Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 30715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
"Oh."
"What are you thinking?"
"That I can't judge you when I went there because of you," she whispers, her gaze bouncing away from mine and then back. A blush creeps up her cheeks. "Um, I've kind of been obsessed with you since we met."
"Yeah?" I grin at her.
"I thought you hated me. You were so rude." She scrunches up her nose at me in annoyance. Even six months later, she's still pissed about that. It's cute…not that I'm going to make the mistake of telling her that. I'm not a complete idiot. "I can understand being desperate because I was desperate to get you out of my head too. Except the only thing I thought about the entire time I was there was you."
I cup her cheek, running my thumb across her bottom lip. "You better watch out, Rebel. You keep being so fucking perfect, you'll never get rid of me."
"Maybe that's my plan," she whispers.
Fuck.
I kiss her hard and deep, hoping like hell she means that because my heart is already in the palm of her hand. I'm just waiting for her to invite me into hers too. Maybe we're not as far from that day as I thought we were, though. Maybe, just maybe we've always been a little closer to the same page than I believed.
Chapter Eight
Parker
The next few days are chaotic. The morning after the game, Jonas calls to tell me that he and Jamie are getting married, and they need me at the Courthouse. I barely have time to process the news before Kellan's phone rings. We end up in a mad rush to get to the Courthouse in time to act as witnesses.
Of course we have to drive separately and pretend we barely know each other. That part gets harder every time I have to do it. Maybe we should have told Jonas the truth from the beginning. I don't know. But I hate that we're lying to everyone. I hate that I can't even touch Kellan in public or admit that I was with him. I hate everything about keeping this secret.
But it's far too late to change course now. If we confess, Jonas will lose his mind and revoke his sponsorship application for my visa. I'll be deported back to Canada whether I want to go or not, and I'll lose my brother and Kellan. Kellan will lose his best friend, and the team will fracture apart. For some of these guys, there won't be another shot at the Cup. This is it. I can't be the thing standing between them and a career-long goal.
The wedding ceremony itself is short and sweet. Jonas has hearts in his eyes as he exchanges vows with Jamie, who cries. Aside from her best friend, me, and Kellan, no one else attends. I think Jonas was worried about the media finding out and turning it into a big circus if he had too many of his teammates here.
I'm not sure why he's in such a rush to get married right now, but that's just Jonas. He knows exactly what he wants and goes for it. He's been that way his entire life.
As soon as the wedding is over, he and Kellan rush off to practice. There is no break between the end of the regular season and the start of the postseason. They have three days to prepare, and that's it.
It's the longest three days of my life. I don't get to see Kellan at all. He spends every waking minute at the practice arena. I barely see Jonas, either. They're hyper-focused on winning the Cup. Kellan makes a point to text me throughout the day when he can, and he calls me every night, but it's not the same.
I miss him like crazy.
The night of the first game, the arena is loud and crowded. Even the private areas are cramped as people rush back and forth. I squeeze my way through the throng, hoping to see Kellan before the puck drops, even if it's just for a few minutes.
After spending the last three days without him, it's hard to deny the truth to myself any longer. I'm not falling for him. I've already fallen.
I thought I could have just a taste of him and then let him go, but I was lying to myself. I'll never be ready for that. I wove a tangled web around us and ensnared myself in the process.
He owns me, body and soul.
I think he might feel the same way, but I'm terrified to ask. What if he says no? What do I do then? How do I pick up the pieces knowing that he'll be a part of my life for as long as I'm living in Nashville?
Just thinking about it makes my stomach hurt.
Strong arms surround me from behind, pulling me backward. I tense for a minute, my heart thudding against my breastbone in a powerful jolt. And then I smell Kellan's familiar woodsy scent, and my body goes limp.