Page 104 of Out of the Shadows
“Good, then let’s get you home so I can take care of you properly.”
Putting my hand to his stubbly cheek, I gazed up at him. “You’ve already done that. You always take care of me.”
“You’ve done so well. Thank you for trusting me so much. I love you.”
“I would trust you with my life. I love you too. Always have, always will. From day one.”
“From day one,” he repeated.
Thirty Seven
Epilogue: Hailey
End of Spring Semester – May
“Oh my God, I can’t believe it’s happening already.” Ella stared at me wistfully and pulled me into another tight hug.
I laughed. “Don’t be so dramatic, I won’t bethatfar away.”
“No, but way too far away for us to just meet up,” she pouted.
She wasn’t entirely wrong. My brief college career was coming to a temporary end, and I was moving to Nashville with Colt since the Gladiators had selected him in the first round of the draft. It was a three-hour drive from BRU, not a distance you’d travel to grab some coffee.
Still, I wasn’t worried that our friendship wouldn’t survive the move. I also firmly believed that a change of scenery would be good for me. Yes, I would have to put my studies on hold until I’d be able to save up enough money to continue my education, but I’d be with Colt and living independentlyfor the first time.
I wasn’t afraid of work, especially since I’d had to support myself for the past few months already. At least my father had paid for my first year of college in full in advance, so I had the chance to finish that.
I was looking forward to finding myself. My major had been my parents’ choice anyway, and I couldn’t wait to figure out whatIwas passionate about.
All my things were already packed and loaded into Colt’s truck. Ella also packed her car with the help of Colt and me. She decided she wanted a little more freedom and chose an apartment off campus.
“I’m going to miss you,” she whispered before pulling away again.
“I’ll miss you too.” I blinked quickly, my eyes burning. Our friendship had grown stronger over the past few months than any I’d had before.
“But I’m happy for you too!” She dabbed at her eyes and gave me a genuine smile.
“Thank you. You don’t know how much I appreciate it.”
After loading as much as we could into her SUV, we drove to her new apartment together not far from campus, which she’d be sharing with a girl she met in one of her classes.
“Do you think you’ll get along?” I asked her as we looked for a parking spot.
“For the most part, yeah. She seems like a real mean girl and like she has a stick up her ass, but I’ve seen her party and worked on several group projects with her, and believe me, it’s all an act. Hard shell, soft core, or rather bitchy shell. But only at first glance.” She giggled.
I shot her a skeptical glance. “That sounds delightful,” I saiddryly.
“Oh yeah, I think you two would really clash, but I can handle it. Look, that’s Dominic’s truck, I guess he got here before us.”
We parked next to the monstrous bright-red truck with black detailing belonging to her brother, who will attend BRU next semester, and grabbed a few things to take upstairs. Panting, we reached the third floor and were greeted by a curious scene as Ella shoved the door with the number3Don it open with her hip.
A massive guy, somewhere between Colt and Hunter in stature, with dark-red hair and covered in tattoos from neck to fingertips, stood leaning against the kitchen counter, grinning, while a slender, long-legged blonde girl at the other end of the room glared daggers at him. That was probably the new roommate, and the guy had to be Dominic. Even though I hadn’t imagined him looking likethatwhen Ella mentioned her little brother. Someone talking about their little brother, didn’t bring the image of a tattooed giant to mind.
“Sierra!” Ella called cheerfully. “I see you’ve met my brother.”
“Yes, indeed,” Sierra replied stiffly, and I knew immediately what Ella had meant earlier. This girl and I were probably not going to warm up to each other.
“Oh yes, Sierra and I are well acquainted, aren’t we?” Dominic grinned, mischief oozing from his every pore.Shit, that one was a troublemaker.
