“I want to hear all about it,” he says in that deep voice of his that could lull me into doing anything.
“But—” I start to protest, knowing his wasn’t good, but he cuts me off, eyeing me intently.
“No. It’s your success, and you’re going to enjoy it and tell me all about it.”
Stop stealing my heart. Stop being this perfect.
I finish by telling him, “And we signed the lease. You should see the place.”
He grins. “I will. Soon.”
The space between us fills with promises, a life we can only imagine at night.
I cup the side of his face, caressing along his defined cheek. “I believe in you, Ian. I have watched other players, but no one is like you. Your energy, your presence, your hard work, and your talent shine through. You’re strong enough to pull through this difficult time. I will be there for you. Through every win and every loss,” I say with conviction like a promise my heart approves.
“Thank you. That’s all I need.” Honesty clings to every letter.
“I have you,” I murmur.
He places his forehead on mine, and as we breathe each other in, he says, “I have you too.”
“Promise?” I ask, voice choked up with raw emotions.
He takes my hand and places it over his heart. “No need to promise. I’ll show you.”
I fall asleep with dreams of more unfolding before my eyes.
That’s the thing.
Nights I spend with him are hidden from prying eyes, secluded by darkness, trapped in a bed. It’s a secret only the two of us share.
FOURTEEN
IAN
After practice,I hurry to change. Levi will be discharged from the hospital today.
Wanting to be there for my best friend, I call him, but it sends me straight to voicemail. An unsettling feeling dips low in my stomach, tensing me up.
My sister calls as soon as I hang up, and I can barely make out her words through her sobs. But I understand she’s waiting at my building.
With a single focus, I speed toward her, ignoring all the traffic rules to get to her sooner.
Amelie sits on a bench outside the building. Head down, shoulders slumped as if she lost the fight to keep herself upright. A coat of dejection drapes over her frame, weighing her down.
My feet grow heavy with each step.
She lifts her teary gaze, and her despondency wrecks me. I wrap my arms around her, needing to comfort her. She clutches the lapels of my jacket, sobbing.
I caress her back to soothe her. “What happened?”
“He left. He just left me,” she says, her voice broken.
I’m going to fucking kill him. Does he have to jeopardize the only good thing in his life? My initial disapproval of their relationship feels like a justification in this case.
I clench my jaw hard enough that my molars might crack. “Come on. Let’s go inside to my place.”
“Why doesn’t he want me there? I thought he loved me,” she hiccups.
