Chapter Twenty-Nine
Through my heavy sleep, I hear the phone buzzing on my nightstand.
It’s Saturday morning, and I’m dead tired from getting home so late last night from girls’ night.
We stayed way too long at dinner, then we danced for hours.
Of course, I checked my phone for game highlights whenever I had the chance.
To my relief, there was no fight between Ethan and Aiden.
The last time I remember looking at the clock was around three before I climbed into bed.
UGH.
I groggily open one eye and reach for it. It’s five-thirty in the morning. And the message is from Aiden. My eyes flip all the way open and I tap on it to read:
I’m home, baby. I freaking miss you and want to come upstairs and sleep with you.
I blink. Did I read that right?
Brooks is typing …
If you’re reading this, I’m at the visitors’ entrance.
Oh, I love this man so much!
I quickly text him back that I’m letting him up right now and will see him in a few minutes.
I flip back the covers, run to the bathroom, then quickly swish my mouth with mouthwash and run a brush through my hair.
I check my reflection again. I look tired—there’s no avoiding the dark circles under my eyes—but I also look happy.
When I see the goofy, love-struck smile on my face, I laugh at myself. I’m so in love with Aiden it’s insane.
And it’s the best thing ever.
There’s a rap on my door, and my heart skips happily inside my chest. I eagerly hurry toward it, quickly pulling it open. As soon as I see Aiden standing before me, I reach for him, throwing my arms around him and burying my face in his neck.
He drops his duffel bag in the hallway, his hands spanning my back.
“I’m so glad you’re home,” I murmur.
His lips find the top of my head, pressing a kiss onto it. “I’m so glad to be home,” he says into my hair.
I move back from him, and he picks up his bag and steps into my living room, shutting the door behind him.
Aiden’s eyes skim over my red tank top and red plaid shorts with a ribbon bow.
He reaches for my hips, pulling me to him.
“Don’t you look like a present?” he says, his voice low as his lips find mine.
I chuckle against his mouth, and I feel his lips curve up into that smile I love so much.
We kiss again, and then Aiden looks down at me, running one hand over my hair.
“Come on, let’s climb into bed. I’ll unwrap this gift later, after some sleep,” he declares, dropping his hand to the ribbon tied on my waistband and teasingly slipping a finger underneath it, brushing it slowly against my skin.
I shiver. Sleeping is the last thing on my mind when he touches me like this, but I nod. I’m tired, and he’s got to be exhausted, too. He played a game. Took a flight from Las Vegas to Miami in the early hours of the morning, then drove straight from the airport to be with me.
Because he missed me.
Because he considers me home.
“Okay,” I say, nodding at him. I take his hand and lead him back to my bedroom.
He sets his bag on the ground, and I go over to my bed, climbing under the covers once again.
I watch Aiden, waiting for him to strip off his sneakers and sweatpants, but he doesn’t.
The first thing he does is move over to the chinchilla cage, softly talking to Mochi and Matcha.
My love for Aiden grows as I watch him. I remember on the first night we talked, how before he even said a word to me, I knew he was an animal lover from the care he put into his auction basket.
Now Aiden is exhausted, he needs to sleep, but he has to greet my chinchillas before he does anything else.
“I can’t get over how cute they are,” he says, turning over his shoulder and smiling at me.
“Come to bed. They’ll still be cute when you wake up,” I promise.
He flashes me a sheepish smile. “Fair point.”
Aiden slips out of his shoes, followed by his sweatpants.
I drink in the view as he pulls off his T-shirt, revealing that beautiful, pale, un-inked skin that is completely cut and chiseled.
From his sculpted shoulders to his powerful biceps, through the blue hue of the veins running through his arms, Aiden is the most breathtaking man I’ve ever seen.
His legs are muscled and strong, built by skating.
He’s wearing nothing but black boxer-briefs, and I’m eager for him to climb into bed next to me.
Aiden comes over to the other side of the bed, sliding underneath my duvet. The first thing he does is slip his hand underneath my camisole, wrapping it around my abdomen and drawing my body closer, so my back is pressed against his chest.
“That’s better,” I say sleepily.
“You’re so warm,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss between my neck and shoulder. “I love feeling your body against mine.”
I melt into him, wrapping myself up in his heat, his scent, his body.
“Scarlett?”
“Hm?”
“I know you can’t be my date for the Manatees family skate next week,” Aiden says quietly. “But I want you to know the entire time we’re there, I’ll be wishing I was with you as your boyfriend.”
