Chapter 20
AGE SIXTEEN
“Oh, look! There’s Orion’s Belt!” I point up, above Connor where he lays on the hood of my car.
We’ve just snuck out for probably the hundredth time.
And that’s only counting this year. I’m nearing the end of my sophomore year and it’s been the best year of my life.
My hockey team won the national championship, I scored the game winning goal, and I am so hopelessly in love with the boy lying next to me.
We still spend some of our nights up on the clock tower star gazing, but when we want a little more privacy for…
reasons, we drive out to an old bluff we discovered over the summer together.
We’ve identified every constellation there is to know, at least without a telescope, but it never gets old lying here next to him like this, looking at the stars.
“I see it!” Connor grabs my hand from above and intertwines our fingers together before laying them down beside us again.
“If that’s Orion’s Belt, the Big Dipper must be…” He uses his other hand to track the stars in the sky.
Connor pauses, his finger pointing directly at the Big Dipper, just when I think he’s about to announce that he’s spotted it, he lifts my arm up with the hand that’s holding mine and points to the group of freckles on my forearm.
“Found it! My favorite constellation.” He brings my arm to his mouth and presses featherlight kisses to each freckle. “I still can’t believe you have the Big Dipper permanently on your body. I wish I had cool freckles like you.”
I giggle and turn to my side. Leaning over, I plant a quick kiss on his lips. “You could always get a tattoo one day so we can match.”
Connor lifts up onto his elbow and rests his head on his hand. “That’s not a bad idea. When I’m eighteen, we’ll go together.”
We spend the next half hour laughing, kissing, pointing out the biggest and brightest stars until we fall into a comfortable silence. We’re both lying on our backs again, enjoying the view, when Connor takes me by surprise with his words.
“Tell me all your hopes and dreams, Aves.”
I don’t answer right away. I spend a minute or two collecting my thoughts, because to be honest, I have big dreams.
“I want to play college hockey for my hometown team, Wisconsin, and then I want to play professional hockey one day. I want to go to the Olympics. I want to be the best there ever was to play women’s hockey. And then maybe one day I’ll have a daughter and she can break all my records.”
Connor doesn’t speak right away but it’s not an awkward silence. I’ve never told anyone all that before. It’s clear to my teammates that hockey is my life, but it’s so much more than that. It’s who I am. It’s who I always want to be.
Finally, I feel Connor move next to me. I look over and see he’s on his side again, looking at me with the biggest smile on his face.
“There’s no doubt in my mind you’ll make all those dreams come true. And I’m going to do everything I can to help you get there.”
I push up off my car and wrap my arms around him, pressing my mouth against his.
Connor’s alarm goes off, signaling it’s our time to head back to school.
We both groan but slide off the hood of my car.
He follows me to the driver’s side, because I still refuse to let him drive my car, and opens my door for me.
“After you, Aves.” He leans down and gives me a slow kiss. I’m about to tell him how dreamy he is but stop when his hand makes contact with my ass.
I turn around and swat his ass back when he turns to make his way to his side of the car. “You need to do more squats, Smith. That ass is feeling a little jiggly.”
He opens his door and leans his other arm on the hood of my car. “No one will ever have a hockey butt like you, Aves. So why even try to compete?”
I shake my head and slide into the driver’s seat.
Closing the door, I put the key in the ignition.
When I reach my hand up to put the car into drive, Connor stops me with his.
I look over to see him turned my way, his head leaning against his seat.
I let go of the gear shifter and mirror his position.
“Why are you looking at me like that, Superstar?”
The nickname causes his lips to twitch and a booming laugh nearly shakes my poor, beat down car.
“God, I hate that nickname.” He reaches over and pushes a stray strand of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear.
I lean into his touch. “I know. That’s why I use it.”
Connor leans across the car and kisses me. I kiss him back and attempt to let him know exactly how I’m feeling through our kiss. He already knows, but I want him to feel how much he means to me.
We finally pull apart, and Connor leans against the headrest of his seat again.
“I’m going to ask you to marry me one day, Avery Chamberlin. And I can’t wait to hear you say the word ‘yes.’”