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She shifts to look at me. “Not talking to me is punishment?” “The worst kind.”
“Good to know. I’ll throw out all my hair ties because Aiden Crawford likes it when girls wear their hair down.” Wrapping the bandage around her ankle, I glance at her. “Not girls. You.”
“This is another thing I can hold over your head to make you do what I want.” I flutter my lashes. “You don’t need blackmail to get me to do what you want, Summer.”
“So you came to the farthest library on campus?” she presses. “Took me three tries.” “For what?” “To find this one.” “The others didn’t have what you were looking for?” I smile. “Not even close.”
He’s already talking to someone else, and somehow that annoys me too. Why would another girl interest him when Summer is right here? It’s like being given the sun and deciding a light bulb will do.
“And how long does it take for you to like someone?” She thinks for a minute. “How long have I known you?” “A month,” I say. “There’s your answer,”
“Don’t call her that.”
But instead of wearing a look of defeat, Aiden’s eyes are alight with satisfaction. I have an inkling it’s because he got me to drop the clumsy girl act that would have stroked Kayce’s ego.
“You dance?” I ask when he lifts my hand onto his shoulder. “No,” he says. “But I want to with you.”
In a quick decision, I lean over the console, and his breath hitches before I plant a kiss on the corner of his mouth. Then I exit his truck like it’s on fire.
“I did the test this morning.”
“I got in touch with Dr. Toor with Kilner’s help, and he referred me to his friend who works at a sports clinic in Hartford. You should get the results of the ACSI-28 test in a few days.”
He nods. “I should have been there in the first place, Summer. Your work is important.” I can only stare at the Band-Aids in my hand. He’d completed one of the most important parts of my research without me having to reschedule or plan anything.
“You’ve been practicing?” “Dylan’s been teaching me. He used to make it for his mom.” The thought of two hockey players hovering over a stove to make the perfect chai makes me smile. “Thank you.”
“How was your game?” I ask anyway. “OT win. I was dying to get back here,” he admits, kissing my temple. “Now go to sleep, baby.”
“She played hockey too?” He nods. “She’s the reason I got into it.” “She seems badass.” Green eyes lock with mine. “Yeah, she was.”
If it makes you feel any better, I’d consider monogamy for her too.” His words are comical because monogamy for Dylan is as repellent as bug spray to a mosquito.
He didn’t miss this. He missed me. The small detail wrenches my heart.
She blinks away a tear. “I am, and I know it was right for me. But I can still feel bad about it.” This girl is fucking sunshine embodied, and she has no clue. “Of course you can. It’s who you are. You’re kind and compassionate. And a little stubborn.”
“I forgot how much you feel like home.” Home. She thinks I feel like home.
“I know you can take care of yourself, but let me do it. Just this once.”
Connor’s eyes shift toward him. “Who’s this? Cousin?”
Connor gives me a look as if saying, Seriously, this guy?
“They were sold out.” He grins when I glare. “You’re my sunflower, Summer.”
“You’re telling me you don’t want to meet a Hall of Famer?” “That’s not what this is about. I’m meeting my girlfriend’s dad. How you feel is the most important to me.”
“I don’t mean to disrespect you, sir, but Summer has done nothing but work her ass off to get where she is. If you want to show her that you care, just be supportive of her decisions. How you’re acting now is doing nothing but hurting her, and I won’t stand by while my girlfriend can’t have a conversation with her father without him overstepping.”
If you can count on one person to be on your side no matter what, it’s me. I don’t ever want you to think you’re alone, because there isn’t a second that goes by when I’m not thinking about you.”
“I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but let me earn it, please.”
“You and me, Crawford, that’s the only way I want it.”
“This is your career!” “And you are my future.”
“Okay, but come a little closer and be mad at me where I can hold you.”
Instead of telling me to calm down like most people would, he only sat back and watched proudly.
“I’m proud of you.” Her cheeks blush. “Me? You just won a championship. All I did was talk to my dad.” “Both equally important victories. We did good today, Preston.”
