Page 106 of Power Play

“No, look at me.”

I didn’t.

Ryan hooked one finger beneath my chin. “Mírame.”

The word from the page felt completely different in his mouth.

I lifted my eyes.

“I’m not correcting you,” he said. “I’m telling you I had a life in Flint before this summer. That life didn’t stop me from ending up here every damn day.”

My throat tightened. “You won’t have every day.”

“No, I won’t.”

At least he didn’t lie. That was somehow comforting and terrible at the same time.

“Things are going to change.”

“Yeah.”

I swallowed while Ryan’s thumb moved once beneath my chin.

“Changing isn’t the same as ending.”

“We don’t even know what this is.”

“No, we don’t.”

The honesty landed between us as his hand moved from my chin to the side of my neck.

“But I know I’m not spending every free hour I have with you because I’m killing time until camp.”

My heart kicked hard. “I didn’t say you were.”

“You were thinking it.”

“You cannot actually hear thoughts.”

“Yours are loud.”

I almost smiled, but Ryan watched me too closely for the attempt to work.

“You think I’m going to disappear once I leave.”

The accuracy of it made my stomach twist. “I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“That sounds unfair.”

“It probably is.”

I rubbed my fingertips across the edge of the notebook. “I know Flint matters.”

“Yeah.”

“I know hockey matters.”