Page 91 of Becoming Selfish

“I didn’t want to wait.” He turns to kiss my collarbone, where my tattoo is inked. “You’re wearing my shirt,” he adds as he hovers his head a few inches from me, eyeing my choice of pajamas.

I’m glad the room is dark right now, so he can’t see the redness creeping up my cheeks. I know he left it for me, but I don’t know if he expected that I’d actually wear it.

“Did you wear it all week?” He turns his head to look at me. The glow from the window allows just enough light for me to see Eli’s flawless face. His eyes are soft as they search mine, waiting for an answer.

I nod my head in response.

He tries to hold back the shit-eating grin creeping across his face, but he fails miserably. His eyes wander from my lips to my eyes and back again before pressing his mouth to mine. It’s warm and soft, and I’ve missed him so much.

“Fuck, I missed you,” Eli says as he pulls away to rest his forehead on mine, keeping his eyes closed.

“Me too.”

He lets out a sigh of satisfaction as he hides his face back into my neck, breathing in deeply.

“You smell so good. I’ve been around disgusting hockey dudes all week. You have no idea how good you smell right now.”

Continuing to stroke his hair, I hold him with my other arm as his breathing slows and steadies. I mean, I hold him as much as I can. He’s a big guy, and even though I’m tall, my arm still doesn’t wrap all the way around him.

“You’re going to meet my parents tomorrow,” Eli reminds me in an almost sedated voice. I can tell he’s getting close to drifting off to sleep.

“I know,” I whisper.

I’m looking forward to meeting Eli and Marc’s parents tomorrow. I’ve been looking forward to it since Marc and I first became friends when he told me just how close his family of four was, but I’m definitely more nervous now that Eli and I are involved. I hope they like me because I know how important their sons are to them, and I want them to know how much their boys mean to me. Both of them— the one who’s my best friend and the one who’s currently sound asleep in my arms.

Chapter 55

Logan

“What are you supposed to wear to a hockey game?” Ali asks as she bursts into my room to check herself out in my full-length mirror.

“I don’t know. I’ve never been to one, but I would assume something warmer than that.” I tilt my head, internally questioning her choice of wearing a crop top to an ice rink.

“Well, you look nice,” she compliments as she catches my reflection in the mirror behind her.

I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to wear, but I want to look somewhat put together when I meet Marc and Eli’s parents. I opted for a maroon mock neck sweater with my tight black jeans, layered with my camel-colored duster jacket. I was going to pull my Vans on but thought I should look a little nicer, so I settled on my black ankle boots. I don’t have any school gear, so I’m hoping the maroon of my shirt is enough.

“You nervous?” Ali asks as I follow her back into her dorm to change.

“A little.” I pull a cream-colored sweater from her closet and hand it to her to switch into. She pulls off her crop top and swaps it for the sweater, looking much more prepared to sit around an ice rink for a couple of hours.

“Don’t be,” she reassures. “They’re going to love you. Both of their boys adore you, so I’m sure they will be too.”

“Thanks, Ali.” I give my friend an appreciative smile. “But they’re going to love me less if I miss their son’s first game. So, let’s go. We’re running late.” I grab her purse off the desk and open her door, urgently ushering her out.

Marc was right. The arena is packed already. I knew we were running a little behind, but we’re still here twenty minutes before the puck drop. A crowd of deep red and gold swarms around us as we try to enter the rink, and I can’t believe how many people are here already. This town truly is all about their hockey.

A few random spots of purple catch my eye in the crowd, but the sea of maroon and gold engulfs the Northeastern fans.

“Do you see Marc?” Ali asks as her little body dips around, standing on her tiptoes, trying to find our friend.

“I don’t,” I tell her, having a much easier time seeing into the crowd due to my height. Marc had texted me the location of his seats, but I can’t seem to find him in the audience. “Let’s just sit up there.” I point to a pair of seats that are somewhat close to us and not in the rowdy student section, though they are next to it.

The seats around us quickly fill as more and more Minnesota fans enter the arena. I’m still shocked that this many people would come to a college preseason game. I’m quickly starting to grasp the pressure Eli feels by not only being on this team and being their star player, but also their captain.

“Is Maddison number thirteen?” Ali asks.

“Yeah, he is. How’d you know?”

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