Prologue
Steph
Seventeen years ago
“I’mgonnamissyouso much.” My words are little more than a whisper, carried away on the late summer breeze.
Two days.
He’s leaving intwo days.
Riley’s arms tighten around me where we’re seated in the bed of his old truck. I’m curled into his side, arms gripped around his middle as though I could keep him here with meforever.
“I know, baby,” he murmurs into my hair. “I’m gonna miss you too. So much. But I promise it won’t be so bad. We’ll talk every day. And you know I’ll be home any weekend I can. As soon as I know my basketball schedule, I’ll let you know, and maybe you can come out for some games too.”
“You know I will, Captain,” I say, tilting my face to his and offering him a watery smile.
He chuckles and presses a quick kiss to the tip of my nose. “You won’t be able to call me that for much longer. I’ll be starting from the bottom at CU. Doubt I’ll even get much playing time as a freshman.”
“Don’t be modest, Riles, it doesn’t suit you,” I tease. “They bent over backwards to offer you a full ride. You’ll be running that team the same way you did here in no time.”
He shakes his head, and I think I catch a flash of something in his eyes. Something rare—uncertainty. It’s such an unfamiliar emotion for him that my breath catches painfully in my throat. Riley is the most confident and self-assured person I know. Some might even call him cocky, but it’s what I love about him. What drew me to him in the first place. I couldn’t believe someone so sure of themselves was interested inme. And maybe I wanted—hoped—some of that confidence might rub off.
I stare up at him, studying his face as his gaze cuts out over the valley and the sister lakes that are the namesake of our town. Even at night, this view, from where we’re parked up here on the ridge, is one of my favorites. It holds a great deal of significancefor us as a couple. It’s the place where he brought me on our first date.
It’s also the place where I’d flung myself from his truck and begun storming down the steep trail once it became clear that he’d only taken me out here to fool around.
And it’s the place where he chased me down and begged for my forgiveness before asking for a do over. We did eventually get around to the making-out part, too, though not on that first date.
His profile is backlit by moonlight, and I can’t help but think he looks … sad.
I’m sad too.
Things are changing, and I won’t be able to see him every day. I’ll be stuck here in Llyn Lakes finishing up my senior year before I can join him at Cypress University in the city—but Riley’s on the cusp of a new adventure. One that he’s worked so hard for, talked about for years. A new school and a new team, away from our small town.
He should be excited.
And up until today, I’d thought he was.
I reach out and trace the shape of his nose with my finger, then the sharp line of his jaw, before gently tilting his face towards mine. When our eyes meet, I glimpse it again. Doubt.
“What is it?” I ask quietly.
He huffs out a sharp breath, pulling from my hold. “It’s nothing.” He chuckles, but it sounds forced. “I just think …” he trails off. Another head shake. “It’s just that in Llyn Lakes, I’m a big fish in a small pond. At CU, I’ll be the minnow.”
“Maybe at first.” I frown. “This isn’t like you. Where’s this insecurity coming from?”
He shrugs. “Dunno. Just … trying to be realistic. It’s not like I’m going to be going to the NBA or anything.”
“You can’t know that,” I try to reassure him.
He lets out a self-deprecating snort. “Yeah, babe, I can. I may be good, but I’m notthatgood. Plus, I’m only six foot three.”
I open my mouth to protest, but he cuts me off with a kiss that instantly makes my toes curl. “It’s okay, Steph. I know my ball career isn’t going to extend beyond college, but I’m good with it. Basketball got me a scholarship to CU and an opportunity I might not have had otherwise. I’m going to make the most of it. And at the end? At least I’ll come out of there with a college degree. Hopefully, make some great memories too.” He grins. “So you’d better hurry up and join me there, alright?”
“Alright.”
We fall silent, and I close my eyes, settling back against him once more. Riley’s chest rises and falls beneath me, and I do my best to memorize the sound of his breathing.
