Page 147 of Never You

“I’m planning on it.”

When Hunter told me Karl Mitchels wanted me to join the Hurricanes next season, I was hesitant, because I always said I didn’t want to play on an East Coast team.

But Rae changed it all. She forced me to look beyond my comfort zone and pushed me to make choices I had been ignoring for as long as possible. I expected to feel empty when I’d tell my family to fuck off, but after realizing Finn and Della were on my side, I’ve never felt better.

Telling my mother how I was going to do what I wanted from now on didn’t gut me inside. It gave me a sense of relief. Like the world was lifted from my shoulders. She still keeps calling me every single day, sending hateful text messages to all three of us, but I don’t care anymore. I just laugh about it.

She can’t touch me.

“Alright,” he says, tapping the wood of the bench, “I gotta get my wife home. Let’s grab a beer when you’re all settled into your new place.”

“Yeah, let’s do that.” He offers me his fist, and I bump mine against it before he leaves the locker room, leaving me alone with my new teammates.

I get dressed while the other players praise my actions on the ice tonight, brightening my mood even more. And five minutes later, I walk into the hallway to find my girl. I don’t have to look far, because when I turn around the corner holding my sports bag, there she is.

Her back is pressed against the wall, her blonde hair covering most of her face while she glances at her phone. Releasing a content sigh, I close the distance between us with a smirk on my face. When I’m almost there, she looks up, our gazes colliding, making my heart race with a passion I have only ever experienced when she’s in front of me.

I drop my bag, and she launches herself at my chest, wrapping her legs around my waist like a damn koala. Her lips find mine in a breathtaking kiss before she presses her forehead against mine.

“Hey,” she speaks.

“Hey.”

“Is this real?”

I hold her tight against my body, almost crushing her into my chest. “As real as it’s about to get, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”

She pulls back, staring at me with her sparkling eyes.

“Your siblings are okay with all this?”

“Never been better. I wasn’t the only one ready to tell my parents to fuck off.” I snicker.

“What about the elections?”

I shake my head. “Not my problem.”

I hope my father wins. I’ll vote for him. I’ll even go to the election events with Rae on my arm if my parents ask me to, but I’m no longer going to be part of their campaign. I’m no longer going to be who they want me to be.

“What about yourgirlfriend?” Her brows are skeptically pinched together.

She looks cute as fuck.

“You’re my girlfriend.”

Her eyes narrow. “Jensen.”

“I told her it was over, right after I pulled my sister out of the house, and told my mother she could go fuck herself.”

Her lashes flutter like they are about to take off. “You did not.”

“I did.” Okay, maybe not with those exact words, but the message was the same. My mother was livid. Emily was heartbroken, mostly because my mother had been feeding her lies for a week, telling her we’d be back together as soon as I got to New York. If I never went on that road trip, I probably would’ve taken the path of the least resistance and lived up to that lie.

But Rae burst that bubble and stole my heart. There is no fucking way I can ever pretend otherwise.

“And she was okay with that?”

“Emily gave less resistance than I expected, to be honest. I guess she already knew our relationship was based on a lie. My mother, on the other hand? Not so much.” Her long list of vile text messages and voicemails are proof enough.

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