I laugh for the first time in who knows how many minutes, and seeing the way Nick’s face lights up when I do blankets me in warmth. Rising to my feet, I bring myself face to face with him and skim his jaw with my hand, leaning in and planting a gentle kiss on his full lips.
Apparently, my one, single, solitary laugh was enough to make Nick revert back to little shit mode, and he tangles his fingers through my hair and yanks me forward, spearing my mouth with his tongue and ravishing mythroat.
“Imagine six months ofthat,” he teases when I pull back. “You’ll be dying to stick me in a car to the airport by the end of every visit.”
I glower back at him for a second before breaking. “We became official a week ago. Don’t make me dread the future already.”
He just ruffles my hair, and we fall into a comfortable silence. Well, one that’s comfortable despite the unease between us. I don’t want things to end between us in April, or ever, and we’ve both been clear about how we’re feeling the same way, but all this is just talk for now.
Things are gonna look different in four months. Things could change even between now and then, and when it comes to actually doing long distance, we’ll be in uncharted waters.
The best option for both of us is to make the most of our time together, and prepare appropriately.
It should be enough. I hope.
Because the thought ofnothaving Nick in my life is already unthinkable.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
NICK
“I wishwegot to go south for spring training,” Ian grumbles, trudging forward through the snow. “Whoever decided to put training for an outdoor sport in February can go suck it.”
Any other year, I’d tackle him into a snowbank for fun, but my mood is as dull as the weather, so I settle for saying nothing at all. Jeremy’s walking with the two of us, and he’s also staying silent.
At least we’re practicing in a covered facility, not in the field.
“Anyway,” Ian continues, “we finally get to see how the rookies play. They’ve got decent stats.”
Jeremy grunts, and I can’t tell if it’s agreement or something else, because I don’t think I’ve ever heard the guygruntbefore.
Maybe it really is cold. I wouldn’t know, not with how numb I’ve been all day.
And yeah, I know I’m being a baby.
What has me in this major funk is nothing more than Dean looking at flight prices in April. I tried playing the childish game of shutting his laptop with a seductive straddle, but all he did was laugh and shove me off, insisting he had to take a look before prices skyrocket.
It makes sense. He’s got ajob, which is more than I can say for myself. I’ve heard exactly nothing from Detroit or any other team organization since Brad called memonthsago, so I’ve all but written my prospects off.
“Are you guys okay?” Ian asks, and damn, his nervous expression isn’t one I want to see him wear.
“Yeah, I am. It’s just super fucking cold, man,” I reply, punching his shoulder.
He goes back to his usual friendly smile as soon as I do, and I kick myself, again, for tying myself up in knots over my boyfriend doing exactly what we’ve planned for.
“Alright. Do we know who’s taking care of the two rookies?” I ask, desperate for some kind of distraction. In my sophomore year, I chose to be the unofficial mentor for both Ian and Jeremy, and I’d like to think I did a decent job at corrupting—uh,mentoringthem. After that, the team gained a cute little tradition where we pair up a freshman with a veteran every year, and seeing it continue warms my soul up.
Ian claps a hand on Jeremy’s back. “You went to high school with Hunter, right?”
Again, Jeremy’s silent, simply offering a nod to Ian.
“Right, so I assume you’re buddying up with him?” Ian continues.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Jeremy blurts out. Ian and I both jerk our heads back. “It’s just because, uh, he should get an intro that isn’t influenced by our high school team. We were really different back there, and I don’t know if I can put it aside.”
“O…kay?” I tilt my head, giving Ian a questioning look, which he returns with an equally confused frown. “I can put my hand up to show the guy around, then.”
“And I’ll do the same for Oscar,” Ian says when Jeremy stays silent. Again.
