anymore because you found someone else and?—”

“There’s only you, Skater Girl.” I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “You’re the only one I want. Damn, but I can’t wait to have you here next year.”

“Me too.” She nuzzled her face against my chest again.

I ran my hand over the back of her head and her hair, inhaling her scent as I held her tight against my body. Not being able to wait was an understatement. All I wanted was for us to be in the same place again. I missed how simple things had been when we were both in high school. When a date was as easy as picking her up and taking her somewhere in the old truck.

But she was here, and I wanted to take full advantage of that.

“Do you want to meet the guys? The rest of my teammates will start getting back from class soon. I don’t have a game tonight, so normally we hang out at the house. We have one tomorrow night, though.”

“I didn’t even think about your game schedule,” she said. “I hope me being here isn’t imposing. I just?—”

“It’s fine,” I promised. “Better than fine, actually. I’m so damn happy you’re here. I get you for the whole weekend?”

She nodded. “I have to drive back down Sunday afternoon, but my parents gave me the okay for the weekend.”

God, they trusted us so much. Maybe a little too much.

I dipped down my head, brushing my lips over hers. “I know of a few ways we can spend our time.” I grinned at her. A weekend with my girl, and she’d get to watch my game? I couldn’t think of anything better. Except maybe taking her on the ice and skating with her.

She surged upwards, claiming my mouth, kissing me with a fervor that I matched, stroke for stroke. The world melted away, and it was just us. I was home . It was a feeling only matched out on the ice. One where I knew exactly where I was meant to be. Who I was meant to be with. Hers.

God, I loved her. I loved her so damn much. More than might have been normal, considering how young we were. But we’d both grown up with parents who loved each other—loudly and visibly. They were as close as it came to soulmates on this planet, I was pretty sure.

And Ellie was mine. We were made for each other. I knew that, down to the depths of my soul. Who cared that we were only nineteen and seventeen? I knew I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life.

“Ellie,” I murmured, pulling back after another deep kiss.

“Owen…” Her voice was hardly above a whisper as she ran her hand up my chest. “Let’s have sex.”

“Are you sure?” My eyes widened. I’d wanted to wait until we were ready. Until she was ready.

She nodded. “I want you. I want to…” She blushed. “I’m ready.”

“Only if you’re sure,” I said. Because fuck, I wanted it too. Losing my virginity to the only girl I’d ever loved? There was no way I would turn that down.

“Yes. Yes, I’m sure.” She dipped her head.

I gave her a soft kiss on her lips before grabbing one of my UW Hockey crewnecks and handing it to her. She was dressed in a cute top and tight jeans, looking adorably innocent, but also hot as fuck.

“What’s this for?” She wrinkled her nose, but then brought the fabric up to her nose, sniffing it. “I tell you I want to have sex, and then you give me more clothes? I think you’re supposed to take them off of me, Owen.”

I smirked. “I want to feed you first. Show you around campus and introduce you to the guys.” I dragged a finger down her spine. “We have all weekend, after all.”

She sucked in a breath, and then nodded, slipping my sweatshirt on. It was chilly outside, and I wanted her to be warm. Plus, I liked that it had my name on the back and everyone would know she was my girlfriend.

The crewneck engulfed her frame, reminding me how much smaller than me she was. At five-seven, Ellie wasn’t short, but she was built like her mom—a thin dancer’s frame with long, elegant legs. And I was built like my dad—broad shoulders, plus the defined muscles thanks to all the hockey and working out. I needed to be careful with her. Take my time, so she wasn’t in pain.

Though it would be both of our first times, I’d listened to the guys in the locker room talk about their conquests. I didn’t judge them for hooking up—we were in college, after all—but that just wasn’t me. Still, I’d noted some things they’d said. Especially what to do with my fingers and tongue.

“I should get condoms while we’re out, too,” I said, curling a hand around her waist and squeezing.

She giggled, and I raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, I was just imagining you asking one of your teammates, or that there was some communal box.” Her cheeks were pink again.

Damn, I loved it.

“I’m not taking any chances. Not with you.”

Something flashed in her eyes, and Ellie nodded. “That’s probably smart.”

Definitely smart. Neither one of us was ready for the complications or risks of going without. Especially not at the current place in our lives.

Slipping my shoes on, I tightened the laces before pulling a hoodie on over my t-shirt and jeans.

“Ready?” I asked her, grabbing my lanyard with my student ID. Luckily, our house had a digital lock, so I didn’t need to carry around a key.

“Yeah.” Ellie gave me a small smile.

