“They don’t sound mad,” I say, not talking to anyone but myself.
“They’re not mad,” Nate confirms.
* * *
I do actually fallasleep in the car, only waking up when the car goes over the speed bump on the way into the parking garage at my building.
I foolishly brought all my things back from Nathan’s last week, but I want some comfort items before we head back there. I can hear banging and rustling before I even open the door, and part of me is worried I’m about to walk in on Sabrina and Robbie doing something weird on the couch, but instead I open the door and Russ is standing in my living room, looking like a deer in headlights, holding a box labeledSMUTin huge letters.
“What the hell?” I mutter, looking around the room at the various hockey players in the apartment. Nathan’s hands grip my waist and usher me farther into the room, closing the door behind us.
“Put your back into it,” Sabrina shouts at no one in particular as she stomps out of my room. She closes the gap between us in two seconds, pulling me into an oxygen stealing hug. “I’m going to castrate him! I swear I’m going to, he’s going to regret being born!”
“What’s going on?” I manage to squeak out with the breath I have left.
“We’re moving out,” she says nonchalantly. “Don’t worry, I didn’t let any of the guys go in the second drawer of your dresser. I thought you might want to box that one up yourself.”
“We’re? Me and you? Where are we going?” I sound like a fool, tripping over my words as the guys all work around us, cracking on with what I imagine were very strict instructions from Brin.
Nathan’s arms wrap around my shoulders, and he buries his head into my neck, kissing lightly beneath my ear. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“All right, caveman.” She tuts at him, muttering something under her breath we don’t quite catch. “Just until Baba sorts somewhere for us to live. We can’t live here withhim.I’m too pretty for jail.”
A crash comes from her bedroom, and I think I visibly see her blood pressure rise. “JJ!” she screams, storming off toward the source of the noise.
I’m supposed to feel overwhelmed right now, but honestly, all I feel is relief. I’ve made one huge decision today; I wasn’t ready to have to make any more. I turn in Nathan’s arms to cuddle into his chest, letting the chaos behind me fade away. His lips press into my hair, and he chuckles. “You ready to play house every single day?”
“As long as it’s with you.”
FIFTY | NATHAN
THREE MONTHS LATER
“Stop trying to seduce me.I’ve got a meeting with Skinner in thirty minutes, and I need to shower.”
Anastasia stops kissing her way down my torso, looking up at me from just above my belly button with those big, blue eyes I fucking love. How can someone look so innocent but be so much goddamn trouble at the same time? She sits up a little, the most mischievous smile on her lips as she crawls back up my body and presses a chaste kiss against my lips before rolling off and lying beside me.
“What do you think he wants?” she asks, pulling the covers over her body so I can formulate a response, and not get distracted by the fact her tits are directly in my eyeline.
“Dunno,” I mumble, shuffling toward her and running my hand across her soft skin. “Probably wants to use me as a human sacrifice or something.”
She nods in agreement, curling back into my body. “I can see that. Do you think your dad will let me stay here when you’re gone? We can’t move into our new place until the end of the school year, and I don’t feel like the streets of Maple Hills are for me.”
“I think he’d probably prefer to throw you out on the street, but there’s a chance he won’t notice I’m dead for at least six months, so you’ll probably be fine.”
Things with Dad are as peachy as ever. The only half-decent thing he’s done recently was giving Sasha time off to let the Hamlets drive her to Denver with them to watch us play when the NCAA championships were held there at the start of the month.
We won the tournament—not like he would have noticed even if he were there. I’m glad Sasha got to see us win, alongside Anastasia and her parents. I can still hear Colin now, telling me and absolutely anyone who would listen how unbelievably proud he was. It was an emotional day all around; even Faulkner and Robbie had a little moment.
It was the perfect way to end my college hockey career, even more perfect because of who I was sharing it with.
“If you get sacrificed do I get your trust fund or does your dad take it back?” she asks, giggling when I dig my fingers into her side. “Also, do I have your blessing to marry Henry?”
“No and no,” I say as sternly as I can manage. “I want you to wear black for the rest of your life and never move on.”
“Urgh.” She half grumbles, half laughs, squirming around. “That’s going to interfere with next year’s spring break plans.”
She squeals, laughing as I drag her from the bed, throw her over my shoulder, and march us to the shower.