Page 7 of What If We Do

Me:Looking forward to it. Oh, should I come up with a meeting spot or something at the airport?

Scarlett:Oh. Ummmm *smirk emoji* I don’t think that will be necessary.

Me:Okay…

Scarlett:Trust me. You’ll know who I am. I promise.

Me:I trust you. *wink emoji* Have a great flight! I’ll see you on Saturday.

I close out of my app and shove my phone back in my pocket.

“So, it’s done?”

I nod to an excited Ledger. “It’s done. Picking her up from the airport on Saturday.”

He gives himself an appreciative nod. “Fuckin’ right. I just set up my cousin with my best friend.”

“For the record,” I remind him, “This is the first and only time I’ll allow it because it’s not really a set up. It’s more like…me doing you a favor.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He laughs. “Call it what you want. I’ll just call it now. Y’all are gettin’ hitched.”

“Fuck you, dude.”

Chapter 3

Oliver

Last night’s game was a total shit show and I’ve been bitter about it since I left the arena. Not only did the Gators play a rough game, but I also played like shit and that’s not like me. My mind wandered a little too much and my focus got away from the puck. My teammates have every right to be pissed at me, but some of them didn’t play very well either. Harrison had five or six turnovers throughout the night, August was checked into the wall and got a bloody nose when a fight ensued, and Bear let three pucks into the net.

Like I said, shit show.

But it’s over now and the best thing we can do is let the loss roll off our backs and move forward, vowing to never let those same mistakes happen again. The team left last night to fly back home before our games in Chicago, so that leaves me here to have a fun couple of days off. Once I figure out where I need to park at the airport, I head inside to wait for Scarlett to arrive.

“Eleven-seventeen. Sunshine Airlines Gate B.” I read the message on my Apple watch one more time so I’m sure to get it right. I texted Scarlett earlier today to let her know what I’m wearing, black pants and a green Henley top, so she can find me. I’m able to watch the plane pull in so I know she made it, but what I’m not ready for is the sight before my eyes a little over ten minutes later when she’s walking toward me down the terminal. Her satiny red hair in ringlets clipped behind her head, she has the face of an angel. She doesn’t wear a ton of makeup, which I like. It leaves room for those freckles I noticed before, which look even cuter in real life, and her goofy grin as she practically skips to me makes me beam right back at the beautiful stranger.

“You must be Oliver.”

“And you must be Scarlett.”

“What gave me away?” She twirls in front of me and I’m not sure if I should laugh or tell her how goddamn sexy she looks right now.

“That’s uh…quite the airplane wardrobe you chose, huh?”

“Do you like it?”

“Of course. I mean, you look…” My eyes dart up and down her curvy body as she stands before me in a rather expensive-looking wedding dress made up of tiers of gathered ruffles on the bottom and a sleeveless deep V-neck adorned with sparkling beads and pearls on top. “Pardon me for saying, but you look sexy as hell in this dress.”

Her eyes light up at my compliment. “You really think so?”

I nearly scoff because fuck, I have to focus on not drooling just looking at her. Swiping my hand down my face, I linger at my chin as I nod. “Uh, yeah. I do. This was to be your wedding dress?”

“Yep,” she says with a pop to the P. “And now it’s nothing but trash.”

My brows peak. “What?”

“Yeah. The dress is shit to me now. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and when I put it on, I felt like I was legit royalty,” she sighs in a huff and then shrugs. “But now. Fuck it. His money paid for it and I’ll never get to wear it ever again, so I’m wearing it today and we’re going to trash it together.”

“What? Trash it? Are you insane?”

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