Page 60 of Strange Love

When I look up at him, he’s regarding me with wonder and awe. “You’re amazing,” he tells me.

“Everything with you is amazing,” I reply, my voice husky with desire. “Baby.”

Corey chuckles and pulls me close to his chest, holding me tightly. “I knew I’d love how that sounds on your lips.” His words thrill me, and I nuzzle closer, feeling content and at home in his embrace.

“Should we talk about the future?” Corey asks. It’s not the first time he’s brought it up, and I’ll admit I’m avoiding it.

The future scares me, and I never want to spoil our precious moments together by talking about what may or may not happen in a couple of months. So instead, I reply sleepily, “Can we enjoy this moment for now?”

He squeezes me tighter and kisses the top of my head, his way of conceding for now.

Chapter 35

“Hold Me Now”

Corey - Age 18, 1989

Excitement thrums through my veins as I prepare for the upcoming hockey game. Landry called me last night with exciting news— he’s officially joining the Mavericks. It’s a huge accomplishment, considering he’s been training with us on a practice squad while still playing for the high school team. We don’t have much time left before we all go our separate ways after graduation, so playing a few games with him as a Maverick is a special moment.

Despite being pressed for time, I stop by Ivy’s house on the way to drop off my jersey for her to wear at the game. As she answers the door, my breath catches in my throat. She’s barefoot, wearing only short shorts and a tank top that shows off her toned arms and stomach. Her hair tumbles down in loose waves around her face, giving her a wild and carefree look. The desire to push her back into her bedroom and hear her moans of pleasure overwhelms me, but I resist.

“What are you hiding behind your back?” she asks, eyes curious and sparkling. I can’t help but grin as I slowly reveal my surprise.

“An industrial-sized pack of condoms,” I answer with a mischievous glint in my eye.

Her hand immediately flies to her mouth as she lets out a giggle.

“What? Really?” she exclaims, trying to contain her laughter.

I play along, feigning innocence. “What do you think it is?”

She mimics my earlier actions, standing on her tiptoes and clasping her hands together in anticipation. “Is it your jersey?” she asks eagerly.

“Of course it is, Ivy Girl. I told you my girlfriend wears my jersey to games,” I reply, unable to hide my amusement at her excitement.

With a delighted squeal, she jumps up and down and reaches for the blue and black jersey in my hands. She looks it over carefully before holding it up to her face and inhaling deeply. A chuckle escapes from deep within my chest as I watch her.

Her delicate, feminine voice fills with sweet excitement as she leans closer to me, her nose buried in the collar of my jersey. “Oh, this smells amazing,” she declares. “It smells like you. I think I’ll be sleeping in it.”

I can feel my heart race at the thought of her curled up in my jersey, wearing something intimately mine.

“Don’t put that thought in my head, or I won’t be able to play this game,” I reply, trying to push away the distracting images. But my body betrays me as I feel myself start to get hard in my sweats. Think of Taz’s Grandma. Yep, that does the trick. Finally, I shake off the thought and ask about her parents coming to the game.

“No, they can’t make it. It’s just me and the girls,” she says with a small smile.

“Okay, Baby, sounds good. I’ll see you soon,” I tell her, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her soft lips.

I run out, jump into Taz’s car, and speed towards the arena. As we merge onto the main road, he turns to me and asks, “Have you told her yet?”

I sigh and shake my head. “No, not yet.”

“Why are you holding off telling her? You’ve made your decision,” he says bluntly.

“It’s not that simple,” I confess. “This is hard, and it’s going to change our relationship. Every time I bring it up or mention anything about the future, she changes the subject.”

“Well, the sooner you tell her, the better,” he advises. “It will hurt you both more if you wait too long.”

The weight of the secret I’m keeping from Ivy sits heavy on my shoulders, like a boulder that I can’t shake off. The truth is, I received my acceptance letters weeks ago, a fact that surprises me every time she doesn’t ask about them. Perhaps she already knows but doesn’t want to acknowledge it. When we first started this fake dating scheme, it was just for fun, a way to pass the time and help her get through her dreaded senior year. But things have changed, and the thought of saying goodbye to her causes a deep ache in my chest.