Page 63 of What We Knew Then
“I plan to see you as much as possible. Between hockey and that color-coded planner of yours,” I reply with a joke.
She laughs and says, “I think you know what I mean.”
“Has to be a secret. Being with you would get me in deep shit with the team. With Coach.” I rub my forehead with my fingers.
I’ve had time to think about the pros and cons of this. What it means to give in. It’s not lost on me that I’ve got everything to lose. But the idea of not being with her? Of someone else having her? Not an option.
“Yeah. My dad would lose it. He’s always had this thing about me dating hockey players.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” I think about Coach being younger, in the locker room.
Cora shrugs. “Even though he met my mom his first year in the NHL. So, she dated a hockey player and obviously they’re not all bad.”
“Your dad. He’s a good guy.” I rub my hands together as I lean forward, resting my forearms on my knees.
Her shoulders bump with mine. “And you’re not?”
I give her the honest answer. “I want to be.”
The response is unfinished, but now doesn’t feel like the time. To come in with the story of my depressing fucking childhood full of neglect and trying to figure it out. I’m not afraid to tell her, I don’t think she’s the kind of person who would ever judge for something like that. I just don’t want to put myself through it tonight.
Her hand reaches over, lightly grazing my cheek, and she turns me to face her. She kisses me and some of the weight drifts away.
“So, we keep it a secret. I can do that,” she reassures me.
I nod, then ask, “Is Freddy completely out of the picture?”
Cora rolls her eyes at the mention of his name and I immediately wish he was standing here for the sake of my kicking him square in the dick.
“Freddy’s annoying and thinks we can still be friends, but I’m over it. Promise.” We both nod, coming to an understanding. “He made it clear that he was bored of me. Even if he was talking about future plans a few weeks before.” Her voice fades. “I’ll never beg anyone to stay.”
Fucker.
“Plus, you saw my planner. You think I have time for more than one of you?” She laughs and I follow suit.
“I love when you smile. It’s like… hard not to smile back,” she whispers, her hand pushing through my hair, my bangs falling to my forehead.
The way she beams at me gives me a reason to smile. There’s one thing that keeps running through my mind:you can’t fuck this up.
“Okay, that’s enough talking for now.” I step in, reach for her and haul her up, tossing her over my shoulder. She giggles and I can feel her abs flex against me.
“What are you doing?” Cora asks between laughs.
I march us straight into my bedroom and toss her on the bed. Her black hair is splayed around her and she uses her hands to get it out of her face.
“I would’ve walked in here, you know?”
“And what’s the fun in that?” I tease her. I hover my body over hers, my legs straddling her now. A sliver of her stomach shows beneath her lifted shirt, her muscles flexing when she laughs. I love that she’s strong.
I kiss her lips but have other plans. Quickly, my lips move down her body. Nipping at her neck, kissing her collar bone—that sliver of skin that’s teasing me.
“Where’d you go?” She’s breathy as she asks the question.
I settle in right at her waist, looking up at her. “Right where I want to be. Been thinking of this ever since the other night when you soaked my fingers.”
I wait for Cora to tell me to stop. To blush. Maybe cover her face. But she does none of these things.
Instead, her blue eyes lock on me and she whines, “Better put yourself out of your misery, then.”
