Chapter 14
She's watching me from the bench.
I take another shot, pretending not to notice. Pretending my whole body doesn't automatically orient toward her like a compass finding north. Like my dick isn’t pointing straight at her like she’s the chosen one.
"Well, look who finally remembered she has a boyfriend." I keep my voice casual like I haven't been checking my phone for days. Like I haven’t been able to breathe without her near.
"Thought you could use some support." She stands at the edge of the ice, perfect in her oversized sweater and leggings. "Patricia says you're quite the liability these days. They ran a background check on you."
I take another shot. The puck hits the net with too much force. "That’s what the background check told her, huh?"
"Among other things." She steps onto the ice carefully with no skates. "Apparently you're dangerous. A bad influence. No good for a senator's daughter."
Something in her tone makes me look at her. "Is that what you think?"
"I think..." She slides a little, and I catch her automatically. "I think everyone's so busy warning me about the big bad enforcer, they forgot to notice something important."
My hands stay on her waist longer than necessary. "Yeah? What's that?"
"That maybe I like dangerous." Her eyes meet mine, something honest and raw in them. "Maybe I've never felt safer than when I'm with the guy everyone says I should be afraid of."
Fuck.
"Kennedy..."
"I know." She steadies herself but doesn't step back. "You've got the combine coming up. The draft. All these expectations. I know we're supposed to be pretending. But Knox..." Her hand comes up to my chest, right over my heart. "I don't want to pretend anymore."
Before I can process that – before I can remember all the reasons this is a bad idea – Ace's voice cuts through the moment.
"There you are!" He appears at the bench, eyes narrowing at our position. "Coach wants to go over plays before tomorrow's game."
I release Kennedy like she burns. The disappointment on Ace's face tells me he remembers my drunk confession.
"Right." I skate back, putting distance between us. "Give me five minutes."
"Actually..." Kennedy reaches into her bag. "I have something for you first."
She pulls out a tiny handmade envelope, sealed with her signature green wax.
"What's this?"
"Good luck." She presses it into my hand. "But you can only open it if you win the game tomorrow."
"And if we lose?"
Something dangerous flashes in her eyes. "Then I guess you'll never know what it says."
She leaves us both watching her go, that damn envelope burning a hole in my palm.
"Thought you were staying away from her," Ace says quietly.
"Trying to." I shove the envelope in my pocket. "Not doing a great job."
Twenty-four hours later, I'm in the zone. Providence is a tough team, but something about that unopened note has me playing like I've got something to prove.
No fights. No penalties. Just pure skill and controlled power. Even Coach looks impressed.
"Whatever's got you focused," Coach says between periods, "keep it up. Scouts are loving this new style."
But it's not about the scouts. It's about green eyes and honest words and whatever truth is waiting in that envelope.
We win 3-0. My first shutout game of the season.
The team wants to celebrate at Kappa Pi, but I've got more important things to handle. Like the note burning a hole in my gear bag.
"Go ahead," I tell them in the locker room. "I'll catch up."
The envelope contains a single line in Kennedy's elegant handwriting.
My room. One hour. Don't keep me waiting.
My hands actually shake as I drive to her dorm. The whole way there, I tell myself to turn around. Remember why we can't do this. Remember all the reasons I pushed her away.
But I'm tired of remembering.
Tired of fighting this.
Tired of pretending.
Her dorm is quiet when I let myself in with the key she gave me weeks ago. "For emergencies," she'd said with that wicked smile.
This feels like an emergency.
I find her in her bedroom, but not how I expected. She's curled up on her bed, fast asleep in one of my practice jerseys, textbook open beside her.
Something in my chest cracks wide open.
Because this isn't seduction or games or pretense. This is just... Kennedy. Vulnerable and real and trusted me enough to fall asleep waiting.
I should wake her. Should talk about whatever she wanted to say. Should figure out what we are to each other now.
Instead, I carefully move her textbook and lie down beside her. She immediately curls into me, like her body knows mine even in sleep.
"Mm." She nuzzles my chest without waking. "Knox?"
"Sleep, Princess." I press a kiss to her hair. "I'm here."
And for the first time since the gala, since my father's threats, since all of it – I let myself admit the truth.
I'm not going anywhere.