Cade mirrored my movements, lacing his fingers together at the base of my spine.
“Oof. You’re freezing, Ash. Switch spots with me.”
I resisted moving one inch from our positions. I wanted to lock this moment into my memory alongside all the other private sides of Cade that I kept in my heart.
The adorable expression of concern on his face had me releasing the last part of myself that I’d held back from him.
“I love you, Cade.” I said the words before he could insist it was his turn to take care of me.
If surprised had a picture in the dictionary, Cade’s expression could have been it.
He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before swallowing.
The rational side of me knew that we might not be in exactly the same place in terms of our feelings, but I knew we were both undoubtedly invested in this relationship. I could and would wait. . .
“I love you too, Ash.” Cade’s words short-circuited my internal pep talk.
“Really?” Now it was my turn to gape at him.
Was I an idiot? Did I just say “really?”
A bright smile broke out on his face.
“Ha. Not so easy to process it right away, eh?” He stuck his tongue out teasingly. “See why it took my brain a minute to catch up to reality?
“I’ve been wanting to say it for months but didn’t want to scare you away. You’re it for me. Forever. I’m sorry if that’s too much, too fast.”
I gave him another peck on the lips, ready to steal some of that happy smile for myself.
“It is a lot. But the best kind. Thank you.” He choked on a laugh. “Sorry, I mean, I feel the same. This feels big and important between us. Like forever. And I want that. Whatever it looks like for us both. I love you.” The words spilled from him like a fountain, repeating that he loved me so solemnly that it became harder for me to bring air into my lungs.
“Goddamn, I love you so much, Cade.”
The edges of my vision blurred again, but this time with moisture from the way my heart wanted to launch itself from my chest and right into his hands.
“Let’s go to bed, okay? I need to hold you,” I confessed.
“Me too.”
thirty-two
CADEN
Having won one of the four single hotel rooms for the Laval road trip, there was zero chance I was going to sleep before seeing Ash.
We’d made a point of keeping our relationship confined to the relative safety of his apartment. It was easy enough for me to sneak up the stairwell—no player on the team refused the elevator after one of Coach’s gruelling practices—and slip through Ash’s front door.
Now it was after midnight on a game night. Coach’s strict routine had the added side effect of getting his players to bed rather than heading out to a local bar or club because we were too damn tired to leave the hotel.
Come to think of it, everything Coach did was on purpose.
One slowest turn of a door handle to ever be turned later, and I’d made a nearly soundless exit out of my room.
Quickly glancing both ways down the hall, I found it empty as I’d expected.
I kept my steps light as I made my way to the stairwell I’d clocked right after check-in.
Ash would be surprised to see me sneaking out, but he wouldn’t be mad about it.
