Page 156 of Changing Rules

“One jerk asked Marco if he thought Miller really deserved to be punished for what he did.” He shakes his head. “Garcia lost his shit. They’ve got all kinds of vulgar sound clips from him now. Coach is trying to minimize the scrutiny the rest of us are under.”

He tightens his grip on my waist. “Though I’m not any better. When Marco told me that, I was ready to find that jackass and introduce him to my fist. The guys had to drag me into the locker room. I can only imagine how I’ll react once I see Miller.”

“Stacey and I will make sure he goes to jail.” I snuggle closer, closing my eyes.

For a moment, we sit in the quiet of the room, the only sound Milo’s soft snores.

Xander sighs. “There’s something else I want to talk to you about.”

“Okay.”

“I’ve been thinking, and…I want to sell the house. I don’t think we should stay here. Too many painful memories.” He sighs. “I tried not to let it into my head, but the images are too vivid, and I can’t shake them.”

I love this house. So many good memories were made here, but lately the bad memories are outweighing the good ones. And if Xander is uncomfortable, I can’t ask him to stay.

“Okay. Should we call a realtor?”

He leans away from me slightly, his attention roving over me. “Would it be okay if I surprised you?”

“Absolutely.”

Head lowered, he gently presses his lips to mine, and the world outside this living room ceases to exist.

Four days later,we’re in New York with plans to meet up with Kaden and Liv. According to Xander, we need more fun in our lives, and a trip to one of my favorite places counts.

“Where are we meeting them?” I ask as he parallel parks on the Upper East Side.

“We’re not meeting them until later.”

“No?”

“No. I have something to show you first.” The corners of his mouth curl into a smile. “I was hoping to bring you here a couple of days ago, but there were so many moving parts. Thankfully, I had a lot of help.”

A hint of anticipation threads through me. “A lot of help?”

“Yup. Tom and Ben helped. Your aunt too. Meg, Kaden, Jess. Even Audrey.”

I swallow thickly. Audrey sent me an exceptionally long message that included a real apology and a request to meet with her when I’m ready. She didn’t push, didn’t try to manipulate me. The ball is in my court, but I still haven’t made any decisions.

“Without them, this would’ve taken much longer.”

“I’m even more curious now.”

He takes my hand and interlaces our fingers. “I need you to close your eyes, and you can’t open them until I tell you to. Will you do that for me?”

I grin. “Dive in headfirst and trust you with my life?”

He nods.

“Sure. I can do that.”

“Then close your eyes, baby.”

With a laugh, I obey, waiting for him to help me out of his car. There’s no temptation to peek. This man has proven that I can trust him. He is my person. My perfect match.

He guides me out of the car, then leads me down the sidewalk. After a couple of minutes, we’re greeted by a low voice, though Xander leans away, whispering to the unknown man so I can’t hear.

He ushers me inside a building and into an elevator. As we float higher and higher, my mind races with excitement and curiosity.

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