Page 137 of Collide
“And Stanford is the only other place with a comparable program. It was my backup, and their offer acceptance deadline was tonight.”
Stanford?I’ll be in Canada after this semester, but I never thought she’d be more than an hour’s flight away. Let alone on the opposite side of the country. A headache blooms, and I try to keep from saying something stupid as I stare at the ceiling. “So, you’re going to California?”
“Yup.” Her shaky inhale tells me she’s trying not to cry. “Know any Stanford hockey players?”
“That’s not funny.”
Her sigh is heavy and full of despair. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“So, that’s it. You’re just going to leave?” It’s hard to keep my tone from being harsh. I can’t fathom that this is reality.
“It’s not like I have a choice. If I can’t get in here, I have nowhere to go. Everything I’ve been working for will be gone, just like that.”
“What about your five-year plan?” It’s a stupid question. That much is clear from her reaction.
“Aiden, I’m in bed with the captain of the hockey team. My plan is obsolete.”
I raise my hand to skim her jaw, rubbing my thumb on her smooth skin. “My sincerest apologies for ruining your plans.”
“Worth it,” she beams, soothing the rubble in my chest. “I’ve never done long distance.”
Realizing that Summer is thinking about us too relaxes me more than I expected, and my headache eases. “Me neither.”
“Do you want to? Do long distance, I mean.”
My neck almost hurts from how quickly I turn. “Are you kidding? You’re not getting away from me that easily, Preston.”
She grins. “Damn, I thought I’d finally found my window.”
“I’d board up all the windows before you thought about it.”
“You’re bordering on psychosis.”
“Does that get you going? I can turn it up a notch.”
“No.” She laughs. “I think we need to evaluate you again.”
“Evaluate away.” I strip away the covers, causing her to squeal when the cold air touches her skin. She clings to me, stealing any warmth she can.
“I meant psychologically,” she mutters.
I plant a kiss on her cheek. “We’ll make it work, baby. We would have to for my rookie season anyway.”
Brown eyes glow with surprise. “You’ve been thinking about the future?”
I’m not surprised by her question because when we first met I was adamant about not having a plan. At the time, hockey was my only priority. But now that I have her, I want to balance her into my life. It’ll be the easiest thing I’ll ever do.
“Ourfuture. You make it hard not to want you in every aspect of it.”
Her perfect lips pull into a heart-wrenching smile. “Are you proposing?”
“I’m positive if I asked you to marry me right now, you’d kick me in the balls.”
She laughs, and the sweet sound strikes the heart that belongs to her. “I’d never hurt Aiden Jr.” Teasing fingers flutter down my abs. I let her do it, though it’s complete torture knowing I won’t act on the impulse. When her fingers dip under the elastic, I grab her wrist to stop her.
Her annoyance is clear when she huffs and slaps her hand on my chest. “You’re doing that thing where you’re trying to be a gentleman, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m doing that thing where I take consent seriously.”
