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I’m going to Cold Springs.
Chapter 23—Riley
What the hell?
The intense banging sound draws me from my nap, making my head throb as I blink my eyes. Mom went out earlier, didn’t she? I thought she had plans with her friends. Could she be back already? Why doesn’t she have her keys?
She never drinks too much, and I really hope that’s the same right now because I amnotin the mood to babysit a drunk woman.
With an irritated huff, I climb off the couch and head to the front door, ready to tell Mom off for not remembering her keys. If she’s lost them somewhere, then that’s another drama I’ll have to deal with.
“Mom, what happ…”
The words fall apart on my lips as I blink a few times, trying to work out who I’m looking at. This is definitely not my mother, but it also can’t be real either. I must still be dreaming, even if he looks very real right now…
“Alex?”
I cock my head to one side as I run my eyes up and down him. There’s just no way; surely this is madness. I can’t wrap my head around what’s happened.
“What are you doing here?”
His face breaks out into the sort of smile that makes me melt inside. He reaches out to me, offering me a hug, and while Imight have been ignoring his calls because it’s way too hard to talk to him, I fall eagerly against him.
All I want to do is hold him close.
I fall against his muscular, strong body, deeply breathing him in. The all-too-familiar scent of this man floods me with a warmth that I didn’t even know I was missing out on.
“Oh my God, Alex it really is you. How did you find me?”
He lets out a low, rumbling chuckle. “It wasn’t easy, but I eventually located you with the help of a very helpful man who works at the post office.” Ah, my mother’s friend. I like the guy, but he’s such a gossip. I’m sure he was so star-struck meeting Alex. He would have told him anything! “And I’msoglad that I did. I have missed yousofreaking much. My God, it feels so good to have you back in my arms.”
He’s missed me as much as I have him? I can’t believe that. I really didn’t think Alex would be feeling anything like I have. I just assumed he might be getting on with his life, which would be much easier without me. Without the press breathing down his neck and making up stories, I assumed his life would be so much simpler.
So what is he doing here?
For a brief second, my heart stops beating. I worry that something else might have happened, something that I’ve missed out on because I’ve been outright refusing to engage with the outside world. I pull back to stare at Alex questioningly.
But I don’t know if the question comes across because truth be told, I can’t think of anything when I stare into his eyes. I just get lost in the way that he’s staring at me, with intense feelings dancing in his gaze. I love the way that Alex’s eyes make me feel.
“Oh, come inside,” I whisper as I take a step back. “Sorry, so rude of me. You don’t need to stand on the doorstep like that.”
He follows me inside, with his eyes fixed on me the entire time. I can tell he isn’t really looking around my childhood home, but it still feels weird to have him here. I mean, Alex Barrett is a massive star. He’s a hockey superhero. This is just my mother’s small home, not the sort of place I would ever think to invite someone.
If I could go back in time to tell myself about this moment… Well, I don’t know if I would ever have believed it. This is too crazy for words.
“Do you want something to drink?” I ask, a little too formally for my liking. But I don’t know how else to act. This is all so strange.
“I don’t want anything. Just to look at you.”
Heat flushes to my cheeks. I tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear and try to catch my breath—not the easiest thing to do when Alex is this close to me.
“Riley, I know this is crazy, but I think everything that we’ve been through is a little crazy, don’t you?” All I can do is nod because I have no idea where this is going. “So, while I’ve been doubting my feelings and trying to push them down because I thought I was being insane, now I know how I really feel and what I want.” He reaches out to take my hands, and I let him. Having him touch me sends an intense flurry of electricity racing right through my body. A shudder tears down my spine. “I have fallen in love with you, Riley. Head over heels in love. I don’t know if you’ve been following my career recently, but it’s been a shit show. The reason things aren’t working out is because of you, because I need you back in my life. Hockey isn’t my onlydream now. I can’t stop thinking about the possibility of a life with you and what that would look like.”
I swallow hard.
Wow, this is everything that I wanted to hear from him and so much more. I can hardly hold myself together because this is just so wonderful.
We might be complete opposites, and there might have been a lot pushing us apart, but there’s always something pulling us back together. This magnetic draw between us is far too hard to ignore.
