AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Em and Bash were worth it, so I’d keep going. But there had to be a better way. There had to be some path that didn’t feel like an uphill battle just trying to make it to the aisle.
“I really don’t think your family likes me,” I said, passing the s’mores to Bash and Em.
“I don’t think they like anyone.” Bash took a giant bite, getting some marshmallow on his new stubble.
A beard suited him, adding to his whole grumpy vibe. I stretched over to him and licked the marshmallow off, loving the rough scrape against my tongue.
Bash turned his head, drawing me in for a sweet, firm kiss.
“Say the word and we’ll leave,” he murmured.
“Can we stay one more day?” Em asked, her face crumpled.
“Hey,” I crooned. “We can stay as long as you want.” I stroked her cheek and tried to smooth the worry lines on her forehead. “But why don’t you want to run as fast as we can in the other direction?”
The corner of her mouth ticked up subtly. “It sounds stupid, but I really want their blessing. I want to know my parents love the men I love and accept our relationship.”
“That doesn’t sound stupid at all.” I cupped her face and kissed her nose. She was vulnerable, and I hated her family for putting her in this position. “We know they like Bardot—”
Bash snorted. “Really?”
“I mean, your parents love you. And Em’s parents would ditch me on the side of the road if it meant they could have you and Em all to themselves without having to deal with me again.”
“That’s not true—”
I leveled Bardot with a look. “Your mom made sure I was bringing a s’more back for you, too. I get the impression she thinks we’re going to dump you the second we can—” My stomach flopped and acid rose in my throat. “But we would never—” I choked on the last word and Bash grabbed my hand.
“I know. I trust you—both of you—with my life.” He groaned and raked his hand through his hair. “We’re too old for this drama—”
“You’re too old. I’m—”
“Only like, what, three years younger?” He raised his brow, and I laughed. “Seriously, though. This is like us against the world angst.”
“Nah, it’s just us against our parents—”
“Still pretty damn angsty,” Em said around a big bite of s’mores.
“I don’t want it to be us against them.” Bash picked a small piece of marshmallow off the corner of Em’s mouth. “This should be easy. They should be happy for us or at least not be so damn critical.”
“They haven’t seen us together. We know we work.” Em kissed my hand and reached for Bash. “We know this is our forever. But they don’t.”
“Then let’s show them.”
“Tomorrow?” Em yawned.
“Tomorrow,” Bash and I said, together.
It was so quiet I couldn’t fall asleep. There were sounds, but it wasn’t like at home. No cars driving by. No random people shouting to each other down the road like midnight was the height of social hour. Just some crickets and occasionally a breeze that rattled wind chimes.
Bash was snoring softly, Em was snoring a little louder. They were so cute, awake or snoring in their sleep. But even that wasn’t enough to cover the thoughts piling on top of each other in my head.
The thoughts started the moment the lights were switched off, and I had nothing to distract me.
My parents wanted nothing to do with me now that I wasn’t useful to them. Had they ever actually loved me? Or had they just hoped I would be beneficial to them? And once I wasn’t, I wasn’t worth keeping around.
The Evergreens should have sent me a contract by now, but I hadn’t heard from anyone. Did they want me? I could call them, but the nerves of all of it had gotten the best of me. I didn’t know what to say if they told me they weren’t interested in having me on the team.
Could I ask Em and Bash to uproot their lives and follow wherever hockey led me? They said they would go where I went, but could I ask that of them? And if they moved because of me, would it just be another thing their parents wouldn’t like about me?
