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“You deked me. And I fell for it.”
It takes a moment to register what he’s saying. I hold his gaze and ask, “Is this your fancy way of saying I tricked you?”
“No, Princess.” His smile softens. “I’m saying I fooled myself. All these years, I convinced myself I didn’t want a relationship. My sole focus was on hockey, and I didn’t want anything to distract me from it. Then, this girl from Boston came along and opened my eyes to the fact that there is more to life than just ice and a puck.”
My heart hammers so loud I’m surprised I can hear him.
“I love you so much, Amanda. After you left, nothing made sense.”
“What are you saying?”
“I want to be with you. Even if that means transferring schools to be near you.”
And there it is, the glimmer of hope blossoming and blooming inside my chest. That dangerous and intoxicating feeling. “But what about your family’s business? Don’t you have to fulfill your dad’s wishes?”
Tears prick my eyes, happy ones mixed with sad ones. I want to make his father the villain in his story so badly, but how can I fault a dying man? One that was looking out for his son’s legacy.
“I talked to my father about it.” He runs a hand through his hair and frowns. I want to wipe away the worry and pain, but that’s impossible. There is nothing I can do to stop the hurt of watching a loved one’s body deteriorate. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to.
“He’s agreed to make Emily CEO.”
My eyes bulge as my mouth falls slack. “Are you serious?”
“Very much so.”
“What does that mean for you?”
“I can pursue my hockey dreams if I want, but more importantly, I can pursue you.” The smile that breaks across his face is panty-melting. I’m talking pure, off-the-charts, hotness level. But beyond that, a sense of freedom and fulfillment shines through his eyes that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.
“But what about the promise to your grandfather?”
“I love my grandpa and miss him very much, but I love you more. If I’m going to commit to anyone, it’s going to be you.”
I bit my lip as a swarm of flutters erupt in my stomach. “And your entire family is good with that?”
“Very much so. It was Mom who opened everyone’s eyes to the truth.”
“She did?”
“Yep, Mom could tell how fucking miserable I was. She made my dad understand Emily was far more qualified to lead the company. After she reminded him and chewed him out over their outdated misogynistic beliefs.” He chuckles. “But as it turns out, my dad never got to chase his dreams, either. So after our talk, he told me to chase mine.”
And he came here.
“But what about hockey?”
He shrugs. “I won’t lie; I want to play, but you come first. You’ll always come first.”
“Doesn’t Boston College have one of the best NCAA hockey teams?” If he transferred schools, maybe he could transfer teams and wouldn’t have to give up playing hockey. Not that it’s relevant, but I want to see where this leads.
“Look at you brushing up on your hockey knowledge.” He lays a hand over his heart, joking, before turning serious. “It’s doable and something I’d strive for. It may not happen until next school year, providing they’d want me. None of that matters, though. All I want is to be with you.”
“Blake, you know I love you and want us to be together, but I can’t let you give up your dream.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’m not asking.”
I grin as he throws my previous words back at me. “I can’t ask you to do that. What else would you do?”
“I don’t know. Finish my business degree and try to get into law school. Heard there’s a top-tier school around here for that.”
