I lean in, attempting to look inside, but am blocked by the angle. "Liam's kid?"
Brooke nods. "Yeah, apparently he fired another nanny."
I cross my arms over my chest. "Do I need to call Burnsey?"
She rolls her eyes and shakes her head, smiling and walking back toward her bag. When she reaches for it, I all too quickly step up to the net. "Are you done?" I ask eagerly.
She slows her motion slightly, peering up at me. "I can be," she says. Then, her eyes slink lower, and she licks her lips. "Did you bring the bike? Cause you know, it's been months, and you still haven't cashed in that rain check."
I suck my teeth and nod slowly. "Oh, I brought the bike." Her face lights up as she grins flirtatiously. "And trust me, Mystery Girl. I have all sorts of plans."
Rolling back into town, Brooke's arms squeeze tightly around my waist in excitement. Her legs are snug around mine, and her chest is pushed flat against my back. Each turn I take or street I dip down, I can feel her holding her breath, wondering ifthismight be where I pull over. I've almost caved a few times already—it's taken all of my self-control notto give in to the moves she's been putting on me the entire ride in. But despite how much I always want her, I have to stay level-headed right now.
My dad and I have been working on this for months. We've had many long conversations and shopped around more than I care to admit. It's something that I can't believe I'm finally doing, but the moment I saw Brooke at that bar in Grand Oaks, I hoped this is where it would lead.
There's a reason that we were brought back together—I like to think maybe Mom had something to do with it. I wasn't lying when I told her that she was changing everything for me—my life, my game, my heart. Turns out I might have found even more of a home in her than I thought.
"Wait… " Brooke calls over the roar of the bike. I roll to a stop at the next red light and look over my shoulder. "Why are you heading downtown? This isnotthe highway shoulder I expected."
I chuckle under the shield of my helmet. "Oh, come on, you're way too classy for the shoulder," I toss back. "We're going residential, baby."
She doesn't respond, and I smile, picturing the confusion that's undoubtedly etched into her brow. The light turns green, and I zip around the next turn, decreasing my speed as we reach an all too familiar street. Brooke's arms loosen around me as I pull over toward the curb, and I grin, trying to decipher her lessened grip as curiosity or disappointment.
"Drew, I love you," she whispers as I cut the engine. "And that rain check has been burning a hole in my pocket, but I'm not sure the families in these houses would care to witness us having sex across your bike."
Swinging my leg over, I take my helmet off and straddle the seat in the opposite direction to face her. Brooke takes hers off and tosses her hair, her cheeks pink from either the spring sun or her anticipation.
"I thought you were bad, Mystery Girl." She tips her chin down and tilts her head, glaring at me in an adorable way. I lean forward, kissing her gently, and her lips curl beneath mine before I pull away. "I'm kidding, Brooke. That's not why we're here."
She creases her brow, and I wait for nerves to shoot through me now that we've reached our destination.
But they don't come.
They never do with her.
If anything, she calms my chaos.
Things with Brooke are easy, and not in the sense that we never argue or that everything is perfect. Life didn't just become simple because she suddenly fell into it. But my love for her outweighs any fear I've ever known. It's stronger than any doubt or pressure I've taken on. Truer than any expectation the world has thrown my way.
Being with Brooke feels as natural as hockey once did when I was first handed a stick. And that doesn't mean it's without its bumps and bruises and jagged edges, but it's steady. And it's real. And even when it's hard, it still feels pretty fucking right.
Andthat'swhat makes it easy.
That's what makes it everything.
"Brooke, I…"
She stops her eyes from wandering when she hears her name—and my shift in tone—and the way she looks at me expectantly physically draws me closer.
"Brooke," I continue again, shifting forward. "Since I met you, my life has completely changed."
"Drew…"
I hold a finger up and blow out a slow breath. "And some of that had to do with my own choices—finally taking back control of my life. But so much of that is thanks to you."
Brooke's jaw grows tight as her throat moves up and down, her eyes darting back and forth between mine. I smile slowly, then reach for her hand before continuing. "I used to feel alone—so alone—even surrounded by people, but when I laid eyes on you last year at the gala, I finally felt connected again. Like I was part of something."
Her gaze drops to our interlocked hands, and she brushes her thumb back and forth over mine. Dipping down, I curl my first finger under her chin and bring her back to me. "Brooke, I used to think that true love was something that had to take your breath away. But it's not like that with you."
