Page 63 of The Roommate Remodel

She looks at her plate. “I forgive you. I just want to know why.” Then she glances up at me slowly. “Was it another woman?”

I can’t believe she’d even question that. “No,” I snap. “There’s been no one else. Not since you.”And that’s because I can’t get over you.

Her eyes stay pinned on me as an uncomfortable silence settles between us.

“Anything else you want to know while you’re interrogating me?” I ask.

She plays with her fork, rolling it between her fingers. “So you weren’t looking for a girlfriend, just a date for the night?”

“Before the wedding, I’d already decided on not dating for awhile. But then you showed up. Despite my sister’s warning, I couldn’t turn away. I had every intention of contacting you afterward.”

“But then you didn’t. Was the kiss that forgettable?”

“Jaz,” I say firmly. “It was the best kiss I’ve ever had.”

She blinks like she doesn’t believe me. “Did you forget about me?”

I shake my head and put down my fork. “I just admitted it was the best kiss ever. How could I forgetthat?”

That’s like forgetting how to skate. How to hit the puck. How to play the game I’ve practiced almost every day since I could stay upright on the ice.I could never forget her.

“There’s a difference between forgetting a person and a kiss, Brax.”

The hurt in her eyes makes my stomach clench. I can’t believe I did this to her.

“That’s what I meant,” I explain. “I never forgotyou.”

I can tell by her look that she doesn’t believe me.

“You told me how much it hurt to not have your family around anymore, how you needed someone reliable. Someone who would be there for you,” I remind her. “All I could think was how I’m a hockey player who travels for a living. I thought the distance would be too hard.”

Her eyes narrow. “Long-distance dating isn’t impossible.”

“But that’s not what you want, right? A long-distance relationship with someone who’s always on the road? I know it sounds easy, but take it from me. It’sanythingbut easy.”

“Oh, right. Because you’ve had loads of women over the years,” she says with a trace of sarcasm.

“Where did you get that information?”

“Nobody,” she says, then glances away. “I assumed.”

“Well, you assumed wrong. In the last five years, I’ve only dated two girls. So I’m actually pretty rusty at this dating thing.”

“You don’t seem rusty,” she says, giving me a quick look. “You certainly haven’t lost your charm.”

“Is that a compliment?” I shoot a glance at her.

“Don’t get a big ego, Mac,” she warns.

“After the last breakup with another girl, I swore I was going to stay single. Remember Felipe, the guy who injured my shoulder? He’s dating her now. That’s why I wasn’t looking for a date at the wedding.”

Her mouth drops. “She started dating him after you?”

“Not exactly. They started dating while we were still together. It’s part of the reason he has it out for me. She cheated on me with him. He’s hated me ever since.”

“But you didn’t do anything,” she says, defending me.

“Tell me about it. But he doesn’t care. The fact I dated his girlfriend once is the reason he hates my guts. He told me once it’s his goal to give me a career-ending injury.”

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