Blurred Lines (Darby U Hockey Boys, #2)

by Andi Jaxon

We spend some time splashing around, wrestling, laughing, and swimming. It’s amazing how freeing it is out here. Nothing exists except the water, my people, and my puppy.

He’s looking at me with so much love in his gaze it’s hard to keep eye contact. I know he loves me, but sometimes, it’s still hard to remember that I deserve that unconditional love.

The black band is simple, but it represents everything I grew up wanting and ended up terrified of. I’m still a little scared, but I can’t let that fear control me. Loving Brendon is worth the risk.

Every year, my grandparents and friends would try to distract me, not that I blame them, but no one tried to include her. Every year, the closer it gets to my birthday, the more I worry about forgetting her. I can see her smiling in my mind, but her face isn’t as clear anymore. The edges of my memories are blurring, the sound of her laugh is just out of reach. I didn’t know I needed someone to remember her on my birthday until this moment. Closing my eyes, I lean my forehead against Brendon’s stomach and let the tears gather and fall. Not shuddering sobs, just the release of being reminded that she existed. “She loved you,” Brendon says, putting the cupcakes on the bedside table and running his hands through my hair. “The way you love shows me that.”

Our kiss is slow but deep, powerful, and meaningful. It’s comfort, a promise, and understanding all wrapped up in a hug.

I didn’t think I could love this man any more than I already did, but here he is, making me fall harder. It warms my heart to know he cares. That he went out of his way to make this special means the world. He cares so much, but people don’t see that. It’s their loss.