23. Raptors fannot, you’re stuck with me now.”
"Raptors fan or not, you’re stuck with me now.”
Caleb Hawthorne
I managed to withstand over three minutes in freezing-cold water, but I’d take that torture any day over the excruciating pain of not kissing Aria’s beautiful lips.
Our exchange earlier, and the way our eyes locked, is what kept me warm during the plunge.
The heat of her gaze could have fueled me for hours.
There’s always been a vibe between us, especially these past few days, but this time, she was openly flirting with me.
I just had to ask about the jersey, unsure whether she knew the implications, but she was well aware.
Goosebumps erupt over my skin at the reminder—and not because of the cold.
We’ve been separated the rest of the afternoon.
I had to do some interviews and pose for pictures for the charity, and she helped the crew clean up the beach.
After that, the girls whisked her away to get ready for her birthday party.
The guys and I are now hanging out at Deacon’s bar, which has been privatized for the occasion.
We’ve already been here fifteen minutes, but so far, no sight of the girls.
Emma’s husband, Auston, is off work today, so Miles and I are catching up with him and Deacon when the front door opens, and Aria walks in.
When she saunters through the door, I almost drop my drink.
She’s wearing a long black dress that seems molded to her body, her hair is tied up in a bun, and her eyes peer from beneath dark makeup.
I’m vaguely aware that the rest of the girls are behind her, but I can’t focus on them, too hypnotized by how beautiful Aria looks.
There is zero chance I’ll survive the night without kissing her.
Her eyes roam the room until they land on me. She smiles, her cheeks flushing just enough for me to notice.
She takes a step toward me, but Beth leans into her ear to ask her something. Next thing I know, all the girls are taking selfies together.
“You should go for it, Cap,” Miles whispers, and I jerk my head toward him.
“What did you just say?”
He pulls me from the bar and takes me aside. “Listen, I know that look. I wore the same one for the longest time with Marissa. My advice? Just go for it. My biggest regret will always be not admitting my feelings earlier.”
I swallow hard and give him a curt nod. What am I supposed to say? He’s right. And it’s not like I can keep my feelings to myself much longer anyway.
Aria is finally free, and she walks toward me. “Hey.”
“You look absolutely amazing. Just wow,” I marvel, shaking my head. “Happy birthday, Aria.” I lean forward to embrace her, and she lingers in my arms—just a little too long for it to be considered a friendly hug.
“Thank you.” She blushes, her fingers grazing the fabric of her dress as though she’s still trying to process the compliment. “The girls picked it and put all this together. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have friends like you guys.”
“You deserve nothing less.” I smile, but when our eyes lock, her gaze holds me captive. The air between us feels charged, almost electric. I clear my throat, trying to ground myself. “How about a drink?”
I grab Aria an iced tea, and we start chatting. The conversation flows easily, upbeat music blaring in the background. Everyone is enjoying the mselves. And honestly, it’s the perfect time to have a party and decompress before we return to work tomorrow.
Someone cranks up the volume, and it’s not long before dance moves fill the space. My gaze falls on Aria, and I nod toward the middle of the room, but she just winces. Breathing a low chuckle, I walk up to her.
“Come on, dance with me,” I say, extending my hand.
“I don’t know. It’s not a big enough crowd for me to hide in,” she says, glancing around the room as she grasps for any reason not to dance. “Besides, I’m probably awful at it.”
“What if you’re a Rockette? You never know. Plus, you’ve got me to help you out, and I’m a great dancer,” I say, moving my shoulders to the beat, trying to get her to smile. I extend my hand again, and this time, she takes it.
I twirl her once, and the way her laugh fills the space makes my heart soar. I guide her into a smooth sway, our bodies moving in sync with the rhythm. When the tempo quickens, we pick up the pace. I can feel her excitement matching mine, echoing in her every footstep.
I smile. “See? Told you. You’re excellent.”
“The music is too fast,” she giggles, but there’s a sparkle in her eyes that makes me want to keep her in my arms forever.
