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“It’s Bro Code. I had to get his permission.” He sticks his hands into his pockets. “And also he saw the photos from the cafe…”
I groan. “Ugh, I’d almost forgotten about those.”
He waggles his eyebrows “So, what do we do now?”
“I got quinoa bowls for us to eat,” I tell him.
He quirks a brow. “No, I mean with us. Our relationship.”
“Oh, right. So, dating a professional athlete is new to me. I’m going to need you to be patient.”
He nods. “I get that. Like the whole Katarina thing.”
I take a deep breath. “Yeah, and women making marriage proposal signs. And your crazy schedule. And the attention…”
He rubs the back of his neck with one hand. “Yeah, it’s a lot. It took time for me to get used to it too, so I understand.”
My stomach rumbles loudly, making us laugh. “So, about dinner…” I gesture to the table where the bag from the restaurant sits.
West and I sit and eat together, enjoying the simplicity of just being in each other’s company. When we’re finished, we move to the sofa and turn on a movie. He puts an arm around me and I lay my head on his sturdy shoulder. West plays with my hair, which is incredibly soothing. I have no idea what movie is even playing on the small TV. All I know is West is here with me and he loves me.
The sound of the front door opening draws our attention. Noel emerges from the hallway. Her mouth turns up into a wide grin. “Well, if it isn’t Weston Kershaw.”
West smiles at her and says, “Lovelui na govannon- cin.”
Noel’s jaw drops and she looks from me to West and then back at me again. “He knows elvish?!” She whisper-yells. “This man is marriage material, Mel.”
West sits beside me with a devilish grin on his handsome face. “How do you know elvish?” I ask, crossing my arms.
“I knew I’d have to win your roommate over somehow,” he whispers. “Now, if we can just get her to like hockey.”
“I heard that!” Noel says defensively. “Not going to happen.”
We laugh at her dramatics.
She waves a hand at us dismissively. “Alright, it was nice meeting you, West. I’ll leave you two love birds alone.”
“Nice meeting you too, Noel.” He tells her before turning back toward me.
Noel’s bedroom door clicks shut and West’s hand comes up to caress my face, his thumb and forefinger gliding along my jawline and then along my bottom lip.
“I believe we have years of kissing to catch up on,” he whispers, his voice low and husky.
“Is that right?”
One corner of his lips pull up in a grin and then he kisses me, soft and slow. I bring my hands to his face, angling his head where I want him. I stop the kiss and lean back, just far enough to where I can look into his eyes. “West?”
“Yes, Melanie?” His voice comes out in a raspy whisper.
“I love you too.”
His eyes soften and he kisses me again and again and again.
* * *
By the time West leaves and I head to bed, it’s nearly 1 a.m. He’s going to be exhausted for practice tomorrow, and I’m going to feel like a zombie at work.
But it was worth it. It was the evening of my dreams, literally. Except it was even better because when I wake up, I’ll know it wasn’t just a dream.
