Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 112884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
“Well, I get to visit with my nieces and nephews, so yeah.”
“There is casino night; it’s a team fundraiser that we do for the children’s hospital next weekend,” I tell her. “Do you want to come as my date?”
“Would that be weird?” she asks me and I shrug.
“It doesn’t have to be weird. It’s just the two of us, dressing up.” I smirk. “We’ve done that before.”
“What would we tell people?” she asks me and I just shrug.
“Whatever you want us to tell people,” I answer, knowing I want to tell everyone she’s mine. I want to yell it from the rooftops, but I know I can’t push it. I know she is the one who is going to have to take that giant leap. “We can be there as friends,” I say the word, feeling like it’s bile in my mouth, “or we can say we’re a couple.”
She’s about to answer me when her phone rings and she looks down at it. “It’s my dad.”
“Okay, well, as much as I want to be here for that conversation, I don’t think I can stand here half naked while you talk to him.”
She laughs and answers the phone, putting it on speakerphone instead of to her ear. “Hey, Dad.” She looks at me. “What’s up?”
“Nothing much,” he replies and I swear I can feel the love through the phone. “Your sister just called me.”
“Oh, she did?” Lexi pretends like it’s no big deal, but she mouths, What the fuck? “I just got off the phone with her. We had our weekly sister coffee date.”
“She told me,” he says.
“Oh yeah, what else did she tell you?” Lexi questions and then looks at me whispering, “I’m going to murder her.”
“She said she wants to come down and watch the game when Matty is in town so we can all be together.” Lexi rolls her eyes. “I’m making the plans today.”
“Oh, that sounds like fun,” she replies and I walk to her, kissing her neck quietly before walking out of the room and toward the bedroom. I start the shower and take off my boxers before stepping in. I shower quickly and grab a white plush towel, wrapping it around my waist before I grab another one for my head. I walk out to the bedroom and see her sitting on the side of the bed, wearing one of my T-shirts and her legs are crossed under her. “When I was with Trent, he hated that I would talk to my family.”
“Well, that is because he was afraid they would see what he was doing to you.” I toss the towel to the side.
“He would hate when I was on the phone and I would always feel pressure to end the call.” I hate that for her, hate she went through it. “It got to the point I would only call my father early in the morning before he was up, or when he left to go to work.”
“Lexi,” I say and she holds up her hand.
“I have a big family,” she says.
“I know, I met most of them on the ice and some off the ice.”
“And we are extremely close and sometimes overbearing.”
“Okay. The only family member I have is Kylie. She’s the only one I have and I would never stop having a relationship with her for anyone. She’s a bit overbearing and she’s in my business all the time. Does that bother you?”
“Of course not.”
“Because it’s normal,” I say. “It’s normal to speak to your family. It’s normal for them to be in your business if they love you. It’s also normal, and more importantly, extremely healthy for the other person to also be involved with your family.”
“They are coming down for Matty’s game, and we usually have Sunday lunch.”
“Okay,” I reply, not sure I want to know where this is headed. “You better not be asking me if you can go,” I huff out, “because—”
“I’m not asking you if I can go. I’m going.” I smile at her forcefulness. “I’m just not sure it’s a good time for you to come.”
“So I don’t come,” I say, trying to let her know I’m okay with it. “It’s not going to be the only time I can meet them. When you feel ready, then we take that step. I plan on being here with you for a long, long time”—my whole life, I almost say—“I don’t mind taking things slowly.”
“Just like that?” she asks, shocked.
“Just like that,” I assure her. I take off my towel. “Now, I’m off all day today and my goal is to continue getting to know every inch of your body.” She nods at me, trying not to smile but then smirking and her blue eyes light up. “But I think we should go and get something to eat and then come back here, so I can get started on that.”