Page 86 of One More Time

Each heavy breath I took misted in front of my face. “I’ve never done any kind of relationship before, much less long distance. I just don’t know—”

Cal slowed to a stop and reached out for my arm. “Ty, I’ve been in a lot of shitty relationships. I’ve spent every single one of them wishing I had something like what you two have. You two are Hawk and Skippy—in a more appropriate era the Jack and Ennis. You are the great love story that——”

“You just listed characters who either died from a hate crime or never got to be together because one was married to a woman.”

My brain took that thought and ran with it. What if Hunter fell in love with a woman in Canada.

“That’s not what I meant. You two have what most people can only dream about. But you don’t have to work with an archaic timeline.”

“It’s not particularly inclusive either.”

“Oh, shush. You two can be best friends for the cameras. There have been questionable friendships in professional sports since the dawn of time.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that he’s leaving and I’m not.”

“No, but I saw that bruised, broken man with the adorable puppy eyes and those tiny little briefs—that left nothing to the imagination by the way—who wanted you and only you. For now, and forever. God, that could be a Taylor Swift line. Maybe I should call her agent. Oh, maybe I’ll tag her in a TikTok and hope she comments back!”

I burst into laughter and Cal smiled, his ridiculous rant having its desired effect.

“Ugh, I’m just waiting for the inevitable heartbreak, Cal. I’m holding on by a thread here and losing him… I don’t think I could—”

Cal squeezed my arm with sympathetic eyes. I gave him a warning glare when he held on a little too long. He only gave me a wide smile in response. “Hunter will hold onto that thread for you, that’s all I’ll say, Ty.”

And by God, did I want to believe him.

Chapter forty-seven

Hunter

Ididn’t realize I’d fallen asleep until the scent of the ocean woke me. I didn’t know how he still smelled like that after being in Boston for so long, but I wasn’t going to complain. Tyler was tucked into my neck, his soft breath tickling my skin as he dozed with one arm lightly draped over my torso. I didn’t know if that meant we were okay, but the arm over my torso claiming me was enough for me to have a sliver of hope.

As if he knew I was awake, I felt the flutter of his long lashes under my chin.

“Boston?”

My heart quickened at the sound.

“Yeah, baby?”

“I’m sorry I freaked.”

My hand found his forearm, squeezing like I’d never get the chance to hold him again.

“It’s okay. I get it.”

Tyler lifted his head, sleepy turquoise eyes meeting mine.

“No, it’s not. You had a shitty christmas and then told me this big thing, and I ran. It’s just… I’ve lost too many people in my life, and you mean a lot to me, okay? And it hurts me that I will be losing you in one hundred and nine days.”

I smiled. He was counting every second we had left together. I knew that somehow he was including the Frozen Four because there was no way in hell we wouldn’t get there. I wouldn't even entertain the thought.

“Don’t laugh at me!” he whined, and that Aussie twang popping out in his voice only made my smile widen.

“Baby, you counted.”

“Oh, like you haven’t.”

I hadn’t— because I was in denial. I also wasn’t someone to think five steps ahead. I was too busy thinking about the present—and maybe getting back on the ice. But the one thing I knew for certain was that Tyler was my here and now. Whatever the future held, that wouldn’t change. No one could put him higher on a pedestal than me, and that would always be that.

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