Page 53 of The Riley Effect

When Jalen hands me the ball, I take it, latch it to my hip and snuggle into his chest. I flash him my lust-filled eyes. WhenI raise my toes–he takes the bait–and leans into a kiss. I throw the ball behind his back. Jalen is too stunned to figure out what’s happening, so I chase the ball down and lay it in the basket.

I secure it as it’s deposited out of the net. At the same time, something falls hard against the hardwood, and I turn to find Jalen sulking. I walk over to him and straddle him so we’re face to face.

“Don’t worry, baby. I think there are many more games in our future.” I say, rubbing his stubbled cheeks.

“Yeah, whatever.” He grabs the back of my neck and rubs his thumb up and down the side. I swear my heart rate is higher now than it was at any point during the game we just played.

“What can I do to make this better?”

“I have an idea.” Jalen leans in and kisses me. This isn’t a quick kiss. He kisses me like he wants this memory to block out the loss I just handed him.

His tongue runs along the seam, my lips open, and his tongue meets mine, deepening the kiss.

“Hem,” the sound of someone clearing their throat reluctantly pulls me away from Jalen’s soft lips.

“Hey, Aunt Ivy.” A cheery voice echoes through the fanless arena. Ruby’s standing in the doorway with Caleb, a ‘I told you so’ look plastered on her face.

“Hey, guys.” I greet my family before hopping off Jalen. I look at his face to hide my embarrassment, but when my eyes meet Jalen’s, his cheeks are just as flushed as mine.

“Mr. Calm, cool and collected, can get embarrassed. Good to know.”

“This is not the time to tease. I can’t believe this is how I’m seeing your family for the first time as your boyfriend.”

“Don’t worry about it. Ruby has begged me to find a boyfriend for years. She’s loving it.”

“You ready to go get some skates,” I ask Caleb.

He nods his head aggressively. His enthusiasm is written all over his face.

I’m sitting on the home team’s bench, watching a clumsy Caleb get his bearings on the ice. Caleb and Jalen were upset when I vetoed putting on a pair of skates myself. I would have loved nothing more than to be on the ice with my two favorite guys, but Coach Lee would kill me if I sprained an ankle.

Caleb slaps the ice in frustration. The kid is definitely starting to get the hang of it, though. Jalen’s patience is unmatched. If he didn’t have a future in the NHL, he would make an amazing coach. Every time Caleb falls, Jalen makes him get back up and continue with the lesson, no matter how many times Caleb gets frustrated and says he’s quitting. Jalen’s constantly reminding him of the basics that he learned today making sure that Caleb won’t forget if he wants to practice on his own.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop thinking about what a fantastic father Jalen would make. How hewouldbe there to teach them how to ride a bike, be the loudest voice cheering at their games and walk them down the aisle at their wedding. All the things I’ll never get to do with my dad.

Jalen’s encouragement has me wiping away tears. When I see Caleb skating over to Jalen and giving him a hug, I lose it all over again. I try to get myself together as they skate toward the bench.

“What’s wrong, Aunt Ivy?” Caleb asks. His lips pucker, and I can see his little mind at work trying to figure out why I’m crying.

“I’m just so proud of you. Trying something new isn’t easy.” I tug my coat around myself. Using it as a shield to hide all my emotions.

“Jalen said he would help me practice again. He says after I learn to skate, he’ll teach me how to play hockey.”

“You’re lucky. I think Jalen is the best coach out there.” I look at Jalen, an appreciative smile plastered on my face.

“Nah.” Jalen brushes off the compliment, “Caleb is just an amazing student.

Caleb looks up at him like he just got a compliment from the Pope himself.

“We better get your stuff together; your Mom will be here any minute to pick you up.”

Caleb turns to Jalen and wraps his little arms around Jalen’s much larger frame. “Thank you, Jalen. I had a lot of fun today.” I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Caleb this happy.

“Any time, buddy. I’ll have Ivy set up a time with your mom to get you back out here again. You’ll have a stick in your hand before you know it.”

Once Caleb gets his skates off and is back with his mom, Jalen and I decided to get something in the athlete-only dining hall attached to the Riley Center. He takes my hand from across the table. This is the first time we’ve been in public since making this relationship official. I push away the anxiety that creeps in at the public display of affection.

“Is something wrong?”

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