The next song is a slow salsa, an d I pull her closer, our hurried movements relaxing to match the slower pace. We glide across the floor, and I can’t take my eyes off her. There’s a new glow in her features that makes me lose track of everything else.
“You’re so beautiful,” I breathe out before I can stop myself. The words slip from my mouth like they’ve been waiting for the right moment, and the weight of them hangs between us.
She freezes, just for a beat, and her lips press together in a way that makes my heart race. “Thanks.”
I want to say something, anything, but the words get jumbled in my throat, and nothing comes out.
Suddenly, the music fades out. “Should we do cake and presents?” Marissa calls over the crowd, and her question is met with a collective “yes!” mostly from the guys, despite their having devoured half the buffet already.
“Presents?” Aria asks, glancing at me with panic in her eyes.
A grin pulls at my lips. “Don’t worry. You’re going to love them.”
Aria
After all the effort they put int o throwing me this party, I definitely wasn’t expecting presents.
Between this surprise and the heated moment I just shared with Caleb, I’m dealing with emotional overload.
The way he spoke, like a precious whisper, not to mention the words themselves.
You’re so beautiful. I was two seconds away from kissing him right there on the dance floor, and I’m almost mad at Marissa for interrupting that perfect moment.
But when she brings out the cake, that flicker of resentment is snuffed out.
The towering cake, which holds a single candle on top, is slathered i n a smooth layer of creamy frosting and tastefully decorated with delicate swirls and a dusting of colorful sprinkles.
Everyone starts singing Happy Birthday to me, and my heart swells.
I don’t know if I’ve had many birthdays like this one, but as I glance around the group of friends singing their hearts out for me, my eyes blur with unexpected tears.
I can’t believe how lucky I am to have ended up here, with all these amazing people.
I have this weird sensation of belonging, like it was always meant to be this way.
Maybe I lost my memory for my own good. Maybe it’s fate, because I’m pretty sure I’ve never been this happy before.
I blow out my candle, and they all applaud, cheer, and whistle.
“Speech,” someone booms—I’m pretty sure it’s James.
All eyes settle on me, but I don’t think words could ever express what I’m feeling in this moment, or how grateful I am for their kindness.
I clear my throat. “Thank you so much for putting all this together,” I say, glancing at the cake, then at my group of new friends.
“We’ve known each other for only a few weeks, but you’ve been such an amazing support system for me, and I’ll forever be grateful for each and every one of you.
Thank you for taking me in and helping me through this. You guys are the best.”
“Here, here!” they say before taking a swig of their drinks.
“Oh,” I say, loud enough for everyone to hear me again. “And if I wake up tomorrow with all my memories and realize I’m a die-hard Sharks fan, I hope we can still be friends.”
Laughter fills the room.
“Ah, come on. You can always change allegiances,” James says, winking at me. “We have gifts.”
Now, it’s my turn to laugh. “Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got before I make up my mind.”
“For the record,” Caleb whispers in my ear, sending shivers through my body, “I wouldn’t care. Raptors fan or not, you’re stuck with me now.”
I glance at him, and I detect the same smoldering heat in his eyes as earlier. “I am, huh?”
“Yep.” He nods, crossing his arms. “I would prefer you wear my jersey, but it’d take more than a change of team colors to keep me away.”
We exchange a smile, and I bite my lip to suppress the urge to throw myself in his arms. Instead, I focus on the myriad of gifts that are being presented to me.
I receive literal boxes of pens because Caleb told everyone I loved them.
There are also cute notebooks, a shirt that says “Ask Me About My Birthday,” lots of books, and the polaroid they’ve been using all night to take pictures along with all the photos themselves in a box labeled “friends.” The next gift I open is a memory-foam pillow.
“In case you forget your sleeping position,” James says, waggling his eyebrows.
I laugh. “Is this part of your plan to make me a lifelong Raptors fan?”
He arches his brows. “Is it working?”
“Maybe a little.” I chuckle, and he gives me a fist bump.
“Last present of the night,” Caleb says as he hands me a box. I open it, and inside, I find a collection of trinkets—a mug, T-shirt, pen, and notebooks—all printed with the phrase “Future Bestselling Author.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “I love it. Thank you.”
