Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 86878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
“Love you too.”
I hug Theo and give Kia a kiss on the cheek before we part ways.
The drive back to campus is quiet, the kind of comfortable silence I don’t usually experience with girls. The radio hums softly in the background as I glance at Ava. The way she interacted with my mom and siblings tonight… it did something to me.
Something I didn’t expect.
“I like your family,” she says after a while, breaking the silence. “Your mom is really nice.”
I nod, keeping my eyes fastened to the road. “Yeah, she’s the best. It’s been tough since Dad died, but we’re hanging in there. I try to help out as much as I can.”
Ava reaches over, her fingers gently resting on mine. It’s a small gesture, but it makes something tighten in my chest.
“You’re a great big brother. It’s obvious how much they all look up to you.”
I swallow hard. It would be impossible not to feel the weight of her words. “I’m just doing what I can. After Dad… it’s like we didn’t have anyone else to lean on but each other.”
There’s a pause before she shifts in her seat, her voice soft. “I noticed you gave your mom money before we left. I didn’t realize you have a job.”
My fingers tighten on the steering wheel as I keep my tone casual. “Yeah, I do some freelance stuff online. It helps pay the bills.”
My muscles remain tense as I wait for her to bombard me with questions. None of my teammates work. There aren’t enough hours during the day when you’re a Division I athlete. Hockey is like a full-time job with school. There’s a lot of guys who refuse to get into relationships because it’s just another time commitment that pulls them away from their sport.
When a handful of seconds ticks by and she doesn’t say a word, I glance at her with a cocked brow. “Not going to ask about the specifics?”
Our gazes lock for just a heartbeat or two before I force mine to the dark ribbon of road stretched out beyond the windshield.
“Nope. I really hate when people stick their nose into my business. So I’m not going to be a hypocrite and do it to you.”
Her honesty hits me, and before I can stop myself, I blurt, “I hope you realize I’m still going to be all up in your business because I want to know every damn thing about you.”
She gives me a small smile, but there’s something in her expression that makes me think she’s still holding back. After what she’s been through, I can’t blame her. It’s going to take time for her to open up completely.
But I’m willing to wait.
As we drive, her hand stays wrapped in mine. The simple contact feels more intimate than anything I’ve experienced in a long time.
Maybe ever.
“My sister really likes you,” I say, breaking the silence again.
“I like her too,” Ava replies softly. “I like all of them.”
I glance at her, my heart thudding in my chest. “How about me, Tink? Do you like me as well?”
The question comes out before I can stop it, but I don’t regret it.
I need to know where I stand with this girl.
20
Ava
My heart races, each beat reverberating in my chest as Hayes’s question lingers in the air between us.
Do I like him?
It’s not a question I was expecting, but now that it’s out there, there’s no way to avoid it.
I take a breath, trying to sort through the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. Hayes isn’t what I thought he was. He’s deeper, more genuine, and that scares me as much as it excites me. I can’t deny the attraction, the pull toward him that feels impossible to resist.
“Yeah, I do,” I finally admit. It makes me feel vulnerable to say it, but at the same time, it’s liberating.
A slow grin spreads across his face as he glances at me, his fingers wrapping around mine before squeezing.
“Good,” he says, his voice low and soothing. “You might not have realized it, because I’ve been keeping this under wraps for a while, but I like you too. A lot.”
His words send a rush of warmth through me.
I didn’t expect him to be this honest or direct.
Even though a part of me is screaming to guard my heart, another part—the one that’s tired of being afraid—is desperate to trust him and wants to see where this goes.
I bite my lip, hesitating as the familiar walls I’ve built around myself crumble further. “I don’t know what I can give you. My head is still messed-up from everything that happened.”
His gaze softens in understanding. “I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give, and we’ll go as slow as you need to.”
I shake my head in confusion. “I don’t get it. Why are you doing this? You could have anyone. There are so many girls who would be easier than me.”