“I’m so proud of you,” I murmur against his lips.
I kiss him again, but this time, I feel Aiden’s mouth curve up into a smile, and I can’t help but do the same.
He breaks the kiss and shuts the door, then pulls me into his arms. “I need to score goals more often.”
I laugh and drop my tote bag to the floor. “It was a beautiful goal. The way you got open at the top of the slot was chef’s kiss perfect.”
“I love that you understand the game,” Aiden declares.
I quirk a brow at him. “Is it hot?”
“You have no idea how hot.”
I laugh, and so does Aiden, but I know he means it. He loves that I can understand the game and he can actually talk to me about it on a high level.
Aiden grabs his post-game meal, and after he eats, I retrieve my phone and bring it over to the sofa. We all sit together—I’m on Aiden’s left, and Milo is curled up in his right, and Aiden is absently running his fingers over Milo’s left ear.
“I have something I want to show you,” I say.
“Yeah?”
I nod. “Yeah. It’s something I’ve been working on all week. And I never would have done this without your belief in me.”
Aiden’s expression is curious now, and I grow even more excited to share my website with him. I unlock my phone, tap on a few things, and then hand my phone to him.
“This is going to be the website for Frozen Edge Photography,” I explain. “My new photography business.”
Aiden takes my phone and stares down at the screen. His eyes widen, and then he immediately looks back at me. “You’re doing it,” he says, his face breaking out into a proud smile. “You’re freaking going to do it!”
The excitement in his voice, the proud look on his face—all for me chasing my dream.
How can my parents be against a man like this loving me this way?I think as Aiden eagerly begins to scroll through my website, studying each and every picture I’ve posted.
This is what I deserve. A man who not only believes in passionately pursuing his own dreams, but is equally passionate about me pursuing mine.
“Scarlett,” he says softly, his eyes never leaving my iPhone, “this is freaking amazing.”
A rush of pride surges through me. “Thank you.”
Aiden asks me questions about the pictures, about how my website is laid out, curious about my thought process and what I hope to achieve. And it feels so good to talk about my photography. Aiden is just as invested as I am, and it only makes me feel more confident about putting my work out in the world and seeing if this can become a career for me.
“Hadleigh gave me some good advice about taking advantage of opportunities that are within my grasp,” I say after Aiden hands me back my phone. “Once things settle after we tell my parents about us, I’m going to ask Dad if I can share my website with the Manatees’ communications director. I’m going to ask if I can freelance as my schedule permits and they need extra help, or fill in when he’s off, things like that.”
“That’s a brilliant idea,” Aiden says, putting his arm around my shoulders and drawing me into his side. “And I don’t see how anyone can argue with you being there after seeing your work.”
I snuggle in next to him, relishing the feel of his hard muscle and body heat through the fabric of his T-shirt. “Well, if I get the opportunity, some people will say it’s all because of my dad. And he might open this door for me, but he would never pressure the communications team to give me anything. Even if he wanted to do that, I wouldn’t let him.”
Aiden’s hand makes its way to my hair, tangling in it. “This. Your talent is what will get you the opportunity.”
“But I wouldn’t have done any of this without you,” I murmur. “You forced me to take this dream out and examine it again. You challenged me to believe in it. Follow it. And I can’t thank you enough for that.”
“Scarlett?”
I hear the serious tone in his voice. I sit up so I can look at him.
“You did the same for me. But it was about love,” Aiden says quietly. “I didn’t want to be in a relationship after my last one. I decided hockey was going to be my focus, but I was using it as a barrier. I wasn’t going to let anyone get near my heart and break it. If I focused on the game, I would be fine.
“But then here comes this gorgeous girl, with the sexy red lips and sexy dress, and she needed feathers plucked out of her hair,” Aiden continues, his mouth curving up into a smile. “I didn’t know it then, that not only were my walls going to fall, but they were going to be obliterated by this girl. Thank you for being that girl, Scarlett. Thank you for showing me how love should be. Thank you for showing me that going against the rules isn’t always wrong. Because what we have? It’s everything that is right about love.”
