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“What am I going to do with you?” Her voice was gruff with exasperation, but there was a smile on her face.
“Love me forever, keep me for always?” Winking at her surprised expression, I closed the door before she could respond and hurried around the truck.
After a half hour of driving in comfortable silence, I turned into the Ambassador Bridge toll.
Sid looked at me curiously. “We’re going into Detroit?”
“Yup, Mia hooked me up with your passport,” I said, popping theplike she liked to do.
“You’re still not going to tell me anything?”
“Nope.”
She let out a little huff but returned to looking out the window, searching for clues. I’d booked a spot in a parking lot a few blocks from our destination.
“Don’t even think about it,” I said when Sid’s hand went to open the door. I went around to her side of the truck, opening it for her, and helped her down.
“Jax, what are we doing here?” She shivered. Even in spring, the night air was chilled. I slid my jacket around her arms. I couldn’t help the grin that crossed my face when she huffed and followed me.
“We’re going somewhere downtown?” Her gaze searched the area for recognition.
“Yes.” We were close enough that I was okay to let a few hints slip.
Her guesses were closer. “We’re going to a show?”
“Almost.” I smiled as she looked incredulously at me for my nonanswers.
As we got closer, more and more people gathered, some of whom were singing in excitement. She turned her head to hear better just as we stepped around the corner. She went still and stared up at the big theater sign. A high-pitched squeal escaped her, and she jumped into my arms. She beamed, eyes bright, and a wide smile took over.
“Congratulations, Sidney, for acing your midterm.” I squeezed her tighter, eyes still roaming over her face. Her smile wobbled before she wrapped her arms around me, tucking her head deep into my chest. She took deep breaths, and I slid her feet back to the ground, wrapping myself around her. Tightness constricted my chest, knowing the emotions she was fighting against. I hoped she lost. I hoped she caved to them and let this happen.
I cupped her face with my hands and gently wiped her tears with my thumb. “This wasn’t exactly the reaction I expected.” I kept my voice light so she knew I was joking. Her surprised laugh surrounded us.
She looked up at me and placed a soft kiss on my lips. “Thank you. A million times, thank you.”
“Anything for you.” Playfully clipping her chin with my knuckle, I grabbed her hand and led her inside to watch her favorite play.Hamilton.
TWENTY-EIGHT
JAX
My poundingheart echoed in my ears as I sucked down a breath deep into the bottom of my lungs. My legs burned with the effort to propel myself down the rink, but I ignored my body’s screams to stop. Instead, I dug into the feeling, knowing that it meant I was pushing myself to my very limit.
The puck felt natural on my stick, like the two were stuck together as I weaved in and out of defensemen. We were tied two-two in the championship game, and like hell I’d let us go into overtime. No, this stopped here, with this goal.
Alex skated up my left side out of view of the players focused on me. I deked right until they moved with me before sending a blind pass to where I knew Alex was just as the defensemen crashed into me, lifting me off my feet. Pain radiated through me, and my lungs refused to take a breath, but I didn’t care. All my focus was on Alex’s bar down goal.
I heaved my breath and shoved the player off me. He looked utterly defeated, and I patted his head while getting up. “Good game, buddy.”
He just growled. Not that I could blame him. They’d been fucking close to winning. Too fucking close, but we’d shut them down like I knew we would.
Our team was huddled around Alex, cheering our victory, but my eyes searched for the pretty brunette I knew would be in the crowd. Somehow, in the last few months, she’d become the only person I wanted to celebrate with.
My breath hitched when I spotted her wide eyes, a smile taking over her face. She bit her lower lip, knowing it drove me crazy. I skated toward her, and her eyes grew wider with each move until only a quarter inch of glass separated us.
“Meet me at the dressing room entrance,” I yelled over the roar of the crowd. I didn’t want to wait a single second more than I had to.
“What?” She turned her head and moved her ear closer to the glass.
