Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Fallyn squirms under the intensity of her stare. “Yeah, that would be great.”
The blonde pops up from the couch and picks up her purse from the table before beelining toward the door.
As soon as Fallyn takes a step, I tug her back into my arms. The last thing I want to do is let her go. Not when I just got my hands on her after all these years. Not when we’re finally on the same page. But I sense that she still has a few things to work out—namely her parents. They went to great lengths to keep us apart. It’s doubtful they’ll be thrilled that I’m back in her life again.
Especially after the way my father went behind Hugo’s back and ousted him from the company. If anything, they’ll despise me even more now than they did after their son’s death.
Regret and grief spiral through me.
I wish it were possible for the two of us to hole up in my bedroom for the rest of our lives. Unfortunately, that’s not an option. The only way for a relationship to work between us is if we’re open and honest with the people in our lives. My parents don’t give a shit if I’m with Fallyn. They’re too wrapped up in themselves to care.
My gaze searches hers, attempting to sift through all the thoughts circling around in her head. Instead of finding confusion and doubt, there’s a softness that fills her deep blue eyes that wasn’t there before.
“Text me when you get home?” Even though my attention is trained on her, I feel the intensity of Madden’s stare burning a hole through me. This is the first time he’s seen me walk out of my bedroom with a girl. I’m sure he’ll be filled with questions.
When she nods, I brush my lips across hers. It takes effort to rein in all of my baser instincts. It’s so damn tempting to throw her over my shoulder and carry her back into my bedroom, but she’s probably sore and needs a chance to work through everything that’s happened between us.
“I love you,” I whisper against her lips, needing her to know exactly how I feel. How I’ve always felt. And how goddamn good my life feels with her in it.
With that admittance, her body softens against me. “I love you, too.”
The fist clenching my heart loosens just a bit. I stare into her eyes, feeling like I could get lost in them forever.
Viola clears her throat from the small entryway. “We should get moving. I still have a lot of reading to plow through.”
A dull blush hits her cheeks.
Damn but she really is adorable.
“Okay.”
I press my lips to hers one last time before setting her free. My gaze stays pinned to Fallyn as she heads to the door where her cousin waits with a hand planted on her hip.
And then they’re gone, both of them disappearing into the hallway. I fucking hate how my world goes dark when she’s not around.
“FYI—staring at the door isn’t going to bring her back, Romeo.”
I force my attention to my roommate and good friend before releasing a steady breath.
Before I can tell him to shut it, he says, “So…I guess you two are together now, huh?” It’s not really a question.
“Yup.” I drop down onto the chair situated across from him.
Madden has always been a pretty easy-going guy. Nothing ruffles his feathers. It’s one of the reasons I agreed to live with both him and Ford instead of at the hockey house where Ryder, Maverick, Riggs, Colby, Hayes, and Bridger are.
It’s nonstop chaos over there. Parties, girls, younger teammates crashing on the couches when they don’t want to go back to the dorms. More parties.
I like the quiet.
He shifts on the couch. “And her parents?”
I stare at him for a long, drawn-out minute. Sometimes I forget that Madden was with Viola before the accident and is aware of our backstory.
“They don’t know.” It’s tempting to tack on yet but part of me is afraid to. I’m terrified of losing Fallyn. Not when we’ve just got together, and everything is so new and fresh.
“Seems like it could be an issue,” he says quietly.
With a nod, I drag a hand over my face. He’s not telling me anything I don’t already know. Hugo and Eleanor won’t be pleased with this development. They went to great lengths to keep us apart.
As if to reinforce that thought, he adds quietly, “We got together with them over the break. Even though years have gone by, nothing has changed for them. They’re still living in the shadow of Miles’ death, and they want to keep Fallyn there as well.” There’s a pause. “Was there anything else that happened?”
Fuck.
“Yeah, my father got fed up with Hugo’s bullshit and forced him out of the company they founded,” I admit.