“And how mad Paige got when she hit the rim of the hoop, but my ball made it in?” Her voice gets higher with each memory of the night.
“And oh,” The groan in her voice sends heat directly to my core. “The food there was phenomenal. I mean, I get that it’s Milan and everything is better here. But come on. That was top tier.” She swallows like the saliva in her mouth is getting in the way of her talking. “Nothing will top my dinner with you last night, though. That food was to diefor.”
Listening to her talk would drive me crazy if she were anyone else. But I could listen to her go on about our time together forever. I want to relive it as much as she does. I just don’t do so well with the expressing part. She seems like she could be a stage performer.
I bet she’s a blast at the hospital. I’m not sure it’s possible to make surgery fun, but I imagine she pulls it off flawlessly. And not in a way that would be forced or come off as annoying, but in a genuinely enjoyable way.
We’re in the elevator heading to her floor, and she’s still on a roll with excitement.
We get to her door, and I want to spend more time with her because it’s only six-thirty. But I also want to go with the team to watch the other women’s team's preliminary games. We need to be focused and study their moves. I fear I won’t be able to concentrate if Violet is beside me. I’ve touched her once, and I’m dying to do it again. Hopefully, Ronin puts my courage in the lost and found so I can go back and pick it up later.
“I want you to come to my game,” I blurt out, unsure if it’s okay to mention. It feels like a big thing to admit to someone, and I’m sure she’s got a lot going on. I’ve already taken up so much of her time having her out with my team tonight.
“I’d love to.” She slides her hands into her pockets as her shoulders rise. Almost like she’s nervous, but her smile says otherwise.
“Yeah?”
She nods, and her eyes lock with mine. “Yeah.”
I smile back. “Good.” I reach forward and touch her arm, needing to feel her again. She steps closer, and I look down at her. “I have to go back to my team,” I begin, but she doesn’t look upset about it; she understands I have responsibilities.
Plus, she probably overheard Paige and Liv talking about strategies and how we’re going to study the other preliminary games tonight, since it’s our off day.
“Take a notebook.” She toys with the Chapstick in her pocket.
I laugh. “I’ll take notes on my phone so it’s less conspicuous.”
She gives me finger guns, which is such a Violet thing to do.
My hand falls from her arm, and I hate the loss of contact. It’s not like I can spend the rest of my time here in Milan attached to her. The officials would call a foul for too many players on the ice.
That would be something Violet would joke about if she understood more about hockey.
“I’ll text you later?” Hope is clear in my voice as I step back toward the elevator.
She nods eagerly and reaches for her phone from her back pocket as though I meant right now. Though technically it islater than when I made the comment. Only by a few seconds, but still later.
“I won’t say I’ll be waiting because that will come off as needy.” She swallows hard. “But I’ll be looking forward to it.”
She rocks on her heels and grins before reaching for the handle of her hotel room door. I hear the beep as the door unlocks, and we hold each other’s gaze until she’s safely inside and I hear the click of the lock.
Fuck.
I have gotto start opening up to people because I’m going to explode if I don’t tell someone about her.
But I don’t want this to go anywhere if I can’t truly be myself behind closed doors. I think it’s time to accept that I’m allowed to have boundaries, and if someone doesn’t like who I truly am, then I don’t want to waste my energy.
I take a deep breath.
“It’s time to see just how far she’s willing to go.”
Chapter Eleven
Violet
I’m on cloud nine.
Unless cloud ten is an option, because the way I’m feeling right now is incredible. Who knew that Skye would drift into my life and make me feel… alive. I lean my back against the closed hotel room door and take a deep breath.
