Page 13 of Bound and Blitzed

I nod. I had considered this and yet, “I don’t think it will come to that.”

“You don’t think?” Valentina’s eyes widen. “Avery, you could go to prison.”

God, she’s cute when she’s flustered. As a man who has been on the receiving end of many women’s anger and frustration, none of them have ever looked so concerned formeas Valentina does. “If we do this, we’ll do it right, and there won’t be any need to worry.”

“Do it right? What does that mean?”

“We’ll need to date. Live together. You show up to my games and I come to your speaking engagements or university events. My parents will expect you to come to family dinners and…” I pause as a new idea sparks in my mind. “You’ll most likely get roped into weighing in on Raia’s wedding plans.”

Valentina gasps, a hand covering her mouth. It’s as if she only considered the legal implications of our marriage and not the…practical ones. I fight back a grin, knowing that making light of this moment will not bode well. “Didn’t think of those things, did you?”

“No,” she says, shaking her head. Her fingers tremble slightly as she lifts her coffee to her lips and takes a long sip. “I was caught up on the legal process that… I don’t think this is a good idea,” she murmurs, blowing on her coffee. “I can’t believe we’re even considering this.” Her eyes fly back to mine. “I should just go home. My parents will be thrilled and…this research, no one in my family really understands it anyway.” She gives me a watery smile. “I’m sorry I wasted your time, Avery. I’m so embarrassed for…” She trails off, moving to stand from her chair.

“Wait.” I reach out to grasp her wrist. Valentina remains seated. Her eyes are more green than blue, apologetic and regretful. “Let’s talk about this, Lena,” I say, the shortening of her name falling naturally from my lips. “Let’s…talk.”

She pulls in a breath and stares at me for a long beat. “No one calls me Lena.”

“No?” I frown. “You don’t like it?”

She shakes her head. “No, I mean, I do like it. It’s just…my family calls me Vale. Butvalealso means okay, or all right, in Spanish.”

“That’s confusing,” I remark.

She smiles lightly. “I like Lena.”

“Good.”

She takes a deep breath. Then, she asks the question I’ve been waiting for since I first knocked on her door this morning. “Why are you offering this? I don’t understand, Avery. What’s in it for you?”

I roll my lips together, considering my next words carefully. God knows I’ve thought of them on a loop since I first offered Valentina marriage.

At first, a flicker of panic burst through me and I wanted to take them back. But the surprise in Valentina’s face, the flare of hope in her eyes, made me bite my tongue.

And after tossing and turning all night, looking at the situation from all angles, considering various options and variables, I no longer want to rescind my offer.

Instead, I want her to say yes.

I clear my throat, feeling foolish but also knowing I need to give her the truth. My truth. “You got time?”

She smirks, some of the tension releasing from her shoulders. She leans back in her chair, picks up her coffee mug, and arches an eyebrow, waiting for me to begin.

“I’ve had one serious relationship in my life. Her name is Mila Lewis, and I started dating her my sophomore year of high school. She’s a great woman—beautiful, smart, sophisticated.”

As clouds pass over Valentina’s expression, I add, “She’s happily married now, living in San Jose with her husband. He’s a hockey player. Maybe you’ve heard of him? Devon Hardt.”

A flicker of recognition lights in Valentina’s eyes and she nods. “You miss her?”

“No,” I laugh, shaking my head. “Man, I’m already mucking this up. What happened is, as the years started to stack up, I knew I wasn’t ready for marriage. I was playing for the Coyotes and Mila was working as the team’s physical therapist. Our friend group was intertwined. Hell, Cohen is still really good friends with her. Our families all had expectations of my impending proposal. And the pressure started to mount. I wanted to experience other things.”

“Other women,” Valentina supplies.

“As part of it, yes,” I admit. “I wanted to date. Not feel guilty for going out with my friends or with the team after a win. I wanted…freedom, I guess. I was planning to end things with Mila when a horrible accident happened, and she lost both her parents.”

“Oh, God,” Valentina gasps. Her hand flies back up to cover her mouth. It’s a story that nearly every inhabitant of this city knows, remembers. But because Lena isn’t from here, she wouldn’t have heard it. She wouldn’t recall the aftermath that still fills me with shame.

“I tried to stick it out with Mila. To be there for her.” I shake my head. “She was sad, of course. Depressed and struggling. And I… My heart wasn’t in it. I stopped showing up for her. I started sneaking around with other women. I… Fuck, Lena, I broke her heart, tarnished her reputation, and hurt her when she was just trying to survive.”

Valentina is quiet. She’s studying me with an intensity that makes me want to squirm. I lock down my limbs and meet her gaze head-on. It feels important, telling her everything upfront. Not shifting under her scrutiny. It feels like growth and even though it’s uncomfortable as hell, I know I deserve it.

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