Page 145 of Never You

“I will get you down here, Rae. Don’t make me.” It’s a clear statement, one that’s accompanied by a lopsided grin, but I cross my arms in front of my body, giving him a defiant glare, not sure how I feel right now.

Excited to see him.

Horrified to see him.

Hopeful, watching his smile.

Scared I’m wrong again.

“Just take the grand gesture, Rae,” Charlotte whispers in my ear. “You know he’s not going to take no for an answer anyway.” I twist my head toward her.

“I married an asshole, remember.” She winks.

I know she’s right. Jensen doesn’t half-ass anything. He goes straight for the win, without any apologies. Collateral be damned. I already knew that about him, but I guess I never fully understood how far he’ll go if he’s really set his eyes on something. He didn’t just join my road trip, he hijacked it. He didn’t take my heart when I offered, he stole it when I wasn’t looking.

“Not a chance, asshole,” I bellow at the ice, pursing my lips.

Chuckles escape from the crowd, and Jensen breaks out in laughter as he gets off the ice through the bench.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” He points his finger at me, then his eyes find Bodi’s.

“Get her down here, McKay.”

“You got it!” Bodi jumps up, his focus on the people in the rows below us. “You heard the man. We need the girl down.”

Before I realize what’s happening, Bodi scoops me into his arms, and I let out a screech.

“Bodi McKay, you little fucking liar! Put me down!”

“Sorry, Goldilocks.” I’m still scowling when I’m placed into the arms of the first man in the row below us, and I give Bodi a panicked glance.

“Bodi!” I hiss, but my attempts are useless. Within five seconds, I’m being carried from man to man like I’m the object in some relay race until the last man drops me right in front of the man who gave out the command.

Instantly, I’m mesmerized by his deep blue eyes, unable to say a word or even breathe.

“Hey, baby.” He smirks.

I frown, folding my arms in front of my body like a moody toddler.

“I’m not yourbaby.”

He pulls the front of my sweater, tugging me against his chest. Sucking in his fresh scent feels like coming home, and I have a hard time not burying my face against his body.

“Fuck it.” It’s just two words, but hope swells in my chest when they reach my ears. For us, they hold a deeper meaning. They hold an answer for the questions we don’t want to address, but I know I have to. I know I could assume, and I can’t ignore it if I want to take the fear away.

“You broke up with Emily?” I ask, cautiously.

He nods. “Fuck it.”

“Your parents?”

He smiles. “Fuck it.”

“You don’t want to live on the East Coast?”

“I want to be where you are.” He brings his lips closer, brushing his nose against mine as he holds onto my sweater, pressing me against his body with his other hand.

“You do?” I can see the affection dripping from his eyes, and slowly, it feels like my heart heals just looking at him.

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