Page 111 of Cross the Line
Excitement and nerves coursed through me, bubbling up like a soda about to overflow. Carson had been nothing but supportive throughout the process, never trying to sway me either direction. And while I believed he wanted me here in LA, we’d never talked about what it would look like if we actually lived in the same city.
In my heart, I knew I’d made the right decision for me, and I hoped Carson would be just as excited as I was about this change.
I turned to him now, wanting to see his reaction. “I just heard from my agent.” Oh god. My heart was pounding. “And you’re looking at the newest member of the Anaheim Bobcats. I’m moving to LA!”
“What?” Carson leaped up from the couch and then froze. “You signed with the Bobcats?”
I nodded, grinning the entire time. The decision had weighed on me for weeks, and it was such a relief to finally commit to a course of action. “There’s no going back now,” I teased, sort of.
Carson’s eyes lit up. “Fuck yes.”
I’d never seen Carson look as happy as he did in that moment. He pulled me into his arms, spinning us around. “So fucking proud of you, Lo.” He slanted his mouth over mine.
I basked in the moment, in his praise, his support. I’d never known what it was like to have a partner like this—someone to commiserate with, but also to celebrate with. And this moment was definitely worth celebrating.
Finally, he slowed, and I slid down the front of his body. He brushed my hair away from my face. “Best fucking news.” He kissed me again.
I laughed. “So I guess you did want me to move to LA?”
He cupped my chin, his gaze intense. “I wanted you to do what was best for you.”
“Thank you,” I said, knowing that was the best answer of all.
“But yes. Of course I wanted you to move to LA.” He chuckled, his gray eyes soft and full of emotion. “I love you, Logan.”
My breath caught. “I—” I smiled, overcome with emotion. I’d never said those words to anyone outside of my family. Never felt them for anyone until him. “I love you too.”
He leaned in to kiss me just as my phone started ringing, Mom’s name flashing on the screen with a request for FaceTime. “Do you mind if I take this?” I asked, despite the fact that I wanted to celebrate this moment with Carson, revel in the fact that he loved me.
“I really want to tell her the news,” I said, still reeling from everything. “And I want to see if she was serious about joining me for a cross-country road trip for my move.”
“Of course not.” He smiled, giving me a quick peck. “And I’d love to say hi. If that’s okay with you.”
“Of course.” I smoothed back my hair then hit the button to connect the call.
Oh shit. I dropped the phone.
“Lee!” There was a nervous edge to my voice, and I hoped like hell he wouldn’t pick up on it. “Hey.”
I picked it back up, careful to keep the camera angled toward me, my hands shaking.
“Hey.” Levi tilted his head, brow furrowed. “Where are you? That doesn’t look like Georgia’s place.”
“Oh, um. I’m just hanging out with one of the guys from the Hawks. You know how so many of them live in the same building as Georgia.” Stop. Talking.
I was only going to make things worse if I kept going, so I hoped that would be enough to end the matter. But then my brother said, “Is it Boone? Let me say hi.”
“No, um—” I tried not to let the panic show on my face. “He’s not here right now.” Technically not a lie. But also not the truth either. “What’s up? And where’s Mom?”
And why the fuck are you calling me from her phone?
“Hi, sweetie,” Mom said, joining Levi on the screen. “We were calling to congratulate you on your magazine cover.”
She held up the cover, and I smiled, touched that she’d sought out a copy of her own. I’d almost forgotten the issue came out today.
“You look incredible,” Mom said. “So proud of you. And I loved seeing what you and Carson had to say about the NHL Culture Initiative. You make a good team.”
“Thanks.” I beamed.
