“Don’t even worry about it. I’m doing a movie night with Fletcher and have a new song to record before he comes over, so I should get going, too.”
“If you change your mind about heading down early, Alex is driving to the game, so we could totally pregame in the back seat onthe way down.”
“As tempting as that is, Fletcher will kill me if I don’t get there early.”
I slide out of the booth as Brinley and Alex do the same. She wraps her arms around me and presses a kiss on my cheek.
“Love you. I’ll see you later.”
I give her butt a gentle tap as they head toward the front door. Once they’re outside, Alex’s arm flies over her shoulder, and he pulls her closer to him. She smiles up at him, a look in her eyes I haven’t seen since Jax.
And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in all of this, it’s that friends don’t look at friends that way.
And regardless of what she keeps saying, there’s definitely something more going on there.
And I couldn’t be happier for her.
What was originally supposed to be time for me and Fletcher to have some much-needed fun before his game turned into me, Fletcher, and Jeremy sitting in their hotel room.
Which is fine, I love Jere, but I was looking forward to at least a quickie before their hockey game tonight.
“Do you want to get married?” Fletcher’s words travel across the hotel room, and my eyes widen at the question, until I realize he’s staring at Jeremy and not me.
“Oh, shit, are you talking to me?” Jeremy looks around the room as if it’s not just the three of us sitting in here. “I don’t know, I guess I’ve never really thought about it.”
“Because of hockey?”
“I guess.” Jere shrugs. “My parents gave up so much for me to be able to play this sport, and I’ve been really lucky that I’ve never had to worry about the financial costs that come with playing hockey, but I can’t lie and say I’ve never thought about the emotional ones. I mean, my dad is so proud of me; he gloats to all his friends about how I could have jumped right into the NHL, but I wanted to take the time to go to school first and have a backup plan. About how I’m going to be the best hockey player the NHL has ever seen, and I want to make sure I live up to that.”
“But it’s not fair to put your life on hold for hockey.” I lean forward, crossing my legs so my elbows have something to rest on. “Your dad would be proud of you regardless, Jeremy, but I know he’d also want you to live.”
“Hockey is my life. And I don’t mean that in the same way Declan has always meant it. Ilovethe game. I wasn’t pressured into it; I got to choose the sport, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Fuck, when everything happened with my back, and I got a taste of what life could be like without it, I was fucking miserable.”
I can’t imagine the constant fear of losing the one thing you’ve worked so hard for.
“And every time I get on the ice, I wonder if it could be the last time. If I won’t ever get to the NHL because I’m too busy playing in college while I finish my degree. I want to take care of my parents the way they’ve taken care of me, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to repay even a fraction of their sacrifice, but I know I want to try.”
Jeremy has always had a love for his family that trumped everything. Without his family, the guys wouldn’t have their house, and who knows what their schedules would look like?
They don’t have the time to get jobs, and Mr. Moore knew that. He made sure they’d be set by loaning them a property he used to rent out and letting them stay there for free.
The Moores not only sacrificed that extra income for Jeremy but also for the rest of the guys. They could’ve made them pay something to stay there, but that thought never crossed their minds.
“So, marriage is a backup plan for you?” Fletcher shifts in his chair, turning his body toward Jeremy.
“I wouldn’t say a backup plan. I just have a few things I want to figure out before I settle down. I’m not saying that if the right girl came along, I wouldn’t be down to change my plans, but until that happens, marriage and kids are on the back burner.”
“Pretty sure I never said anything about kids.” Fletcher wiggles his eyebrows. “So, I think the idea is on your mind a little more than you’re letting on.”
“Maybe.” Jeremy scratches the top of his head. “Not that I’m asking about your relationship, because as I once told you, I’m not interested, but how do you make it work?”
I look toward Fletcher to find his eyes already on me.
“If I’m being honest, I don’t know.” I shrug. “I think it’s important to find someone who supports you and your dreams. You don’t want to be with someone who’s holding you back for their own well-being. I think we’re both pretty ambitious, and we support each other’s ambitions.”
“It also doesn’t hurt that she’s my best friend. I couldn’t imagine life without her in it.”
He reaches over the back of his chair, and it takes him seconds to find my hand. He gives it a gentle squeeze.
