Page 26 of Penalty for Boarding

“I didn’t choose my job. I chose you. Of course I chose you.”

He stiffens, pulling back to look at me. “You quit? Your career? Everything you've worked for?”

“I did.” My chin lifts defiantly even as tears spill down my cheeks. “And I'd do it again. I’d do it a hundred times if it means I get to keep you.”

“Liv.” He lifts his hand to cup my cheek, brushing away my tears with his thumb. “No, you have to call them. Tell them you changed your mind or?—”

“Are you kidding me?” I cut him off. “You're the one who needs to callyourteam. The playoffs, Calvin! Your contract?—”

“Olivia—”

“No, listen to me.” I grab his shirt, fisting the material. “The Nighthawks are skating straight to the Stanley Cup. You can't throw that away. Not for me. I won't let you give up your career?—”

“You won't let me?” His eyes flash. “Like you didn't just do the exact same thing?”

“That's different?—”

“How?” His hands frame my face, forcing me to meet his gaze. “How is it any different?”

“Because...” My voice breaks. “Because you're Calvin Barrett. You're a star, a legend. And I'm just?—”

“The woman I love.” His voice is rough with emotion. “The only thing that matters. The rest is just... noise.”

“But the cup?—”

“Fuck the Stanley Cup.” He pulls me closer, his forehead resting against mine. “Fuck everything that isn't this. That isn't us.”

“Calvin...”

“No.” He cuts off my protest with a fierce kiss that steals my breath and melts my resistance. When he pulls back, his eyes are burning with need. “Fuck, I love you, Olivia Angelo.”

And then his mouth is on mine again, desperate and claiming, pouring all our fear and love and certainty into one devastating kiss. I melt into him, knowing in my soul that we made the right choice. Some things are worth any sacrifice. And this. It’s worth all of it.

Without breaking the kiss, Calvin scoops me into his arms. I wrap my legs around his waist instinctively as he carries me toward his building, both of us knowing that words are no longer enough to express what we're feeling.

“Wait,” I gasp against his lips. “My box?—”

“Later,” he growls, tightening his hold. “Right now, I need you.”

“I need you too,” I whisper.

And as he carries me up to his apartment, I know that this is it. The start of our forever. Because if we can choose each other now, I know that we’ll continue choosing each other every day, no matter what life throws at us.

CALVIN

Sunlight streams through my bedroom windows, painting golden stripes across Olivia's bare shoulder. I've been awake for a while, just watching her sleep, marveling at how right it feels to have her here in my bed. Her dark hair fans across my pillow, and there's the ghost of a smile on her lips even in sleep, reminding me of how perfectly we fit together.

When her eyes finally flutter open, that smile widens. “You're staring.”

“Can't help it.” I trace my finger down her arm. “You're kind of gorgeous in the morning.”

She stretches against me like a contented cat. “What time is it?”

“Does it matter?” I tug her closer, nuzzling into her neck. “Neither of us has anywhere to be.”

“True.” She runs her fingers through my hair. “Weird, isn't it? Both of us unemployed.”

“Hmm.” I roll us so she's beneath me, propping myself up on my elbows to look down at her. “I was thinking we could just stay naked in my apartment forever. Order takeout. Never wear clothes again.”

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