Chapter 25
Twenty-Five
“Now that’s a jersey moment.” Darby nudges me as we walk out of the locker room, freshly showered and still buzzing with excitement, as we spot my family waiting with Maverick.
I bite my lip and smirk. “Yes, it is.”
“No wonder you dominated out there.” She grins.
“Yeah, I’ll have to fill you and Sy in on everything later.”
Mav notices us staring and gives me that sexy smirk of his. My core clenches, and I stop myself from running my fingers along my lips again.
A one-second kiss that I’m still feeling two hours later.
Darby taps my arm, wearing a knowing expression. “I don’t think you heard anything I’ve said in the last twenty seconds, but I love you. Text me later.”
“Okay,” I respond, pulling myself from my Maverick haze.
Pure giddiness carries me over to them.
My dad immediately pulls me into a hug. “So damn proud of you. There’s no way you’re not taking them to the Final Four this year playing like that.”
I smile, hoping he’s right as I kiss my mom on the cheek. But really, I’m aiming for the National Championship.
“Shay, did you see Mav’s wearing your jersey?” Joey asks me, and Maverick smiles proudly from where he stands behind him, pushing his wheelchair.
“I did see that. Who do you think wore it better?” I grin teasingly.
Joey’s lips twist, considering his answer. “Sorry, Sis,” he says and tilts his head up to look back at Maverick.
I throw my hands up playfully. “What about the twenty-one points I had tonight?”
Mav’s laughter seeps into my bones, and I love the way my brother looks up at him, so happy he’s the one putting that smile on his face.
Me too, buddy. I get the feeling, completely.
“Joey’s just telling it like it is, Point Guard.” Maverick chuckles, squeezing Joey’s shoulder.
“I mean, it’s not every day you see a big ol’ hockey player wearing a women’s basketball jersey, so he gets extra points for that.” My mom smiles over at him before turning to give me a knowing look.
It says… I told you he was special; you should’ve listened to me three years ago. But I love you, sweetie.
Mav slings his arm around my mom’s shoulder. “And just think, I have you to be grateful to for giving me her number freshman year.”
My dad’s face morphs. “You did what?”
The “oh shit” expression from Maverick almost sends me into a laughing fit.
“Come on, honey. I’ll explain in the car. Let’s get Joey home,” my mom says, patting my dad’s arm. Not worried about him in the slightest.
We say our goodbyes to my family and make a promise to Joey to get him out to the ranch soon.
“So, your place or mine?” Mav asks as soon as they are out of earshot.
“Very presumptuous of you, sir.”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight again until I know everything you’re feeling and thinking,” he says, stepping into me. He traces my jawline with the pad of his finger. “So, your place or mine?”
“Yours,” I whisper.
“I know we have a lot to talk about, but I have something I want to show you,” Maverick says as we walk into his room.
He opens the top drawer of his desk and pulls out a folded piece of paper. Nodding for me to sit on his bed, he hands it to me.
My fingertips run along my name written on the outside before I open it.
I woke up like a kid on Christmas morning because you and Joey are coming to visit today. I’ve finally made up my mind that you need to know how I feel… How I’ve felt for the past three years.
When your mom gave me your number all those years ago, there was an inexplainable connection immediately.
Of course, back then, I passed it off as you being this gorgeous, badass ballplayer.
But then the first time I saw you, I knew there was something else to it, like…
(here’s where it gets corny) … like we were meant to meet, meant to be more than friends.
It kinda terrified me at first. I had never had those types of feelings for any girl. But by the time I’d come to terms with it, you were already falling for someone else, and I’d been placed firmly in the friendzone.
I’ve tried to pretend to be okay with that over the years, but I don’t think I can anymore, Shay. I want you more than I want hockey, more than I want my next breath.
But I also want you to be cherished and adored like you deserve to be. Like I know I would with every breath I take.
Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but sometimes I think I see it in your eyes too.
The desire. The want. The need.
The…unexplainable more.
And while I love being your friend…I want so much more.
P.S. There’s only one other girl I write to, and I know she’d love you.
Emotion clogs my throat when I ask, “When did you write this?”
He moves to sit beside me. “The last time you guys came to the ranch before Joey’s accident.”
“Why didn’t you give it to me?” I ask, wishing so badly I could rewind the clock.
“Because that was the day you were optimistic about Jordan after he had surprised you on your family trip. And it just felt very selfish of me to put you in that position.”
