Page 72 of Three Hockey Hotties

Even though she is no longer in front of me, I feel my mouth open as if needing to say something.

But not only is she gone, I don’t know what to say.

She has a point.

Not only about how the right person can change your mind about things, but also about me being screwed.

I look up at Benjamin, but he just gives me a smile and gestures for me to step through the door of my new apartment.

I see he’s not going to argue with Magda’s words of wisdom either.

I take a deep breath and head inside.

My first reaction to the apartment is to gasp. I expected it to be beautiful based on the building, but I wasn’t prepared.

Benjamin's house is the only place I’ve ever stayed that’s nicer than this apartment.

Slightly dazed, I walk over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and take in the view.

The apartment is brand new, and on the edge of town so my windows look out over gorgeous scenery full of trees, a winding highway, and rocky bluffs in the distance.

I turn to the man who made this possible.

I don’t care about the plush furnishings, or the stone fireplace, or the clearly brand-new appliances I can see beyond the breakfast bar that divides the living area from the kitchen.

I’m just looking at the man who insists on taking care of me in whatever way I’ll let him. He invited me to stay in the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen. Rent-free. No strings attached. He wants me there.

But I insisted on having my own space.

So he made that happen. And not just the bare minimum. No, he had to go above and beyond every expectation.

“I love it. Thank you so much, Benjamin.”

“I’m so glad you like it. I can sleep at least a little better knowing you’ll be here,” he tells me, crossing to where I’m standing. He lifts a hand and cups my cheek. “But, I hope you’ll still find reasons to come to my house. At least once in a while.”

My entire chest feels warmer and the heat drifts from there to my belly, then lower.

I’ve been cared for all my life. My parents love me, I know that. I also have very good friends. Sadie is my platonic soulmate.

I’ve also been under the care of numerous doctors and specialists for as long as I can remember.

But I feel like all of those people have focused on the fact that I am weak and sick and need physical care.

I don’t think they mean to. Sadie focuses on us both getting strong, overcoming, and being more than a cancer diagnosis.

But that doesn’t change that we started out together because of the disease.

Benjamin, Kane, and Dash are not like that.

They didn’t know about the cancer until I told them. They don’t look at me and see a cancer patient. They don’t take care of me because I’m weak. They take care of me because they want to. Because they are compelled to somehow.

The same way I’m compelled to make them happy, to be closer to them, to want to just absorb everything about them, individually and together.

It scares me. But I can’t deny it.

“The apartment is amazing,” I tell Benjamin, stepping closer. “But it doesn’t have everything I need or want.”

His eyes flare with warmth when I put my hand on his chest. “You’re not here. I mean, at least you won’t be here all the time.”