Discovering he's a fantastic person, full of wit, intellect, and a refreshingly humble attitude. Observing his heartfelt devotion and unwavering commitment to his children. Witnessing his bravery as he risked his life and ran into a crumbling building to help save others.
Milo is thebest guyI've ever met.
But do I have it in me to be a hockey player's girlfriend?
Maybe I do. Maybe we could find a way to make it work.
But do I have it in me to be a hockey player's girlfriend when said hockey player also has two kids?
I've been giving it a lot of thought. Josie and Jonah are always going to be a huge part of Milo's life, and if things between us develop, they'll also be a huge part of my life, too.
And I'm good with that. I really am.
So maybe we can try?
What's the worst thing that can happen? Oh, I know. I strike out in love again, making it three for three.
These thoughts have been whirring in my brain nonstop for weeks now. It's exhausting, and it's clear that Milo and I need to do the thing we'd said we'd do and communicate.
We reach the summit right on schedule—five minutes before the sun is set to rise.
The sounds of birds chirping and Milo glugging down some water from his bottle fill my ears.
I settle on the bench, my eyes sweeping over the charming town of Comfort Bay.
"This is my favorite part of the day," I tell Milo as he takes a seat beside me.
"Why do you like it?"
"Because it's so peaceful and quiet. People are friendly. All the craziness of the day hasn't started yet. It'd be nice if this was how life was all the time."
"Friendly people and less crazy does sound good."
"Makes it worth getting outside the house for."
He smiles, setting off a wave of flutters in my tummy.
"This okay?" he asks, clasping his fingers around mine.
"Yeah." Our eyes meet. "It's okay."
We watch the sun come up in silence, holding hands, my mind still racing and my stomach tied in knots. I hate that I'm overthinking this.
We need to talk.
Lay it all out there.
Figure out what we're doing so that we can make a plan, and I can stop imagining a million different scenarios that mostly all end in a fireball of hurt and devastation.
And they say romance readers have a tendency to be overly dramatic.
I open my mouth to say something, but Milo beats me to it. "So, I have some news."
"Oh. Is it a man bun update?"
"Yes." His speedy reply catches me off guard, and he laughs. "No. It's not. It's actually something important. Something I haven't told anyone yet. So please, keep this to yourself, okay?"
"Stops scrolling through her contact list looking forNHL Digest Weekly,which is totally the name of a real sports magazine and not something I just made up."