Chapter 29
I WAS TORN on what to do. He wanted me to come back to the hockey house with him but I wasn’t ready for him to see the parts of me that had the potential to turn him away. Especially when my latest cut might as well have his name sharpied above it. If we were really doing this then I’d have to tell him eventually but not tonight.
I offered to try to sneak him into the apartment building if he promised to behave but it was me who couldn’t be trusted when he smiled with those damn dimples. Judging from the past few hours, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep my hands to myself. This man had me hook, line, and sinker.
I’d never done anything like that before. All of my sexual encounters have been behind closed doors and involved a bed or a sofa. I’d never done anything more than kiss a boy outside let alone what we had just done.
I was a lost to the moment and him when he confidently admitted to hiding in the dark shadows to watch me. My soul has always sensed when he’s near, but hearing him say those words sent my heart into sensory overload.
I wanted to feel him everywhere. It was too intense to ignore. I couldn’t just have his eyes on me anymore. I wanted it all. I needed him and his kiss and his touch. I wanted anything he was willing to give me. And as soon as I touched him I wanted to make him come underneath the trees just like he had made me.
I was shocked into silence when he gave me those cranes. It was all sorts of romantic and one of the most thoughtful gifts anyone has ever gotten me, only bar none to my feather necklace from Davis.
He must’ve sensed my internal struggles about what to do and walked me to the building door. I could feel it in my chest that we were about to separate. I didn’t like it one bit. I was already considering giving in and going home with him just to ease the ache.
He kissed me something fierce when he said goodnight. It was like he was determined to erase anyone who had kissed me before him and ruin me for anyone who dare to come after. I couldn’t imagine there ever being anyone else. I was indefinitely his.
“Here, take this so ya don’t catch cold on your walk back,” I insist and start to wiggle outta his sweatshirt.
“I’ll be fine, you keep it,” he says and pulls it back down over me. “I want to see you wearing it at my games when you sit with B. All the girlfriends wear them.”
“Girlfriend, huh?” I look up at him from underneath my lashes and fiddle with the hoodie strings. “What makes ya think, I’m ready to say yes to that?”
“The same way I know that you look for me. You look to see if I’m there. You feel me, like I feel you,” he pauses and leans his forehead against mine. “I know I’ve already fucked up with you, but I’m trying to do better. This is me trying, Birdie, for me, for you, for us, I’m trying. And I want it all, every label along the way, so start by being my girl, be my girlfriend, Birdie,” he rubs the tip of his nose against mine. “Come on, say yes.”
“Yes, ya rascal,” I smile like a damn fool at this man, and I honest-to-God laugh when he picks me up and spins me around.
“Goodnight, girlfriend,” he says and pecks my lips. “Go inside, I’ll see you in the morning, Birdie.” The endearment melts my heart and it’s me this time that throws my arms around his neck and kisses him. See, I can’t be trusted with this man. My man.
“What’s tomorrow morning?” I ask him after pulling back from our hundredth kiss of the night. My lips already want another.
“You’ve got your kickboxing class. I’ll be right here when you leave and walk you, that way we can talk about you wearing this tomorrow night at the game. I want to look up and see your pretty face, you wearing my name and number, and hear you cheering me on.” I’ve figured he”s had a good grasp on my comings and goings, but hearing him basically confirm it sends my heart skipping.
“Are ya gonna make me more of these little guys if I go?” I reach inside the hoodie pocket, and pull out the cranes, and hold them up to him.
“You’ll get one for every goal I score for as long as I play.” He plucks them outta my hand and places them back in the front pocket. He cups my face with both of his hands and looks at me with such passion in his eyes, I grip his wrists to hold on for dear life. And it’s a damn good thing I’m holding on to him when he says, “They’re all for you, Birdie.”
I’m typing in the code to our apartment door and can hear Max snoring from here. When I walk in, him and Evie are sprawled out on the sofa with his head in her lap while he sleeps. She’s raking her fingers through his curls while he saws through wood. I have no idea how she hears the television or gets any sleep at all with him making all that noise.
This has become their post game ritual. They come home, disappear in her room, and then resurface for food and some tv. They’re working their way through Grey’s Anatomy and if it’s not the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, I don’t know what is.
“We’ve been waiting for you,” Evie whisper shouts while pausing her show. She tries to slide out from under Max’s head but he isn’t having it. Even in dreamland, this boy wants to be as close to her as possible.
He wraps his arms around her waist and slides her down the sofa. He lays his head down on her chest and hugs her close with the most content look on his sleepy face.
“No moving,” he mumbles while keeping his eyes closed.
“But, I wanna talk to Sloane,” she says but her protests are weak and we all know it.
“I know, but I’m comfortable. You’re my pillow, baby.” I shake my head at them and take off my boots and place them by the door. I walk over and take a seat. Whatever we’re gonna talk about I imagine it’ll get to Max one way or another. Either through Evie or Chase. I love ‘em like a brother so it really makes no difference if he knows.
“Ya’ll didn’t have to stay up for me ya know,” I tell her while getting situated in a plush chair. I steal a blanket off the back of the sofa to settle in.
“You’re kidding right? Of course I was staying up. I was waiting to hear what the heck happened after we had to go upstairs. But now I wanna hear about that,” she chin points toward my sweatshirt that’s near identical to the one she’s wearing. The only difference between the two is that mine has her last name on the back and hers has her future husband’s.
