How could I not get hopeful, when this is the type of man Griffin is?
I brush away a tear, drawing a deep breath as he pulls into the driveway.“Just forget I said anything, okay?I don’t want to make this weirder than it already is.”
Griffin is quiet as we go inside.When the door clicks shut behind him, the weight of the situation bears down on me.
I’ve barely seen him this week.I’m leaving soon.What the fuck are we doing?
“Okay, just one more thing,” I say.He turns halfway to his bedroom.“I think I just…miss you.”
“Miss me?”His brow arches.
“You’ve been gone so much this week, and I get why.I haven’t seen you that much, we’ve barely talked, and I…I miss you.I’m leaving soon, so….”
He hefts with a rueful laugh.“Casey.You miss me when you see me daily.What the fuck do you think hockey season is going to be like?”
His words land like a slap.
“This, right here, is why what I said at the pool needs to be forgotten.”His words slice with the precision of a scalpel.He’s cut right into the core of what I’m thinking about, what I’m afraid of.“If you can’t handle the end of the summer, then you’ll never last through a professional hockey season.”
I go rigid, staring at him, unable to form words.He’s right.I’m being delusional about him, about what we could be.
“Yeah.You’re right,” I finally manage to say.“I guess it’s a good thing I’m going back to Chicago soon.”
His face creases like I hurt him.I brush past him, heading for the bathroom to get in the shower.He grabs my wrist, stopping me in my tracks.
“Wait.”
“Let go,” I whisper.“I feel stupid.”
He pulls me into him, fitting me against his body as he wraps his arms around me.“I’m not letting you go.Because I’ve missed you too.And that’s exactly the problem.”
I melt into him, relishing the solidness of him, his woodsy, manly scent, the way he both calms and arouses me.We stand like this for a while, until I pull away.
“I need to go take a shower,” I tell him.
“Come to my room after,” he says, grabbing my chin between his thumb and forefinger.
I can’t fight the grin.“We’ll see.”
“You’re right.I’ll see you in my bed.”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
He slaps my ass before I continue my trek to the bathroom.“That better turn into a yes, Hart.”
I roll my lips in, battling a smile that threatens to take over my entire face.“I like it when you get all professional hockey player on me.”
“Oh, you’ll have a professional hockey player on you,” he says, “in my bedroom.”
I sigh dreamily.“Fine.You win.I can’t say no to that.”
I’ll always say yes to Griffin.Even if it means getting less than what I really want from him.
It’s Saturday again.Another farmer’s market, another bouquet, another lazy morning spent acting like a couple and kissing in public.
The only difference now is that August is closer than ever, and I am dreading that month with a fiery passion.
I made it through the first round of interviews with both companies I applied to.I should be excited to be getting my life back on track.But I’m not.
