Page 64 of Meet Me in the Blue

“I would tell you,” he said and let go of my hand, only to hold my chin instead. “Look at me.” I did as he asked, my bottom lip stuck between my teeth. “I will always be honest with you. Like I said in the shower, I don’t always need to get off. And sometimes, all it takes is for you to make a certain sound and I’m ready to explode. It’s our connection though, that’s what I want more than anything.”

“Me too.” I kissed the warm skin at the center of his palm, and it settled me.

“I’m glad you’re staying tonight,” he said and draped his arm over my hip. “I don’t have an appointment until nine, we could sleep in, or grab pancakes at The Early Bird.”

“That sounds good to me.” His fingers skated along my spine. The quiet intimacy of his touch lulled me to sleep. My eyes started to drift close when I remembered I hadn’t asked him about Vancouver. “Oh my God.” I laughed. “I almost forgot to ask you. My boss wants to feature your brother as a hometown hero. And I have to go to Vancouver next weekend, and I was hoping you’d come with me.”

Rook chuckled, the wrinkles around his eyes so familiar my heart shimmied. “I was wondering when you’d get around to asking me about that.”

I sat up on my elbow, incredulous. “You knew?”

“I already cleared my schedule with my dad. Sorry. My mom told me about it today but made me swear I wouldn’t say anything to you until you asked.” He grazed his knuckles across my cheek. “Are you mad?”

“No,” I said and sank back into his hold. “I like how she conveniently left out the part about the entire town, including my boss, knowing we were together.”

“My mom prides herself on getting in other people’s business, but just enough it’s not obvious to the unsuspecting.”

“Mine, too, together they’re terrible.” I wriggled in closer, needing his heat. “You know what my mom told me today? She said I was suffocating her.”

“Damn.”

“Right? She basically said she didn’t need a babysitter and gave me her blessing to get the hell out of the house.”

Rook met my gaze. “Does that mean you can move in soon?”

“After Vancouver, if everything goes okay, and she’s still of the opinion she has it all handled, I guess I don’t see a reason to stay there anymore. Is that too soon for you?”

He drew the tip of his nose along the line of my throat and smiled against my skin.

“No… I think it’s perfect timing.”

ROOK

“I’M GOING TO FALL.”Luka couldn’t stop laughing as he held onto the side of the ice rink. “Shit.” He looked like a newborn calf trying to figure out how to walk for the first time. “Oh my God,” he shrieked, and his legs shot out from underneath him as he fell on his ass. He shot me a vicious glare and I cracked up even harder.

“Are you okay?” I asked as I caught my breath. I gripped the rink’s edge and bent over to offer him a hand that he playfully swatted away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you—”

“Suck at life. Oh, I did.” Luka found his footing again and brushed the slush from his backside. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. I’d rather be at a stupid football game taking pictures for the yearbook.”

His smile didn’t falter though, and when he slipped on the ice again, I caught him. Chest to chest I held him steady. “Just stand still for a second, get your bearings.”

“I’m trying. We can’t all be amazing hockey player, skate gods.” He blew out an exasperated breath and the hair above his eyes shifted, revealing his narrowed blue eyes. It almost made me laugh again, but Travis skated by and whistled, making a kissing face at us both. Luka pushed away from me too quickly and almost toppled over, his arms spinning like a wild windmill. He caught the wall’s edge in the nick of time. I heard a few of my teammates laugh as they skated by. Luka wasn’t smiling anymore.

“Fuck, can we leave?”

“Hey… they’re just playing. Trust me, Travis trips over his own stick if he isn’t paying attention.”

Luka pursed his lips, his cheeks pink from the chill of the rink, or maybe he was that pissed? This was my first year on a high school hockey team, and Luka was my best friend. I’d wanted him to be a part of this with me, to include him. And when the school hosted this open skate night, meet the team thing, I’d thought this could be fun. The guys could be jerks sometimes, but for the most part they were cool and just messing around, and I wanted them to see me with Luka, to get to know him like I did. If they didn’t like him, then they sure as hell didn’t need to be in my life. I loved hockey, but not like my brother, Reese. I played because it was fun. It wasn’t my whole life. But Luka… I looked at my best friend, his eyes gleaming, his breath puffing out in aggravated little clouds, and my stomach got all warm. He was more important to me than any of this would ever be.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said.

“For real?”

“Yeah, I made an appearance. Coach won’t care.” I hooked my arm through his. “If you hold on to me, we’ll get out of here quicker.”

“Go slow,” he said, wobbling as he let go of the wall. “And don’t let go.”

“I won’t,” I said and held him tighter. “I swear it.”

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