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“So, question.” I circle my fingers over Mikayla’s back while she lies naked beside me. I love the feel of her tits squished against my chest, the weight of her arm across my stomach and her leg across my thighs.
Trailing my fingers down her back, I palm her ass and ask, “How did you not get a basketball scholarship?”
She groans and rubs the tip of her nose against my pec. “That was the original plan, but then Mom met Jarrod, and he brought out her inner hoity-toity.”
Ethan’s chest rumbles with laughter.
“Anyway, suddenly me being all tomboy didn’t fly anymore. She talked me out of playing basketball my senior year. I don’t even know how I let her do it, but somehow I ended up becoming something I wasn’t… all to please this new man in our lives. He talked a big game, you know? Promised us all this stuff. Bought expensive gifts. Mom was so freaking happy for a change that we all just went along with it, and it wasn’t until I got here and started rush week that it suddenly hit me—this isn’t whoIam. I don’t want this. And then you pulled me into Hockey House… into your friend group, and I felt like I’d found home.”
“You are home.” I kiss her forehead, squeezing her against my side.
She looks up and softly reminds me, “This is temporary. I can’t live here forever… and unless I can score myself a financial miracle, I can’t even stay at Nolan U.”
My insides tense, rebelling against that idea. I don’t want her moving back to California. I need her here. With me.
“We’ll figure something out. We’ll find you the money somehow. Tomorrow we can start looking into financial aid, and you can maybe start job hunting. We’re gonna make this work. We have to.”
She doesn’t say anything, and I wish she would. I want her to agree with me. But she’s filling up with doubts again. I can feel it in the way she’s tensing, her soft sighs against my chest, that little sniff. I’m starting to read her, and I love the idea that she’ll be here with me. Hockey season starts next week, and life is pretty damn full-on. The fact that I’ll get to come home to her for a while is pretty fucking awesome. I can learn all her little tells, and she can learn mine. Yes, it’s fast, but it feels so damn right.
The thought of her leaving cannot be entertained.
As she drifts off to sleep against me, her light snores making me smile, I stare at the ceiling, determined to find a way to keep her at Nolan U.
I’m not losing the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
* * *
“Her mother did what?” Dad balks, his face mottled with angry confusion.
I stare at the screen and nod. “Yeah, I know. I couldn’t believe it.” Scrubbing a hand down my face, I pinch my chin and admit, “So, I said she could stay with me for now.”
“Good idea.” Dad nods. I’m relieved he’s on board.
I was pretty sure he would be. I asked Mikayla’s permission before sharing the latest with my father. I tell the guy almost everything, and this is one of the big ones. For a second, I thought he might say I was playing with fire, basically letting her move in when we’ve only just gotten together, but these are unique circumstances and… well, she’s my lil’ mouse. I can’t even explain why it feels so right. It just does.
“So, what’s she gonna do about next semester?”
I shrug. “I don’t know how to find her that money. I mean, there’s different paths we can take, but she’s pretty adamant she doesn’t want to get a loan. At least not for Nolan U. It’s too expensive.”
“Is there a grandparent or some rich uncle she could hit up?”
I purse my lips to the side, glancing over my shoulder. Mikayla’s in the shower. She said a quick hi to my dad, then gave us some privacy. I don’t want to take advantage of that privacy, but…
Leaning toward the screen, I softly say, “She has a dad. He left when she was younger, and she hates talking about it, but I was wondering if I should try to track him down.”
Dad frowns. “He left his kids? Who does that?”
“I don’t know, but maybe if we can find him… reach out and tell him what’s going on, he might be willing to offer some financial aid?”
“Did he pay child support after he left?”
“I’m not sure, but I doubt Mikayla will want me asking. She’s kind of closed-off about the topic.”
“Probably because she felt completely rejected by the one guy who was supposed to love and protect her no matter what.”
The thought rattles through me. Dad’s right. What kind of asshole leaves his family and doesn’t even bother to stay in touch?
But the idea of trying to find him just won’t leave me alone. I spent most of my night obsessing over it. Instinct is telling me to pursue this. And to pursue it quietly.
