“Nothing?”
I rub the back of my neck.
“Not a word?”
“Not a word.”
“You’re an idiot.” He pats my back as he walks by me.
“I know.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s not the response she hoped for.”
“I’m pretty sure she was hoping she didn’t say the words at all.”
The fear in her eyes when she said it made me question if she even meant the words or if it was just a slip-up. I was just surprised, but when I saw the terror in her eyes, I questioned whether or not she was there yet. Because I think I am…
Or maybe I’m not. I don’t know. I guess I never thought I’d be in this predicament. I thought I’d say it first. Not that a guy has to say it first, but when it comes to Ember, I want her to believe me when I say them.
I don’t want her to think I’m sayingI love youbecause she said it, and I feel obligated. I want her toknowit’s the truth. That my life before her was meaningless. That I was obsessed with something that could be ripped away in seconds because of someone who’d constantly pressured me to be the person he never got to be.
“Well, I doubt she was thinking you’d say nothing,” he continues. “I mean, not that sayingthank youis ideal, but at least it’s something.”
“I mean, I can’t tell her now.”
“Why not?”
“If I tell her now, she’ll think I’m telling her because she told me. She’s gonna think I’m trying to get things back to normal, and I don’t really mean what I’m saying.”
“You’ll never know unless you try.”
“What? I’m just supposed to show up at her place and confess my love?” I ask because there’s no way I’m texting her to come here. I’m the one who screwed up; I won’t put in less effort for something that’s my fault in the first place.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what you’re supposed to do.”
“Small problem, asshole,” I say as the realization hits me. “She lives with her Cam, who has no idea about this.”
“Lucky you because if he knew, he’d be beating the living shit out of you right now.”
“I do, though,” I whisper.
“Do what?”
“Love her.”
I think I’ve known for a while that this is what love feels like. I’ve never felt so free yet so grounded in my life. I don’t have to push myself to be better at hockey because having her in my lifemakesme better.
I think I’ve cared about her a lot longer than I care to admit, and even though she might think no one has ever seen her, for all the good, the bad, and the ugly… I have.
“I think we’ve all known for a while, man. We were just waiting for you to catch up.”
“How?”
“I’ve never seen you like this. For this first time, I feel like you could lose hockey tomorrow, but having her will keep you above the surface.” He shrugs. “She’s opened you up to a world outside of hockey.”
“She’s done much more than just that,” I whisper.
“Then what are you still doing here?”