“And I mean it.” He winks. “You’re welcome.”
“Wait, you’re writing a book?” Alice blurts, and all eyes in the room turn to me. My stomach clenches, but after a moment, I relax. Yes, I kind of wanted to keep that part of my life private, but sharing it with my friends feels right. I want them to know.
The girls gather around me, and I tell them about my writing while the guys start devouring the cake.
“Wow, that’s wonderful,” Marissa says. “When can we read it?”
“It’s not quite ready yet, but I can send you what I already have.”
“Yes, please!” Marissa and Alice say in unison, followed by an affirmative from Emma and Hayley.
“I mean,” Beth says, “I’m not really into reading, but if you wrote it, I definitely want to read it.”
“It’s just the beginning of a rough draft,” I say, unable to hold in my smile. “And I’m not sure if it’s any good, but it wouldn’t hurt to get some outside opinions.”
Marissa claps her hands. “I’m so excited for this!”
“Please tell us it’s a romance,” Alice urges, eyes closed and fingers crossed.
“It’s a romance.” I nod, giggling. “Mixed with a little adventure.”
“Already sold,” Hayley says. And just like that, I start to dream. Could I really do this? Write a book, publish it? See it displayed on the shelves at No Shelf Control? For the first time since my accident, I have dreams and a perspective for the future.
“Oh, you’re on!” Maxime booms behind me. He’s arguing with James, as always, and we turn around to listen to them. “How about we settle that tomorrow? Let’s meet bright and early at the rink.”
James blows out a laugh. “I’m not going to get up at the crack of dawn to show you how much better I am than you, Frenchie Boy. We just need to look at the points.”
The guys laugh, but I barely hear them. The word “dawn” is echoing in my head, making my vision waver. I take a step back, a hand on my chest. This word, it means something to me. I can feel it in my gut.
“Excuse me,” I peep to the girls before rushing to the restrooms. I splash some water on my face and gaze at my reflection in the mirror.
Dawn . What does that word mean to me? I shake my head, clutching the counter.
Truth is, I’m not even sure I want to know.
Do I really need to at this point? I have everything I could want right here.
This is my life now, and I love it. Why would I even want to go back to something else?
Taking a deep breath, I walk out of the restrooms, where I run into Caleb as he’s heading to the men’s room.
“Enjoying your night?” he asks, walking up to me.
“I am.” I smile, though my heart is racing. “Thanks again for everything.”
“The girls did this,” he says, glancing back at the party. “I wanted to help, but they wouldn’t let me.”
“I mean everything else. Taking me in, helping me, introducing me to your friends. It means a lot, and I’m pretty sure I’ve never been this happy before.”
He swallows, his gaze softening. “Really?”
I give a small shrug, smiling. “How could I have? This is perfect.”
“Just like you,” he says, his voice low as his eyes flicker from my eyes to my lips. The intensity in his gaze pulls me in, and suddenly, we’re inches apart. My breath hitches, my body frozen yet aching to move closer.
He takes my hand, sending a whirl of butterflies fluttering in my belly. “I really want to kiss you, Aria. Please, tell me I can.”
Instead of replying, I pull myself closer, wrapping my arms around his neck and tugging him toward me. His breath is ragged, and I feel the tension between us crackle.
His lips steal mine in a soft but eager kiss, as if he’s been waiting for this as long as I have.
His hand brushes the small of my back, pulling me even cl oser, and I melt into him.
Every inch of my body is fully aware of his presence.
The world around us melts away—the noise, the lights, the party—it all fades, until there’s nothing but the two of us, sharing a moment that feels like it could stretch forever.
I know I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I have a feeling this is a particularly good kiss.
Caring, soft, and intense. Intentional and meaningful. Not brushed over, but savored.
Our kiss deepens, and I let go of every lingering doubt, every ounce of hesitation. This feels right, as if we’ve been circling each other for far too long, and now, finally, we’ve found our place. Right here in each other’s arms.