This thing with Troy is turning into so much more than just a tutor and her tutoree. It wasn’t even a casual fling.
It’s intense, these feelings I’m having for him. Like we bypassed the easy college relationship thing and it became so much more.
When he looks at me like that though? Like he is now? There’s nothing better than that. No better feeling in the world than being his sole focus. Not even hockey can come between the two of us.
“If you get too good at this, Angie, I won’t be able to teach you anymore.”
I steal a kiss from him as we step onto the padded surface behind the boards. “Then maybe I’ll keep being bad at it.”
“Oh yeah?” A cocky grin spreads across Troy’s face. “I think there’s better ways to spend time with me than pretending to be bad at skating.”
“Like…studying calculus?”
He shudders. “God no. I’m glad my final is in a few days and I can finally be done.”
“Even done with me?”
I hate that I’m done with my classes early and am flying home so soon.
Troy sweeps me into his arms and plants a kiss on my lips. One that I feel in my toes. “I’m not done with you,Angie. If I have my way, I won’t be done with you for a very long time.”
What few lights are left shut off. Only emergency lights remain. Troy and I are in our own little world here. A bubble I want to stay in.
I’m not ready to leave him. Not ready to head back home for Christmas break and face the real world. Face my dads for the first time since we started this thing.
“When do you get home from break?” Troy asks.
“I’ll be home two days before school starts.”
“Is it cheesy to say I’ll miss you?”
“No.” Because it has a feeling I don’t want to give a name to blooming in my chest. “I’ll miss you too.”
More than I’m going to admit to him.
“I have something for you.” Troy steps back, digging something out of his coat pocket. We’re both still sitting on the bench, neither of us ready to leave.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“Open it,” Troy goads me.
It’s a small box wrapped in red paper. The edges aren’t done well, I’m guessing a sign that he did this himself. Which makes me appreciate it that much more. Cutting through the paper, I pop open the small brown box.
“Oh Troy.”
It’s a simple gold necklace with two intertwined stars. That’s it. No diamonds or pearls.
“It’s nothing big?—”
I cover his mouth with my hand. “I love it.”
I pull it out of the box and let it fall against my gloved hand. It’s beautiful in its simplicity. The perfect representation of our relationship.
“You do?” His voice is quiet.
I don’t have any words for how much this means to me,so I pull him to me, showing him just how much I love it by sealing my mouth over his.
We get lost in each other. Every one of my senses is on fire.