I roll over so I’m facing him.
“I just wanted you to know that,” he says.
“I know,” I say, reaching up and touching his face with my hand. He hasn’t shaved, and his stubble feels thick against my palm. “I want to be with you like that, too.”
He reaches for my hand and presses a kiss into my palm. “When do we do this, Scarlett? When do we talk to your parents? I know we talked about doing it around Christmas, but we never set an official date.”
“Christmas Day,” I say. “I think hard launching on Christmas Day makes a very serious statement.”
Aiden stares at me, entwining his fingers with mine and drawing my hand to his chest. “Okay,” he says softly. “We tell your parents on Christmas.”
I nod. “Yes.”
“You’re sure? We can’t undo it once we say it.”
I stare into his earnest face. Aiden’s heart is in his eyes. He wants to make sure I’m ready for the storm that could be headed our way once we announce we’re together.
“Are you?” I ask, squeezing his hand. “You’re the one who is going to be hurt the most by this. You … you could be playing somewhere else.”
“I know. And as long as I know you’ll still be mine, I’ll deal with it.”
Then, as if to make sure I understand, he kisses me. Softly. Gently. Tenderly.
Telling me without any words at all how much he loves me and how much he’s willing to sacrifice for me.
“So we’re doing this,” he says as he pulls back.
“We are.”
As we melt into another kiss, I know we’re right.
About being together.
And about telling the world about us, too.
* * *
I lace up my skates and look around the arena.
It’s the night of the Manatees family skate, and the arena has been done up with a Christmas vibe.
“Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses is blaring through the speakers.
A roaring fire appears on every video screen.
There’s even Santa, flanked by mini palm trees and fake flamingos wearing Santa hats, posing for pictures with team personnel and players’ families.
I hit the ice, skating around the rink. I’ve always loved skating, and every time I come back to it, I chastise myself for not doing it more often. I love the cold air hitting my face. The feeling of floating on air, the sensation of gliding, the exhilaration of it.
I turn and look in the arena seats right behind the home bench. Then I see him. Aiden is sitting with Wyatt, and they are lacing up their skates next to each other.
My heart skips a beat as I watch him. We agreed we would throw people off by making comments that would lead anyone to think we are nothing more than mere acquaintances via the Manatees. I’m going to talk to Aiden when it seems convenient to do so.
Then he will leave first, I will leave a half hour after him, and we’ll meet back at his place.
And by next week, this part of our relationship will be over. The truth will be out, and people can judge us as they see fit.
I continue to skate around. I see Beckham and Georgie coming down the steps, and my old friend anxiety returns. Will Georgie forgive me for lying to her? Concealing the truth? Will Hadleigh? Will I lose my entire new circle of friends?
But as I look around the arena, at happy couples skating together and holding hands, I know it’s the right thing to do. We have nothing to be ashamed of. I’m proud to be Aiden’s girlfriend. Next year, I want to be holding his hand in mine at this very skate. Kissing him.
Loving him.
I skate around one more time and position myself in a spot next to the boards where I know Aiden will pass by.
It will be logical for us to talk briefly at this event.
I’ve already talked with the captain, David Dewitt, and his wife, Megan.
I’ve chatted with the goalie and his girlfriend, and another defenseman and his partner.
It will not look unusual for me to wait for Aiden to skate by.
I watch with anticipation as he hits the ice with Wyatt, first stopping to talk to my mom and dad.
Wyatt lingers a bit, but Aiden begins to nonchalantly skate around the rink, stopping to talk with other players, and finally he stops next to me at the boards.
“Hey, Scarlett,” he says, smiling down at me.
“Hey, Aiden,” I say.
UGH, this is so weird!
“Are you having fun?” he asks casually as some players with kids skate by.
“Nope.”
He chuckles, and a genuine smile flickers over his features. “Me either.”
Nobody is near us for a moment, and he clears his throat. “Next year,” he says softly, his eyes flashing with determination, “it will be different.”
“I know.”
“Hold on to that,” he says. Then he skates away, even though I know that is the last thing in the world he wants to do.
Next year it will be different, I repeat in my head.
I begin to skate again, going out to the middle of the ice in the opposite direction of Aiden.
I know Aiden is right.
The thing is, I don’t know how it will be different.
I look over at my dad, who is now talking to Georgie and Beckham. He doesn’t know it yet, but he will hold Aiden’s future in his hands on Christmas Day.
Which means he is holding mine, too.
And I don’t know how much—if any—control I will have over what my dad will do about it.