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Lacey buries her face in the crook of my neck, and I wrap an arm around her. “Yes, we’re together. Yes, we’re stupidly in love. Yes, we’ve been sneaking around and hooking up. I promise we’ll give you all the details after we get home from Denver. Our plane leaves soon, and neither one of us is ready.”
“I wonder why that is,” Aiden says, and he arches an eyebrow. “It’s about damn time. You two have fun. Come by when you get home. We want to hear all about it.”
“If we don’t hang up, you’ll see for yourselves,” I say.
Lacey snatches the phone out of my hand and tosses it away. I laugh and pull her into my lap.
“That’s enough of that,” she says, and I grin.
“Fine. If you say so.” I drum my fingers against her hip. “Ready to get going?”
“Yeah. But before we go, I want to tell you I love you. I love you, Shawn. You’re going to get sick of me saying it so much.”
I rest my chin on her shoulder and drape my arms around her waist, rocking her back and forth. “I love you too, Lacey girl. You can tell me as many times as you like. It’s never going to get old.”
“Are you going to be okay sitting on a plane with regular humans?” she asks. “People who aren’t superstar athletes who might be playing in a Super Bowl in a month’s time?”
“I have you.” My fingers curl over her knee, and I draw a heart on her skin. “I’ll be just fine.”
FORTY-EIGHT
LACEY
“Do we have to go inside?”
“Why wouldn’t we? We’ve been here a thousand times.”
“I’m nervous,” I admit. Shawn’s hand settles on the small of my back, and he guides me forward with a gentle push. “I mean, this changes everything, right? If one of the couples breaks up, sides will have to be taken. It’ll get messy.”
“Are you planning on breaking up with me, Daniels?” he asks, and my elbow lands in his ribs. “It’s them, and it’s us. Just like it’s always been. People would have had to take a side when the two of us were just friends. It’s not any different now.”
“It’s totally different.” I huff and stop in front of Maggie and Aiden’s apartment door. I reach out and adjust the wreath, making sure it’s straight. “I really love everyone. And I’m kind of scared, too.”
“Hey.” Shawn rests his hand on my cheek. “I know you’re scared because you have a big heart and you care about those around you. I know this is a big change, but it’s still you and me, sweetheart. You’re going to keep giving me shit. I’m going to keep trying to make you laugh, and we’re going to be okay. I promise I’ll always communicate with you, and there’s never going to be a time where you don’t know exactly where my mind is. And, it’s safe to assume, for the foreseeable future, it’ll be thinking about you.”
I blow out a breath and bury my face in his shirt. It smells like his cologne and the cinnamon toast we had for breakfast when we finally dragged ourselves out of bed around noon. “Thank you. You always keep me steady.”
“Friendship means a lot to you, and I wouldn’t have told you how I felt if I didn’t think this was something that would truly last forever.”
“I’m being silly. Thank you for talking me down.”
“You’re not being silly. I promise I’m going to take care of your heart, Lacey. You’re going to be stuck with me for a very long time.”
I stand on my toes and kiss him. The brush of his lips is soft and sweet, and I lean into the feel of his mouth against mine.
I love this man.
I love him so much, and I already dread the day I can’t be with him anymore.
I made a promise to myself three mornings ago. We were on the plane to Denver, and Shawn fell asleep with his head on my shoulder and his hand threaded through mine. I couldn’t stop looking at him and smiling at all the parts I know about him and all the parts I’ve yet to learn.
I was—Iam—so abundantly happy, and nothing in life has ever been this good.
I’m going to appreciate every moment with him. The loud ones at the football stadiums where I’m screaming his name and he’s pacing up and down the sidelines. The softer ones on the couch with our arms around each other, just the two of us and all the time in the world.
I don’t want to rush a single second with him.
The door to Maggie and Aiden’s apartment swings open, and our heads turn to the side. Maven stands in the doorway, her mouth open and an apple in her hand.
