Page 63 of Game Misconduct

“Okay.” I would agree to just about anything at that moment.

“Tonight?”

I was about to say yes when I remembered the food I’d ordered. It felt like a lifetime ago. The time before. Oh no. Was I going to be one of those sappy romantics that only remembered life after they met the one?

Whoa. I was getting ahead of myself. I liked him and he liked me, but it was far too soon to toss around the one and happily ever after.

“I ordered something, but we can go after it gets delivered.”

“Sorry I interrupted.” He sounded genuinely remorseful.

“I would definitely rather have had this talk than the bath I was planning on.”

“Wow, that’s quite the compliment.”

I laughed. “It really is. I guess you know where you are on my list now.”

“Not really.” He smiled.

“I’ll only tell you that you bumped baths out of the top three.”

“Huh, so there are two things you love more than me?” He flinched. “I mean, not that you love me.” I laughed, hiding my sudden spike of anxiety, and he covered his eyes. “I walked myself into that.”

Love? It was such a huge word. It held more weight than simply liking someone. It was a declaration. It was an action. A promise.

I wanted to be one-hundred percent certain I was ready for everything it meant before I said those three words to him.

Twenty-Two

Parker

The next day I went through the motions of eating breakfast and getting ready for practice like I was floating. I’d never felt so light before. I expected last night to go in a completely different direction. I walked into Viv’s place, expecting her to tell me it was none of my business who she dated or that she really liked the new guy. The chance that she might actually feel the same way about me after what Mitch told me never crossed my mind.

If anything, I was expecting her to tell me that we could stay friends just from a distance.

Instead, my world changed.

She wanted me. She liked me. Not some random friend of Mitch’s. Nope. Me. And not because of who I was. She didn’t care about the hockey stuff. She supported me, but I could have been anything and she would still like me. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to this feeling, and I was even less sure I wanted to.

This could be my new normal and I would be very much okay with that.

“You’re cheerful,” Mitch grumbled as he walked into the kitchen in search of his morning cup of coffee.

“I had an interesting conversation last night.”

“Oh?” he replied in a bored tone while pulling his creamer from the fridge.

“Yeah, I went over to see Vivi.”

“So that’s where you went.” He poured a few splashes in and returned the bottle.

“It seems like there’s something you forgot to tell me.” I leaned against the counter, blocking his exit.

He tightened the lid on his travel mug before meeting my gaze. “I don’t know what you mean.”

I narrowed my eyes. “How about the fact that the date lasted less than ten minutes?”

He smiled, but quickly cleared his throat and it disappeared. “Right, small detail.”