“Never.” She pulls back, smiling up at me, her eyes glazed. A mirror of our mother’s. “Now, let’s go see how our sexy men are doing.”
“And just like that I hate you again.”
I walk backin behind Alyssa with the bag. Landon is holding Lianna in his arms. “Oh, hey.” He smiles at her. “Should probably get going. I want to sleep as much as possible. Three more games. Make or break.”
“We’re going,” I say softly, and Landon and Alyssa freeze. “To the lastround of home games.”
“Really?”
I nod. “I told Atlas I’d wear his jersey.” Alyssa laughs. “Felix is going to wear mine.”
“I bet he is,” she whispers.
Sisters. “Thanks for coming.”
With them out the door, I bolt all the locks then cover the windows with curtains. “I really like your family.”
I smile. “I kind of like them too.” Even Landon, I think, not that I’ll admit that to him.
“Are you okay with going to the games when they get back? With everything with your ex?—”
“I want to go. I have to stop living like this. I know I can’t avoid it forever. I need to deal with it eventually, or else he’s going to keep coming back. He knows I’m here, I know he does, and I won’t be free until I face it. I’m just not ready yet.”
“Whatever you want to do, I’m here.” I cup his face.
Felix nods, looking at the bag. “What’s that?”
I smile, setting the bag down on the kitchen table. “You said your journal was almost full.” I pull out the blue bullet journal. “I also got you some different colored pens, some bleed-proof highlighters. Stickers. Alyssa said I needed washi tape? Had no clue what that was, but she was pretty adamant that you need it.”
Felix’s eyes light up on the journal. “Wow this is... wow.”
“Too much?”
He shakes his head. “This is really sweet.”
“I figure your new life needs a new journal.” He sets the book down to hold my hands, and I dare a little, pulling him against my body. “I mean it. This is your new life. No one is going to tell you how to live it, what to do. Nothing. You are in control.”
He runs his hands down the center of my chest then snakes them around my waist. “I don’t feel in control when you’re around.” But he smiles.
I lift his hand to my lips to kiss his knuckles. “I mean it Felix. No one will hurt you inside this home. If I have to prove it to you every day, I will. No one is going to hurt you here. I can be a real stubborn prick sometimes, but I will never, ever lay a hand on you. Ever.”
My eyes track the motion of his Adam’s apple. “What happens if he comes back?”
“I’ll tell him to fuck off. It’s not like he can tell someone I abducted you. He can’t force you to do anything.”
There’s something I’ve wanted to ask him. Felix touches my face with a smile, his fingers scratching through my beard. “I like your hair like this,” he says.
“It’s usually how I keep it. I just haven’t felt like cutting it in a while.”
“I like it.” He plays with the shorter locks. “It’s soft.” I’m not sure what we’re doing, but I know I want it to grow. I want him here with me.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah.”
“Oli and Andre are getting married next month. Would you like to be my plus one?” Two weeks alone exploring whatever this is between us sounds like heaven. No Steven, no worries, just us and whatever is growing here between us.
His smile fills my chest with light. His brown eyes sparkle at me. I remember the timid guy he was those first few weeks, and I like that he’s more vocal now. Playful. Not afraid to ask for things and put me in my place when I’m stubborn. And damn am I stubborn. “That sounds like heaven.”
