“I want to be with you,” I repeat. “Now, you should tell me what you want.”
“But are we allowed to be together? Will we get in trouble?”
That’s a good question. One I don’t have the answer to. “I think we’ll be okay. You graduate soon, and then it’ll be a nonissue. As it stands, I have no footing in either of the departments you’re a part of, so as far as I’m concerned, we’re not breaking any rules.”
Whether others would feel the same way is still up for debate. I’ll find that answer in the following days, but I meant what I said. I won’t sacrifice another relationship for my job. Not this time. I’ve already accomplished so much of what I set out to do. I think RDU can survive without me if it comes down to it.
My heart jumps when Brevan nods. “Yes. I want that too.”
“No more secrets. Even secrets that weren’t meant to be secrets. I promise.”
Brevan nods. “I don’t think I have any, but I’ll tell you anything.”
“I’m happy to hear that.” My words are interrupted by a wide yawn, one that Brevan echoes a second later. “For now, let’s get some sleep. We’ll talk more in the morning.”
“Should I stay here?”
“Definitely. I want to wake up with you in my arms. Every day, beginning now.”
He sighs and settles into my hold. Thank fuck he stuck around long enough to hear me out. All I have to do is not mess this relationship up like I did with my previous one. Somehow, even though the thought might not be accurate, it feels as though there’s more on the line this time.
CHAPTER 29
BREVAN
It’s impossible to tell if Coach’s light is on since his windows let in a lot of light. He’s not making any noise if he’s in his office.
My eyes drop to my paper, and I read it over for maybe the tenth time. It sounds convincing, right? Sighing, I let my hand drop with my paper pressed against the side of my leg and knock. Best just to get this over with.
“Enter,” Coach calls.
I take a breath and hold it in my lungs for a beat before I open the door. Coach Lemon is great. I think he’s the best coach I’ve ever had. He always looks out for me and all his players. There have been many times when I’ve come to him for something, and he’s always helped me understand my options and how to choose the best one for me.
There’s a chance I should have taken that into account when he admitted he’s the one who submitted my application for CAP. I trust he has my best interests in mind more than most people.
Coach smiles as I step into his office. “Brevan. Welcome back.”
“Thanks, Coach.”
“Come in. Sit. Tell me all about your trip.”
I shut the door behind me and take a seat in the pink chair in front of his desk. His office always makes me smile since it doesn’t look like a football office at all. Maybe someone who’s interested in fashion. Is that what it looks like?
“Iceland was amazing,” I tell him. “I’ve never seen a place so beautiful, even covered in snow.”
“Did you get to see an iceberg?”
I shake my head. “I imagine if we’d spent all our days exploring, we’d still have only seen a handful of places. We did see a black sand beach, the lava tunnels, and we visited a hot spring.”
“Hot spring? Outside in the cold?”
My smile spreads wide. “We all had the same impression! But the cold and hot like that are good for your body. Well, that’s what they told us.”
He snorts. “What else? How was the university you visited?”
“On the surface, it looks like any university you could pull up in a search engine, but they’re already inherently what RDU is, but because their country is better about equality, it’s not something they have to yell. You know?”
Coach shakes his head. “No. I can’t imagine a place like that.”