After introducing her to all of my housemates—as my girlfriend, so those horny fuckers wouldn’t get any ideas—I took Ellie to the dining hall to grab dinner. We sat in one of the two person booths in the back.

It was so easy to imagine us like this next year. Spending time with each other on campus. Sneaking a few kisses in between classes. Seeing her all the time. Damn, but I couldn’t wait. I wanted it to be like this between us for the rest of our lives.

“Tonight was fun.” She rested her head on my upper arm as we walked back to my off-campus house. The box of condoms I’d bought was in my back pocket, and my dick swelled in anticipation.

I leaned in close, brushing my lips over her ear. “It’s not over yet, baby.” I squeezed her hand.

She looked around, like she was making sure no one was listening to our conversation. “You’re too smooth, you know that?”

I grinned. “Learned from the best.”

My mom being a romance author had perks, after all. It was bound to rub off. I knew exactly how to treat a woman after growing up listening to her and her best friends talk about all of their book boyfriends. They were basically instruction manuals.

Ellie rolled her eyes. “I like you just the way you are, you know. You don’t have to try to impress me.” She scrunches up her nose again. “I’m already your girlfriend.”

“Damn right.” I puffed up my chest, glancing down at HARPER written across her back. “And I won’t let you forget it.”

“Hey, Harps!” a voice shouted behind us, and when I turned I saw my teammate Jackson Turner—though we called him Turnip for some weird reason—jogging to catch up with us. He wasn’t home earlier when I’d introduced Ellie to everyone .

“Hey, man.” I fist-bumped him.

He looked at Ellie. “This your girl?”

She was the one who answered. “Yeah. I’m Eleanor.” Ellie stuck out her hand. I chuckled the way she introduced herself with her full name. No one ever called her Eleanor. Maybe her parents, but she’d always just been Ellie or El.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He winked at her, and I held back a growl. “I’m Jackson.”

“Turner,” I warned.

He held his hands up. “Relax, man. Not going to steal her.”

“Better not,” I muttered, tightening my grip around Ellie’s hand. She squeezed mine, like she was reassuring me, and I felt a little better.

Luckily, Turner waved goodbye, heading off towards the other end of campus.

God, next year was going to be torture, wasn’t it? How many guys were going to be flirting with her? I needed to get a grip. Something was seriously wrong with me feeling this possessive about her, when she’d never given a single indication that she’d even looked at another guy. And she thought I’d been with other women without telling her. That I’d cheat on her? There was no way. Not when she was the one I wanted.

My favorite nights were the ones where I fell asleep listening to the sound of her voice on the phone. When she told me all about her skating routine. How excited she was to continue her training at the college level next year. About her dreams of the future.

“Sorry, I know I’m being crazy,” I mumbled in her ear. “I just can’t help it. I don’t get enough time with you, and seeing all these guys around you…” I clenched my free hand into a fist. “I feel so crazy territorial and possessive.”

She batted her eyelashes a few times, leaning in close to me to whisper, “Would it help if I let you pee on me?” I burst out laughing. “You know, like a dog, mark your territory?”

“Ellie.” There were tears in my eyes. I couldn’t hold back my laughter, nor could I stop it. “Baby. I already did that.”

“What?” She frowned.

I tugged on the sweatshirt. “You’re wearing my clothes.”

She always wore my jersey back in high school, too. I loved seeing it on her. It felt right. Like a reminder that some day, she’d have my last name too.

“Is that why athletes like when their girlfriends wear their jersey?” Ellie scrunched up her nose again.

I chuckled. “Yes. Drives me fucking crazy. Always has. You look so cute in my clothes, it makes me want to kiss you all the damn time. ”

“I want that too,” she murmured.

I tugged on our interlocked hands. “Come on, my Daisy. Let’s get you back so I can kiss you senseless.” Among other things, because I had plans. One of them was to kiss her everywhere.

Her eyes heated. “Yes, please.”

When we got back to my room, she was in my arms before I could blink, and I shut my door with my foot. Ellie’s lips descended on mine, and we were a flurry of movement.

I tossed the box of condoms on my nightstand with one hand and sat her on the bed, kneeling in front of her. Fuck, she was pretty.

“Relax,” I whispered, kissing her softly. “It’s just you and I. Owen and Ellie.”

Her blue-gray eyes searched mine. I wondered what she saw there. My undying love and devotion? How much I craved her very being? That I was hanging on by a thread and desperate for her?

“I love you,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Make me yours.” Ellie rested my forehead against hers. “Please. ”

“ Fuck . I love you so much.”

I love you.

Fuck, but those whispered words weren’t enough.

They were everything.

This was everything.

She was my everything.