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This place belongs to Rory Sinclair, the twin sister of my teammate’s girlfriend. She’s standing right in front of me. And she hates me.
“Anything to see me suffer, huh?” “Don’t feel too flattered. That’s not exclusive to you. I love watching the world burn.”
She’s like a little dark cloud, ready and willing to rain down on anyone’s happy day. I want nothing more than to see her cloud burst.
“You, Lucas Lawson, are a player. And I don’t mean a hockey player. You use. You take, take, and discard like it’s nothing. You think you’re a godsend to everyone and walk around with a smug, obnoxious grin. You’re the exact kind of guy I want nothing to do with, and your whole schtick of playing cute and innocent with rescuing the dog last night isn’t going to work on me. I see through you, and I don’t like what I see.”
“Did you say hi to our daughter?” Rory sighs heavily. “Once again, we’re not co-parents, Lawson.” “Sure we’re not.” I grab Daisy’s paw, making her wave. “Hi, Mommy. Did you miss me?” “I swear…” She pinches her nose.
“Your dad is an idiot, Daisy, and every day, I regret just a little more making him take you home.”
I care that she’s wearing my jersey. I care entirely too fucking much. I’m standing here trying my damnedest not to cross this room and rip it off her, and not for the reasons she thinks.
“For you, Rory, I’d gather every star in this sky and string them high somewhere only for you, just to see you smile like that again.” Her breath stutters. “Making you a key is the best I can do until then.”
“How’s my girl doing?” “I’m good.” He tucks his lips together, his already vivid gray gaze burning brighter. “I was talking about Daisy.”
“Feelings. I hate having feelings.” I chuckle. “Feelings are normal.” “No. No they are not. I hate them.”
“I’ve never brought anyone else here,” he continues. “Just you and just her. I don’t share this place with people who don’t matter.”
Seeing Lucas Lawson on his knees for me? It’s better than all those combined.
“Ask,” he instructs again, pumping harder, just barely brushing against where I want him. Fuck, fuck, fuck, I chant in my head. Then finally, “Make me come, Lawson. Eat my pussy and make me come. Please.” He grins wickedly. “Your wish, Rory…”
“That’s it, Rory,” he says in a low growl. “Suck my cock like you mean it. Like the good girl you are.”
“You stopped me. Why’d you stop me?” “Because, baby, I want the first time I come to be in this tight little pussy of yours.”
“Can’t believe I’m stuck with this old man again,” Hayes says grumpily, looking over at the new coach with fire in his eyes. “Thought I was done with the Comets when I got sent out here.”
The bombshell redhead that just walked in.” “Ah, her. She’s—” “Mine.” We spin on our skates, Coach Smith now standing close. His big arms are crossed over his chest and his dark brows are slashes above his eyes. “She’s mine,”
“No, I’m not. Besides, I know you. You were going to cover all that yourself. That would mean you were spending too much too.” “So?” “So let me do this. You’re always so busy taking care of everyone else. Let me take care of you.” Let me take care of you.
“No,” Hutch says. “No, no, no.” He’s fitting the pieces together, everything clicking into place for him. “No fucking way.” “Yes fucking way,” I tell him. “When?” “Does it matter?” He blows out a breath. “I…I guess not.” He shakes his head. “I just… Fuck! I don’t want anything to happen, you know? I don’t want her getting hurt. I don’t…” “I promise, you have nothing to worry about.” “You can’t say that for sure. You—” “I love her, Hutch.
“It is easy.” “It’s not.” She shakes her head, her sexed-up hair whipping around her. “It’s not, and you know it.” But I don’t know it because for me it is easy. Loving her is so simple too; it’s like skating or breathing. It’s effortless. It’s natural.
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is, I didn’t want this, not at all, but it happened and I’m not going to run away from it. I’ve spent my entire life watching my mother do that because she got hurt by my father. I’m not going to let that same thing happen to me. So, I’m going to accept it. I’m going to own it.” I look her right in the eyes. “I love you.”
“No. You don’t get to Lawson me. You don’t get to dictate whether I’ve fallen in love with you or not. That’s not your choice. It’s mine.”
“Because, baby…” I brush away the lone tear that streaks down her cheek. “Even if you’re not ready to say it, I am, and I can’t go another minute without telling you. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to say it back—or if you never do—it’s okay. I’m still going to be loving you.”
But she doesn’t say it back, and I keep my promise—I keep on loving her, even if she’s not ready yet. I know, without a doubt, one day she will be, and I’m willing to wait.
It’s okay to have feelings, even if they are fleeting ones. It’s okay to love blindly and recklessly too. You know why? Because we’re allowed to love. Just because our parents messed it up, it doesn’t mean we will. It doesn’t mean every relationship we have is doomed to fail, and it really doesn’t mean we should spend the rest of our lives pushing people away because we’re scared we’re going to get hurt. It’s not fair to us. And, Rory, we have to choose ourselves because that’s the greatest love story of all. Choosing ourselves, putting that trust into ourselves, and fighting for what we want,
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She sucks in a deep breath, then, all at once, rushes out, “IloveyouLawson.” I’m about ninety-three percent sure I caught what she said, but I ask anyway. “What?” “I love you, Lawson!” That spark? It ignites. “You…” I tip my head to the side. “You love me?” “Yes!” she explodes again. “And I have no fucking clue why.” The
