Chapter One
SUTTON
Istare at him through the car window, my brain cycling through every reason why this is a terrible idea—going back to the hockey house and sleeping under the same roof as Declan and pretending that everything between us isn't a complete disaster.
But my phone is showing hotel prices I can't afford, and the firefighter just said the building might be condemned. My other options are my car or asking strangers for help.
"One night," I hear myself say.
He nods. "One night."
"And I'm staying in the guest room, not your room."
"Obviously."
"And this doesn't mean anything. It's just practical."
"Sutton, I'm not asking you to marry me. I'm asking you to sleep in a bed instead of your car." He steps back from my car. "Follow me.”
I realize how silly it is for me to negotiate the huge favor he’s offering. Talk about ungrateful. He’s doing me a solid, and I’m acting like it’s the other way around.
I’ll do better.
He walks to his truck parked a few cars down. I watch him go. Not for the first time since I’ve seen him, I acknowledge I miss him. I miss all of him. His humor. His touch. His presence.
And that’s why I know this is a mistake.
But I start my car anyway.
The drive to the hockey house takes ten minutes. Ten minutes were spent convincing myself to turn around at least five times. Turn around and go where? I follow his taillights through campus, past the athletic complex, and into the neighborhood where the team house is.
I park behind Declan's truck and grab my backpack from the passenger seat. It's all I have. My laptop, a change of clothes I keep for emergencies, and my toiletries. Everything else is trapped in that building.
Declan waits for me at the bottom of the porch steps. "You okay?"
"Fantastic."
He doesn't call me on the lie. He just opens the front door and lets me walk in first.
The house smells the same. Pizza, stale beer, and boy, it hits me harder than I expect. This was home for a few months. It’s not “fresh linen,” but it smells more like home than my crappy apartment.
Crew is in the kitchen eating cereal straight from the box. He freezes mid-chew when he sees me.
"Hey," I say.
"Hey." He looks at Declan, then back at me. "You good?"
"The building caught fire. She needs a place to crash," Declan says before I can answer.
"Shit. That sucks."
"Thanks," I manage.
"Do you have anything else?" Declan asks.
"Just the gym bag."
I follow him upstairs.
