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I wonder what Mittens is doing right now. He was sleeping in the window when I left, but I bet he’s looking for me now. He always misses me when I’m gone.
Girl: throwing herself at this man
Jaxon: ugh I miss my cat
I can’t believe I left my fucking cat for this.
I lift my head out of my hand, start to spin back to him, and the second I catch his self-assured smirk, I turn away again. He grips my stool, spinning me back to him.
And the giggling has already started
One thing about me? I’m gonna serenade my cat every chance I get so he knows how much I love him.
What Mitts and I have going on is possibly the best arrangement ever. Adopting him from the shelter in September was my brightest idea yet, not just because he keeps me company while I drink my morning coffee, but because he hates everyone except my friends.
Carter’s face falls, reminiscent of a six-year-old who’s just found out Santa isn’t real. He aimlessly handles a puck on the tip of his stick. “Well, excuse me for having a creative imagination.”
Being reminded of how silly of a man child Carter Beckett is, thank you Becka Mack
the Vipers’ team captain, Carter Beckett, walking into the arena in a three-piece suit with a pin attached to his lapel that reads “World’s Greatest DILF”
I grit my teeth and grin, because if I’m one thing, it’s a team player. Adam grimaces, and Garrett’s expression transforms to one that can only be described as horrified. “What the fuck is that?” he mutters. “I don’t know,” Adam breathes out. “But it’s terrifying.” Garrett flaps a hand around. “Go back to frowning, please.” Emmett strolls over, hands in his pockets, easy, crooked grin on his face. “What are we—ah! Jesus Christ, Riley, Halloween was three months ago. Stop trying to scare the kids.”
“Yeah. Yeah, that does make me feel better.” I sniff, stuffing the doughnut in my mouth. “I’d definitely win in a standoff with a moose, wouldn’t I?” Rosie pats my shoulder. “You sure would, champ. You sure would.”
The way to any man’s heart
First, he finds me on my honeymoon, sans husband. Then he finds me at his workplace, where I run from the room to vomit. Then I nearly kick the bucket in front of him over a fucking tart.
Yeah girly the odds really are stacked against you here
There’s furniture, yes, but the only hint that someone lives here is the cat toys piled in a basket, the several extravagant cat beds that seem to be placed strategically through the space.
The man loves his cat. Is that so wrong???
“Mimi’s famous lemon-cherry tarts, Mimi’s famous banana pudding, Mimi’s famous key lime pie . . . how many famous recipes does Mimi fucking have?” “Well, Jaxon, one thing about Mimi is all of her recipes are famous, so jot that down.”
So excited to meet mimi
Jaxon rounds the island, chest at my back, chin dipped to my shoulder as he peers down at my phone. I glare up at him. “Must you stand so close?” “No, but it pisses you off so I like doing it.”
Me: folding
“Well, excuse the fuck out of me for taking an interest in your books and offering to make you two kinds of waffles.”
He practically proposed marriage!!
Lennon first made it for me two weeks ago, and I loved it so much she now keeps the fridge stocked with the ingredients so she can make it whenever I’m in one of my moods, as she calls them. Okay, I keep the ingredients stocked in the fridge, and sometimes I fake my moods just so she’ll make it.
“Jaxon Eugene Riley,” Gran gasps. “Is that a woman?”
The grandmas in this book both absolutely slay
I follow, my jaw hanging, watching as she snuggles in on the couch with my cat, chatting with my gran over FaceTime like they’ve known each other their whole lives. I sprawl out next to her, poking her thigh with my toes, because I want attention and I have none. Lennon lays her hand over my ankle, squeezing gently, and I don’t know why, but my chest tightens.
Because it’s precious
“Pretty soon, your cat’s gonna be calling me Mommy.” My outraged gasp is lost to her cackle and the sound of the bedroom door slamming in my face.
Speaking of, Carter’s walking around the house sighing loudly every ten seconds because it’s 8:30 and you haven’t wished him a happy birthday yet.
Ian? Is that you???
“Do you two know each other?” “No, just a fan,” Devin and I say at the same time, and then point at each other. “Eeeh!”
How men become besties:
But I don’t have romantic feelings for her. If there’s one thing I don’t catch, it’s feelings. Colds? All the time. The flu? Had it bad in December. But feelings? Nah. Not me.”
