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“I’m sorry if I overstepped. I—”
“Not upset with you at all. Just thinking.”
“About?” I ask as he pulls out a seat for me.
“Dean said something last night that could change things for my family, but I’m not sure I’m ready yet.”
When I don’t say anything, he sits down across from me, cocks his head to the side, and narrows his eyes.
“Okay, fine, Drew may have mentioned it but swore me to secrecy and—”
He points a fork at me. “We need to make a pact that you and I keep secrets from everyone but each other.”
“Okay, but what if it’s like Leah telling me something she did and asked me not to tell anyone.”
“If it’s not about me, us, or would inanyway effect you negatively, I don’t need to know. If you need to talk about something that’s weighing on you, I’ll hold your secrets just like I do my own.”
I cross my arms. “Like you are.”
He lifts a shoulder. “I suppose.”
“Okay, so why didn’t you tell Dean to do whatever he needs to get you to Brooklyn?”
“Because I have junior and senior years left here.”
“Is finishing your degree a higher priority than playing in the NHL?”
He looks down at his plate.
“Hey,” I speak softly, because I sometimes can come off overbearing, and I don’t want this to be one of those times.
He glances up, and my tummy does a damn flip. Instead of tripping on the fact he has better lashes than I do, I focus on the task.
“I want to be that person who you trust with your secrets and dreams. The person you talk through things with. Whatever you do, I will one hundred percent support you.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I smile.
“I have two years to show the world how good I am on the ice and master my skills. Cutting that time in half would suck if I ended up just fading into the background in Brooklyn. But doing that would afford me the opportunity to take care of my family in a way that would make my father proud. Not just him, but me.”
I simply nod because he looks like he wants to say more, and I am aware not everyone considers silence as awkward as I do.
“And I have two years to show you that I’m worth the trouble dating a guy who’s going to basically live on the road for his entire career.”
I bite down on my lower lip to stop the smile that threatens to take away from the gravity of this conversation, but seriously? Seriously!
“I really hope you aren’t misunderstanding my intention with us. I hope you understand I was never just trying to simply find a girl to attach myself to until college is done and then move on. I was the worst kind of boyfriend in high school, and when I realized it, I promised myself I’d remember some asshole like me could pull shit like that on one of my sisters.”
“It’s part of our journey. We’re growing up.”
Sighing, he leans back and links his fingers behind his neck. “Then I met Ellie, and I swear I’d have been on her team if Leo fucked up. Through her, I met this hot little chick with the kind of confidence that puts an asshole in his place.” He leans forward and rests his elbows on the table. “At Bleachers, you were fierce, and I knew right then that Ellie’s little wouldn’t ever put up with a fuck boy.”
I nod. “Got that right. But that was part of my journey. The ex-periment.”
“I want more on that.” His jaw muscles tighten.
“You first.”