“Like I did to you yesterday.” My head falls, shame washing over me.
He picks my chin up. “Hey, hey, don’t do that. I should’ve been as brave as you.”
“No, I should’ve told you how I felt freshman year. Even after I saw you with Jordan. Once I realized you were a part of my every waking thought, from sunup to sundown. I knew in my heart that I could commit to the promise your dad asked of us, and I should’ve told you how I felt.”
“What promise to my dad?”
“That first night, he told us, freshman year, that if anyone wanted to date his daughter, they better make sure it’s their last first date. His words stuck with me all those years… I’ve just been waiting for my shot,” I say, grabbing her hands in mine.
Happy tears well in my eyes. “Oh, Mav, you’ve been so patient. I could barely stand seeing you with someone else. My heart hurts just thinking about you feeling like this all these years.”
“It’s okay. We’re here now. I’m just glad you’ve finally caught up…” He gives me a pointed yet playful look. “You have caught up, right?”
My smile widens. “One hundred and ten percent.” I run my fingers over my numbers on his jersey again, still so in awe of him tonight.
“You were like a sneak play, Maverick Leblanc. Every single one of my feelings for you snuck up on me, and now it’s like I’m rewinding the past three years, seeing all that you are and everything you’ve been to me in a totally different light. ”
Maverick closes the last bit of distance between us, pressing his lips to mine. It only takes me a split second to catch up.
Opening my mouth for him, I melt into his lips, his hands, his body.
Inhaling the cinnamon. My favorite flavor.
His fingers tangle in the back of my hair, and we both share a moan when the angle deepens our kiss.
Butterflies take flight as I allow my hands to roam. Exploring, touching, and relishing every part of him I can in this moment.
If I thought the quick kiss we shared earlier left a permanent mark, this one feels like it’s scorching into my soul.
And now I know without a doubt, anything I experienced before could never compare to this. This is what I’ve been waiting for. This is what I’ve always wanted…needed.
Maverick pulls back, pressing his forehead to mine, both our chests rising and falling rapidly.
I smile, gently shaking my head as it rests against his. “That was…” Honestly, I have no words that can truly describe what I’m feeling right now.
“Amazing, I hope?” Mav asks tentatively.
“Yes, but that word doesn’t even do it justice.”
He lets out a relieved breath and presses another gentle kiss on my lips.
“I think deep down I always knew it, but I tucked it away. Scared of what it meant for the reality I was living at the time.”
Maverick pushes a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I want you to know, I’m all in. I’m going to do my best to take this slow, but I’ve wanted this for so long.”
I don’t want slow. I want it all.
“I’m all in, too. I’m yours, Mav.”
“Mine,” he whispers, interlacing our fingers, and the emotion in his voice makes my stomach flutter all over again.
“Will you stay tonight? I want to wake up beside you with the immediate reminder that you want me too.”
I nod, making a promise to myself right then to make sure this man never doubts how much I want him.
I pick up the letter that’s been discarded next to us. “Can I keep this?”
He smiles. “Of course. I’ll write you more.”
I bite my lip, feeling like I’m in a dream. This man is making giddiness my whole personality today. “I’d love that.”
The P.S. at the bottom of the note snags my attention again. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” he says, resting his head on my shoulder, looking at the letter.
“Were you talking about Jules?”
I feel him smile. “Yeah.”
“I love that you write to her.”
He stands, moving back over to his desk, and picks up a journal. “Bellamy gave me and Cash one of these the first summer she came to live with us. Jules had only been gone about a year and a half then, and neither of us were coping well.”
“They were intended to write memories in so we can always remember her, but somewhere along the way, I started writing notes to her.” He smiles fondly.
This sweet man.
“She knows all about you.” Maverick pats the journal like it holds all his secrets.
“Hopefully, only good things,” I tease.
“Mostly.” He smirks and moves back to stand in front of me.
Running his finger across the collar of my hoodie, he says, “Let’s get comfortable and watch a movie.”
I want his hands back on me.
“I’ll have to borrow a shirt,” I say, breathier than intended.
He raises his eyebrows suggestively. “Even better. I think it’s about time you wore my numbers.” Reaching into a drawer, he pulls out one of the Mountain Ridge Athletics shirts with number 23 etched on it.
Then he tosses me a pair of baggy shorts. “Maybe these too. I ain’t no saint, Little Moore.”
We share a heated look, both of us clearly wanting to go further than we will just yet.
I’ll let him be the good guy tonight.