made the right decision. She’ll never be able to deny my advances.
“Went through six bags,” I commend myself on searching through bags of Tootsie Pops to only get the chocolate ones.
She takes it from my hand, our fingers brushing, and my stomach flips.
“Thank you. Better than flowers.”
“They come with a condition.” I stand back up to my feet.
She tilts her head my way, waiting for me to continue.
“Your forgiveness.”
She turns around and walks into her apartment, and when I don’t follow, she turns back around.
“Are you coming?”
I urgently step over the threshold. “Yeah,” I say a little too enthusiastically.
She sits on the couch, crossing her legs under herself, and flicks the television to mute. She pats the cushion next to her. “Speak.”
I sit down and toss my arm on the back of the couch, leaving my fingers only mere inches from her bare neck. I’ve never forgotten how much she turned me on with no makeup and her hair swung up into a ponytail. If she wore this nighttime getup back in high school, I would have blown my load at the door.
“I’m sorry. I should have told you.”
“Yes, you should have. I get why you did it, but you know me. I shouldn’t have pushed you though. That was wrong. I was embarrassed that all these people knew he was cheating on me, except me.”
I slide closer, my fingers playing with a loose hair. She doesn’t stop me, but her breathing falters slightly.
“He should be the one who’s embarrassed.”
“I saw one of his frat boys today in my biology class. He actually asked me out and said he always wanted to tell me about how Liam would be with a girl right after I left, but brothers don’t betray brothers.” Her eyes cast down, and she picks at her nails.
“His friends are dickheads, too, huh?”
She nods, and a small curve of her lips emerges. “I hate that they knew this whole time. But you know what I hate the most?”
“What?”
My finger lazily moves back and forth along her shoulder. She doesn’t stop me.
“That you saw it.”
“Me?” I point to myself, as though she doesn’t know what she admitted. “Why?”
“I don’t know. I’m embarrassed that I let someone do that to me, that I was blind to the signs. I honestly thought he was worried about his studies and getting into medical school. Never did I suspect he was cheating on me. You’ve been here, what? A week? And you already knew.”
“Hey, hey.” I dip my head down until our eyes meet. “Don’t ever be embarrassed in front of me. I always have your side, and nothing can change the way I look at you.”
She throws herself into my arms and slides closer, her bare legs pushing into my chest. “I’ve missed you so much. You know the worst thing?” she mumbles into my shirt.
I draw back to hear her clearer.
“I was relieved he was cheating because I knew we could break up, and I wouldn’t have the guilt if you and I were to date.” She bites the side of her lips.
“Is that what you want? To date?” This whole elation, like a kid going to his first circus, develops inside me, no matter how much I try to calm it back down.
“Crosby, I can’t promise you anything. I still need time to process your return, but there’s no way I can deny the love I still have for you.”
I wrap my arms around her shoulders and pull her into me. The fear in her eyes of us starting a relationship is too much to see right now. There are continued doubts occupying her happiness of my return, and I’m not going to push her into something she’s not ready for.
“We’ll go slow. Reconnect and see how it goes.”
“Thank you.” She sits up next to me, not leaving my arms, and she kisses my cheek.
“You never have to thank me. I’ll let you lead this relationship, but tomorrow, I’d like for you to come to my scrimmage against Creekside.”
She places her hand on my cheek. “I can’t wait to see you play.”
A smile overtakes her mouth, and my body calms for the first time in two years.
“I should get going. I have to get a good night’s rest before the game.”
I move to stand, but she stops me.
“Stay a little while.”
How can I refuse her wishes? So, I sit back down. “Sure.”
She unclicks the mute button on the damn Lifetime movie she’s watching.