Page 34 of Changing Rules

“I did.” He snakes his arm around my waist.

“Xander!” I yelp, feigning annoyance while my stomach is full of butterflies. I love when he’s so affectionate and tender. “What are you doing?”

“Saying good morning to my girl.”

“Good morning.” I turn my head and kiss him. Slow. Gentle. Relaxing. It’s incredible, knowing he’d never hurt me.

“Now I can honestly say my morning is good,” he whispers against my lips, his hands roaming over my sides. “Hopefully practice won’t spoil it.”

The sun streaming through the kitchen window highlights the green flecks in his eyes, his dark scruff only making the blue hues brighter.

He leans in and kisses me again. Our connection quickly heats up, but the buzzing coming from his phone tears us out of the moment.

He quickly silences it and sets it down again, this time with the screen facedown.

Odd.That little move was casual, almost nothing, but I can’t help but wonder why he’d do it.

“What are you going to do with your hair?” he asks.

“I…um…I haven’t decided yet.”

“Are you going to cut it? Dye it?” He nuzzles my neck with his nose. I can’t find it in me to enjoy it. That move with his phone ruined the moment, at least for me.

“I don’t know.”

Untangling myself from his embrace, I pick up my mug.

Am I overreacting? He has never given me even the tiniest reason to doubt him. From the day I met him, he has been nothing but honest with me. Why would he hide something now?

I’m probably worrying over nothing. Xander isn’t Jake, and he has proved it to me many times.

Ready to move past the weird sensation, I take a cleansing breath and ask, “What are you going to do today?”

“After practice?” He picks up his own mug and takes a sip. “I’ll swing by and see my agent. He wants to discuss a contract extension and a salary increase.”

“That’s great news. I hope it’s a good offer.” I lean my hip against the kitchen counter. “I’m glad I talked to Ben about my salary beforehand and got a raise. Rent in New York is no joke.”

“I can pay for your apartment.” Xander gives me a warm, easy smile. “I’ll be there as often as I can, so it’ll practically be mine too.”

I shake my head. That’s an exaggeration. Between practices and games, he’ll be ridiculously busy. We’ll be lucky if we see each other more than a couple times a month.

He scowls.

“I want to handle it myself, okay? I have some money in savings, but I wouldn’t mind having a little more of a buffer.”

“We’ll talk about it later,” he says, as if my decision isn’t final. He stands and puts his mug in the sink. “I need to get going.”

I give him a small smile. “Have a good day.”

“You too.” He takes his phone from the breakfast bar, lingering beside it and staring at me. “What time do we need to be at your mom’s place tomorrow?”

My stomach instantly sours, so I set my mug down. “Six.”

That’s another topic I’m trying not to think about but can’t seem to get away from.

“Okay. I’ll confirm with Coach that I’ll be free.” With a wink, he heads out, throwing “Good thing I asked” over his shoulder.

A multitude of disturbing thoughts coil in my mind, making me feel strange. Since the moment Xander and I got together, my life has been stable and comfortable. I’m sure of my future. I’m happy and loved. Yet my gut has been off for the last few weeks. With the start of a new season looming and my studies, so much is about to change. I just hope it’s for the better.

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