The thought should have startled him, but it came so immediately and without question that he knew there was no point in fighting it. His life was too much of a mess for her, and he knew she was too bright to let herself pretend that this thing between them could be anything more than just a moment. It was a winter romance that seemed magical under the moonlight but wouldn’t make sense once spring began and the impossibilities of a relationship were exposed to the light. But that didn’t stop him from wondering what life would look like if they were going home to the same city.
He absentmindedly ran his finger over her cheek, tracing the shadows that a distant tree left on her skin as the early-morning light shone in.
“Are you watching me sleep, Drew?” she said softly, her eyes still closed. Her voice was sweet in the morning, soft and gentle.
“I didn’t want to wake you up,” he said softly as he watched her eyes open. Her head was still comfortably tucked between his shoulder and chest. He wondered how long they could stay like that, how much longer they could live in the moment before it had to end. He got his answer when Ari’s alarm began to ring. Upon hearing it, she opened her eyes, left his embrace, and sat up. His chest felt much colder without her.
“Is that your alarm to go to training?” he asked as she rolled over to the bedside table to turn it off.
“No,” she said, wearing an embarrassed smile. It was cute, he wanted to kiss it.
“What is it?” he asked, smiling back at her, amused by her refusal to make eye contact with him then.
“Don’t judge me,” she said.
“I would never,” he said as she shuffled to his side of the bed. He stretched his arm out, an open invitation, and she rolled backover to him, getting comfortable in the space between his shoulder and chest that felt like it had been created just for her.
She looked up at him and smiled.
“I get up every morning at six a.m. to take a walk and listen to a self-help book. But not in a listening toRich Dad Poor DadandThe Law of Attractionkind of way,” she insisted.
“I’d still like you if you listened toRich Dad Poor Dadevery morning,” he said.
“It’s sports biographies to help me become a good captain. It’s corny, but I’m trying to be the best I can for the team, you know?” she said, her eyes wide and earnest. How she looked when she started talking about the things she loved made his heart swell. As she explained what she was reading, that early-morning thought came back to him. And this time, he was certain. Drew could definitely imagine himself falling in love with Ari one day.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she whispered suspiciously.
“You know why,” he said.
“I’m going to need you to spell it out.” She smiled.
“Because I like you,” he said plainly. Her eyes lit up as she looked over at him.
“I think I like you, too,” she said with a small smile.
“But? There’s always abut,” he said, sensing her hesitance but trying to keep it light.
“There’s nobut. This is all that matters right now,” she said, resting her head on his chest. The two of them lay in bed and looked up at the ceiling in quiet contentment. Skin to skin in the early-morning light. After a moment, she turned around to face him, tilted her head until they were looking straight into each other’s eyes. She used her fingers to trace the lines and contours of his face before settling on his lips and kissing him until he felt deliciously dizzy. When they pulled apart, he felt words hecouldn’t say rise to the tip of his tongue.Stay, we could make it work, I’ve wanted this since the night we met.He wanted to run his fingers through her hair, sleep in late, and spend all the time he possibly could with her. But after a few seconds, she pulled away, got out of bed, and headed to the bathroom.
When he heard the sound of the shower turn on, he rolled out of bed and put on some clothes. He walked across the room, and opened the curtains, letting the golden early-morning light fill the room. Drew knew he was in trouble. There was no going back from a feeling this real. He wanted to honor the rules of their arrangement and convince himself he could still play pretend. But there was nothing fake about the way he felt about her anymore. He wasn’t sure his feelings for her had ever been anything less than completely real. He was trying to find the words to tell her he couldn’t pretend to be her boyfriend anymore when the bathroom door opened, releasing a cloud of minty shower gel–scented steam and Ari wrapped in a teeny-tiny towel. She looked perfect. Likewhat were they doing getting dressed up to start the day when she looked that goodperfect. He’d seen her body only once, but it would probably be imprinted on his mind for the rest of his life. By the time his gaze returned to her eyes, there was a little smirk on her face. She could tell he’d been checking her out. But then her face turned serious.
“We have a problem,” she said. He was slightly alarmed by her tone.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his mind immediately running to worst-case scenarios. But she shook her head and smiled.
“Wearing last night’s dress while trekking through the snow the morning after isn’t my vibe. Especially in a hotel full of journalists. Do you have anything I can borrow?” she asked.
He got up and walked over to his wardrobe.
“I could lend you a Team USA hoodie,” he said with a smile as he walked to his wardrobe and pulled a hanger.
“The girls would kick me off of the team if I showed up to practice in that,” she said, shaking her head.
“A Team USAT-shirt?” he joked.
“They would revoke my citizenship,” Ari said, laughing as she walked over to search the wardrobe with him. She was still so fresh out of the shower that he could see the steam evaporating off her skin and small droplets of water rolling down her shoulders.
“How about this?” she asked, pulling out one of his old USC sweaters.