“Looks like Chase finally manned up,” Max says after opening his eyes to take a look. He smiles and snuggles into Evie while she rearranges a blanket over them both.
“I guess you could say that,” I say with a grin that surely takes up my whole face.
“Fucking finally, it’s only taken him five months to get his shit together. Okay Eves, let”s go to bed.”
“No one’s going to bed right now, I need the G rated version of what happened first.”
“G version? Baby, you literally were reading vampire porn earlier.”
“I know but I don’t want to hear about my brothers’ sex life. Vampires yes, brothers no,” Evie says with a quick shake of her head.
“Amen to that, sister,” I wholeheartedly agree, I don’t want to hear what Davis gets up to either.
“Don’t get me wrong, you’re my best friend and I’m happy for you but in this case, I don’t need the dirty details.”
“Don’t worry honey bunny, I don’t kiss and tell,” I give her a wink and she just about loses her mind when she puts the pieces together.
“Oh my god, you totally kissed!” She squeals and wiggles around to get to a seated position and claps her hands over Max’s head. She’s jostling him around so much he sits up. “Baby, they kissed!” She shouts while bouncing up and down.
“I got that, now come on, let’s go to bed, so I can kiss you,” he starts to get up but she pulls him back to the sofa. This boy is literally pouting like he’s been told he can’t play with his favorite toy and I guess some of that may be the truth.
“What else, what else?” Evie asks and appeases her boyfriend by curling up on his lap like a cat.
“Well let’s see now, it looks like I’ll be going with ya to these games. After all, it is a very girlfriend thing to do,” She screeches and launches herself off of Max and wraps me up in a hug that feels sisterly in more ways than one. She’s genuinely happy for me, for her brother, for us and it makes me feel damn lucky to have her as my bestie.
“Can’t wait to see you out there, Red,” Max says and reaches forward with his fist for me to bump.
“Me too, I’m so–,” Evie interrupts herself with a full body yawn, “excited,” she says and Max scoops her up in his arms bridal style.
“Time for bed, pretty girl.” He gives me a chin nod with Evie in his arms. “Say goodnight, Eves.”
“I’m not even tired, don’t you want to hear the rest of the story?” She says while he walks them down the hall toward their room.
I go on a light patrol and turn everything off before I head in the same direction. I can still hear them between Evie’s yawns.
“Baby, I already know their story, it’s the sequel to ours.”
“What does that even mean, Max?”
“It means, we fell in love first and now they are.”
“You’re really romantic, you know that.” I can imagine her face when I hear her tell him this. He’s romantic in his own way. Just like Chase. The paper cranes in the pocket of the sweatshirt I’m wearing are evidence enough.
“Only for you, Dimples, only for you.” Max’s sweet response is the last thing I hear before their door shuts.
I walk into my room and flip the lights on. After rolling around with my boyfriend in the dirt for the hottest makeout session of my my life, I need a shower.
I pull out my cranes before I take off my hoodie and place them on my vanity and it has me longing for him all over again.
I pull up the blinds instead of looking through the slots. I pull them all up to see our spot and to check if he’s there. I can’t tell and pull out my phone to do something I’ve never done before.
I remember when I insisted that I have him and Hunter’s contacts the night Evie and Edi were hurt. I know I obtained his number under horrific circumstances and have always felt funny using it otherwise.
Not now though, now seems like the perfect time.
ME:
You home, handsome?
CHASE:
I’m waiting on your light to go out, gorgeous
He’s still here. Oh my soul, he must be a popsicle by now. I look all around and don’t see a thing and my heart beats wildly like a band of galloping horses. Where is he?!
ME:
Where are you? I don’t see you
CHASE:
Sitting on a bench under the light on the side of the front entrance
And sure enough, there he is. I can see him looking down at his phone before glancing up toward my side of the building. I swear I can feel it when he finds me in my window.
I feel a whole heck of alot of guilt that he’s down there. I feel bad for not going on home with him but it felt like the right decision when I decided not to. I’m regretting it now that it’s way after midnight.
I’ve got this need for him all of a sudden that has me picking up my phone. Texting isn’t enough, I wanna hear his voice. He picks up on the first ring and I can hear him smiling.
“Hi, Birdie.” Well that’s adorable.
“Whatcha doing down there?” I squint as hard as I can to see him better.
“Wanted to make sure that frat boy didn’t come back,” I could melt over his chivalry but it’s really not necessary. I want him to get on home.
“You’ve got nothing to worry about with Will. He’ll move on by tomorrow morning if he hasn’t already. He probably hasn’t given me a second thought,”
“You’re probably all he’s fucking thinking about,” He huffs out while jumping to his feet.
“I’m safe and sound now, get on home, it’s late, and you can rest easy. Max is here.” I try to reassure him while he walks back and forth a few times before blending in with the trees.
“I won’t be resting easy until tomorrow night,” he says with a tone that has me wanting to scale down the building to get to him. “That’s when you start sleeping next to me.” Oh my soul.
The firmness in his voice sends a shiver down my spine and heats up my core like a commercial oven. I fan myself with my hand and try to cool my jets from overheating. Because this man has the power to do just that.