Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 86199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Other than disappearing from his life, there are none.
Plus, it’s doubtful he’d allow it.
My shoulders wilt under the heaviness of that conversation. It’s important that he hear the truth from me rather than someone else. Like Hayes. That’ll only make the situation worse.
Then it’ll look like I was deliberately keeping it from him.
Which…well…I was.
Ugh.
It’s the light rap of knuckles against my open door that has me jerking out of those depressing thoughts. My gaze flies to the guy hovering over the threshold. I blink, wondering if I’ve somehow managed to conjure Maverick up from my thoughts.
Joy is the first emotion that rushes in. Every time I catch sight of him after we’ve spent time apart, I’m bowled over by how handsome he is.
The mahogany-colored eyes and nearly inky black hair. The chiseled cheek bones and ridiculously thick lashes. The light coat of stubble that dusts both chin and cheek.
I could stare at him for hours.
When I continue to silently soak in the sight of him, a lopsided smile curves his full lips before he jerks a thumb over his shoulder. “I hope it’s all right that your roommate let me in.”
It takes effort to shake off the haze attempting to cocoon its way around me before straightening as reality forces its way in.
“It’s fine.”
I hadn’t considered bringing up the situation before his game tonight, but maybe that’s exactly what needs to happen. Once the truth is revealed, he might not want me sitting in the stands and supporting him. Sadness blooms inside my chest before spreading outward, infecting my body like a virus, because it’s a distinct possibility that can no longer be denied.
As I stare at him, mentally grappling for the right words, I wish I’d been honest from the beginning.
It’s just that I’d wanted him to get to know me.
Willow Thompson.
Without my brother to cloud his judgment.
Or that I’d spent the last two years of high school sick, unsure if I’d live to celebrate my eighteenth birthday.
The uncertainty that flickers across his face melts my heart.
“I wanted to stop by and make sure you still planned to attend the game tonight.”
I glance away as the truth sticks uncomfortably in my throat. “Oh, um…about that...”
When my voice trails off, he steps farther inside my space. He’s so tall and broad in the shoulders that everything shrinks around him. The normally airy room now feels anything but.
He swallows up the distance with a handful of long-legged strides before dropping to his knees in front of me so that we’re eye level. It’s so tempting to reach out and sift my fingers through his thick hair.
Instead, I keep them locked on my lap.
His brows jerk together as he studies me. The intensity of his stare leaves me feeling unexpectedly vulnerable. It’s as if he’s capable of picking through all the private thoughts circling through my brain.
The ones I’ve been so careful to keep hidden away.
Disappointment floods his dark depths. “Did something come up?”
My fingers bite into my jean-clad thighs as I shake my head. “No, it’s nothing like that.”
The concern marring his expression dissolves as he flashes a relieved smile. One large hand rises to cup my face. “Good.”
It takes effort to swallow down the anxiety that gnaws at my insides. “We should probably—”
Before I can force out the rest, my gaze dips to his other hand and I lose all train of thought.
How didn’t I realize he was holding something when he walked in?
His voice dips, turning raspy. The confidence that normally brims in it falls away, making him sound younger. “I was hoping you’d wear my jersey tonight.”
I can only gape at the orange and black fabric in his hand as my belly drops in free fall. It’s like I’m sitting at the very tippy top of a roller coaster and I’m harnessed in the first car as it plunges to the earth.
When I remain silent, at a loss, he clears his throat. “Sunshine?”
My tongue darts out to lick my parched lips.
There’s no way I should accept such a personal gift without revealing the truth.
“Please say something,” he whispers, eyes pleading with mine.
My heart twists as I blurt, “I’d love to wear it, thank you.”
As soon as I release the words into the atmosphere, I want to snatch them back.
All I’ve done is further complicate matters.
He sucks a breath into his lungs as a wide grin breaks out across his face and a relieved laugh bursts free. “I’m not gonna lie—you had me worried for a second or two. I thought I’d misread the situation.”
Before I realize what’s happening, he drags the thick material over my head and helps shove my arms through the large sleeves. A handful of seconds later, the hem settles around my waist.
His gaze roves over my chest and belly. “Fuck, sunshine. You look amazing.” He slants a look upward until our eyes can collide. “Almost as good as you looked the other night stretched out naked in my bed.”