Suddenly, the nine of us are huddled together, sobbing at a first birthday party.
REAL
Because one moment I’m standing here, and the next I’m being held up by nine people who don’t have to support me but are choosing to anyway.
And I’m choking back tears at my desk because I didn’t listen to my own rules about not opening the second half of this book in the office
“What . . . what are you . . .” I swallow, pleading away the sting of my nose, the burn of my eyes. “You’re going to do my hair for me?” “I’m gonna try my best. I think I’ve watched you enough.”
“I told you the other week I was ordering birthday outfits!” Jaxon tosses his arms wide. “I thought you meant sexy birthday outfits for you!” I gesture at the pile of cat costumes on the floor. “Clearly I meant sexy birthday outfits for Mittens!”
Jaxon blinks at the outfit. “Fuck, that’s cute.” He shakes his head. “But that’s beside the point! I’m his dad; you need my permission before you dress him up! Plus”—he props his fists on his hips, looking properly outraged—“if I’d known you were doing a fashion show, I woulda got his tux steamed!”
He gestures at the vivid colors before us, a look of wonder on his face before he smiles down at me. “Maybe they’re dancing just for you tonight. For your birthday.”
STOP if a man dedicated the northern lights to me I’d get my ass in the kitchen immediately and never leave
I bet they think about you all the time.” I smile, and Jaxon’s eyes track a tear that drips down my face. “Bet they watch all your hockey games, too, just like Bryce.
My vision is blurry
Mittens is over my shoulder, wearing a sweater Gran crocheted for him and gnawing on my milkshake straw. Lennon is smiling at the camera, and I’m smiling at Lennon. Jesus, smiling isn’t the right word, is it? It’s not enough. I’m looking at her like . . . I’m looking at her like she’s the sunset, and I’m seeing it in color for the very first time. That’s how I’m looking at her.
But I don’t want to fall alone. I want her to fall with me.
Omg the title of the book is so precious
“The best thing I’ve ever gifted to myself is, by far, the way I feel with you in my arms.”
Because I’m definitely not dancing to “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC in front of twenty thousand people. * * * I danced to “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC in front of twenty thousand people. Honestly, I don’t want to talk about it.
“This is my favorite flavor. I haven’t had it in forever.” “How come?” “Lennon’s allergic to nuts.” “So you don’t eat them? What if you go out for lunch without her?” “I’d rather avoid them altogether if I’m going to be seeing her. I don’t want to risk her getting sick.” “You’ll be happy when she moves out then, huh? Then you can have your favorite ice cream whenever you want.” I swallow, the ice cream souring in my stomach as I look at my half-eaten cone. “I can get a new favorite flavor.”
Cara levels Olivia with the dirtiest look I’ve ever seen. “Be so fucking for real, Olivia.”
“You’re the only person whose opinion of yourself matters, Jaxon. Stop worrying about being enough for other people. Be enough for yourself.” Oh. Well, that hurts more than it has any right to. Fuck.
Serena refuses to dance with me because I, apparently, dance like a white boy, which is a nice way to say I have zero fucking rhythm.
I know you’re going through it right now, Jaxon, and I know you think you have to do it alone. But you don’t. So if you don’t wanna talk, that’s okay. I’ll sit beside you in silence so you know you’re not alone. That’s what family does.”
Garrett I <3 you
Because this morning I woke up and wondered how much longer I had left with the people I love. And now, as my team gathers around me, twenty-three men that dogpile on top of me right here in the middle of the room, I can’t imagine ever being anywhere else.
Oh btw, I’m SOBBING
Hey, the title again
I snap a picture, because the Jaxon Smiling folder on my phone has quickly become my favorite place to waste the day away.
“I bought two tickets for them. Got too nervous to reach out.” He lifts a shoulder. “Who knows? Maybe they’ll watch, and maybe somewhere, they’re proud of me.”
God (becka), it’s me again
“We love you, sweetheart.” With shaky hands, she reaches into her purse, pulling out a Ziploc bag filled with ticket stubs. Ticket stubs dating back nine years. Vancouver. Nashville. Carolina. Fuck, my debut game in LA at eighteen. “We’ve watched you every step of the way. Been so damn proud of you. You did it. You worked for it. And you deserve it, Jaxon. You deserve everything good in your life.”
It’s actually not fair for me to be sobbing like this at 96%
