Page 64 of Westward

“We both know that’s not true. But tonight isn’t the night for all of those decisions. Let’s get to the bar and grill and meet up with our friends. This is your last night before you have to get ready and leave.”

“I’ll be back for Denver games often. You know how many times we play them a year.”

“I do. And I’ll figure out how to make traveling work.”

It was the main issue, honestly. Because I couldn’t drop everything and move to Portland when my job was here, and my life was here. And we didn’t know whether Atlas would stay in Portland. If he wanted to live there for the rest of his life, then I would have to figure out what I wanted, but I wanted him.

And that was the selfish part.

School began soon, and I was already in teacher training and meetings. I would have to go back and focus solely on those children, and that meant I wouldn’t have time to travel to Portland or Denver to see him play.

Not that I had ever done so as his girlfriend. Oh, I had watched him play countless times when he had been younger, and had even snuck into a few games as an adult, when he hadn’t known I was there. Because Atlas was so graceful on the ice and in the net. He was brilliant, and while he was cocky enough to understand that, I wasn’t quite sure he knew the full depth of that brilliance.

“Okay, I promise I won’t take you against this wall, since we have somewhere to be,” he grumbled.

I grinned and reached around to pat his butt. “Don’t worry. You’ll get back to your squats so you can get your ass back. I understand.”

“Excuse me. I thought you loved my ass.”

“Well, I guess first you have to do a few more squats, so we truly understand.”

He reached around and pinched me again, and I ducked under his arm to head to the front door. “We are already late, and Will is working tonight.”

“You’re going to take him home tonight, right? Because the damn kid won’t let me buy him a car.”

“He’s saving up for one.”

“Parents buy their kids cars. And yeah, he’s not my kid, but he needs reliable transportation, especially in the winter.”

“He can borrow mine.”

“Lizzie.”

“Atlas,” I said in the same tone. “He doesn’t want to take advantage of you, and as someone who has been in similar shoes when it comes to you, I understand that.”

“I have no idea what you mean.”

“And that’s okay. And yes, I’m taking him home, because I know you want a couple of hours just with Rune and Felicity. Sibling time is important.”

He cringed as we got into my SUV. Rune would be taking him home, so we wouldn’t have to take two cars and take up two parking spaces in the small lot.

“I feel like I’ve been neglecting them.”

“They understand that you don’t have a lot of time here. But that’s the selfish part of me, which has liked spending so much time with you. But I’m glad that you’re taking moments with them. That way, they don’t hate me for monopolizing all of your time.”

“How’s training going?” Atlas asked as he reached over the console to tangle his fingers with mine.

“Ridiculous. We have a new teacher who worked in another state school system for fifteen years, and wants to change everything here. And while I agree that many things need to be changed in our school system, she’s going about it the wrong way. And frankly, her changes are just ridiculous. Very insensitive, and not at all towards progress.” I shook my head. “It’s hard enough to get important things that don’t have to do with testing into our curriculum, and she just does not care.”

“Why did the school hire her then?” I snorted.

“Because getting someone to agree to move to a small town and not make too much money is hard. She’s only here because of family, I think. Or maybe no one else would take her,” I grumbled.

Atlas sparked a laugh. “I love when you’re sassy.”

“Sexist much?” I teased.

“I would never call another woman sassy. Just you. Because I know you. Promise.”