Page 82 of Offside for Christmas
Cole stopped too, taking both her hands in his. "Not even one."
"Even though everyone's going to talk about this forever?"
"Let them talk." His voice was serious now. "Ellie, I'm tired of pretending. I like you. I want to be with you. And I don't care who knows it."
"You 'like' me?" There was a teasing note in her voice.
"I'm in love with you."
The world stopped.
Ellie's brain short-circuited. "...What?"
"I'm in love with you. Have been for a while now. Probably since you showed up at my apartment at eight in the morning and threatened to drag me to PT by force."
"Cole—"
"You don't have to say it back." He squeezed her hands. "I just needed you to know."
"You're leaving," Ellie said, and her voice cracked on the words.
"I know."
"And you just tell me you love me? Now? When we're running out of time?"
"Would you have preferred I wait until I'm actually leaving?"
"I would've preferred you not fall in love with me at all!" The tears came suddenly, overwhelmingly. "Because now it's going to hurt so much worse when you go!"
Cole pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. "Hey. Hey, look at me."
"I can't do this." But she was clinging to him, her face pressed against his chest.
"Yes, you can."
"I can't fall in love with someone—"
"Too late." His voice was gentle. "You already did."
Ellie pulled back to look at him, scared and vulnerable and so in love it hurt. "How do you know?"
"Because I know you. And I see how you look at me. Like I'm something worth keeping."
"You are worth keeping."
"Then keep me."
"For how long?" She was crying harder now. "Three weeks? A month? Until the NHL calls and you realize this was just a nice break from real life?"
"This is real life, Ellie. You're my real life."
"Cole—"
"I don't have all the answers. I don't know what happens when my time here is up. But I know I love you. And that's enough for right now." He wiped her tears with his thumbs. "Can it be enough for you?"
Ellie took a shaky breath. "I'm terrified."
"Me too."
