“Because his eyes have not left you since you’ve been in here,” she says flippantly. I turn to him then, catching him standing next to the girls who are gushing to him over their signed copies. Like Jasmine said, his eyes are on me. He’s probably listening to their conversation half-heartedly but his eyes don’t leave mine. Even when I raise my eyebrows at him, silently asking what he’s doing, all he does is grin, knowing that he’s got me wrapped right around his little finger. “When I was setting up, I saw you two outside and I just knew. I knew because I’ve been you. I was scared to dive into a relationship with someone I have clearly been in love with my whole life. And it turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to me. I mean, he’s put two babies in me for God’s sake.” She laughs again and I join in. “You are never going to know how it could work out if you don’t try.”
I stand there, pretty much motionless as I watch her write in my signed copy. I barely register that our conversation has ended by the time I get to the girls and Miles, all of them excited to see what she wrote in there but I don’t open it. I tell them that I’ll look in it later, not wanting to ruin the sparkle of this morning just yet.
Still, after we’ve all had lunch together and we’ve gone back to the apartment, I don’t open it. Even after FaceTiming my dad and telling him about the surprise, I can’t bring myself to open it. Only because I know that whatever she’s written in there is going to be the only thing going through my mind for the next two years. Finally, after I’ve showered and I’m ready, I pick up the book.
To, Wren.
Firstly, you don’t need a man to determine your worth. Gross. You can do that on your own. But when you do have one that looks at you like that and does things for you like he did today, you hold him close and you keep him. Because even on your worst days, he’s going to be there for you if you let him in.
Take care, Jasmine.
I try to take in what she said. How much do you think it would cost if I asked this woman to be my therapist? I read it over and over and each time I get chills.
Hold him close and keep him.
I can do that.
CHAPTER 40
MILES
I’ve been trying to put it into words how it feels when I watch Wren perform. At the showcase it was incredible and liberating but watching her compete? A whole other level. The way she gets pissed when she thinks she’s going to be late. The way she takes her hair down after performing a flawless routine. The way she gets annoyed at me when I forget to bring the right water. The way she insults me when I slip up.
It’s an addiction.
“Do you ever listen to anything I tell you?” she spits, her foot in my lap as I untie the laces on her skates. We’re sitting in the locker room after one of her competitions in LA which I’m sure she’s won. I accidentally forgot to pack her phone charger after she told me to get it since she left it in my room. So, she’s in a bad mood. Understandable. “Why are you smiling?”
“Because I like it when you shout at me. Is that bad?” I say through a grin, tapping her leg so she changes her foot. She rests her other foot in my lap, allowing me to undo her other lace.
“Yeah, you’ve got a problem. Get help immediately,” she says, trying her hardest not to smile at me. “What are you doing later?”
“You, hopefully,” I whisper and she actually laughs at that but she still waits for an answer.
“Miles.”
“Wren.”
She sticks her tongue in her cheek, again, trying not to laugh as her face turns pink. “I’ve just competed against one of the most hardcore teams in America. The last thing I’m thinking about is you putting that inside me. My body needs to heal.”
“And heal it will,” I say, pulling her into my lap so she can straddle me. “After I’m done with you.” I kiss across her jaw, down to her neck, across the small exposed skin on her neck and she whimpers.
"We’ve got one more night in LA. What do you want to do?” she asks between pants.
“I already told you what I want to do,” I press again, my dick twitching at the thought. She looks at me seriously. “We can stay in tonight. Your body is sore and I’m exhausted from watching you all day. My eyes can only open for so long.”
She laughs and the sound runs through me like honey. “You’re so dramatic.”
“Only for you.”
We do exactly that. We spent our last night here in the hotel room across from Coach Darcy and the other team members, pampering ourselves with facemasks as we watched Brooklyn Nine-Nine reruns. We splash out on room service, filling ourselves with pancakes and waffles until we’re so stuffed, we can’t even sleep close to each other, needing the space to spread out.
As much as this girl can pretend that she doesn’t want me, when we get back to Salt Lake that day, she only orders the Uber to my house instead of hers, meaning she wants to spend the night. I don’t mind at all. Being with her sometimes feels like it’s the only thing keeping me alive. I know how dramatic that sounds but it's true. Every time I’m around her, I just want more and more and more.
*
“What’s your favourite song?” she asks me out of nowhere. We’re laying on my bed after one of my games, both tired as hell. Well, I’m laying down and Wren’s on top of me, running her hands through my hair.
“Right now?” I ask, trying to think. She nods. “Anything by Taylor Swift…?”
