Page 42 of Uniquely in Love

Ellie Daisy

Hey. How’s it going?

Good. Just got home from morning skate.

What are you up to tonight?

Probably will just grab food after I finish class for the day and then watch some TV.

Guess we haven’t changed that much after all.

Maybe not.

Do you want to do something tomorrow, maybe? I have the day off.

And it was Saturday, which meant that Ellie wouldn’t have classes, either. Saturdays off with the team were rare, so I wanted to take advantage of it.

What the guys had said kept running through my mind. The idea of them asking her out gave me hives. It was one reason I had spent little time at home all those years. The idea of seeing her with another guy, her bringing someone else home for family dinners and having to look out my window and seeing her with someone else killed me.

I needed to get over that, though. Still, my teammates were not getting anywhere near her.

What do you have in mind?

I could show you the city. You haven’t really had a chance to explore yet, have you?

No, I haven’t.

That settles it. Send me your address. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning.

Hmmm… Are you asking or telling me, Hockey Boy?

Skater Girl?

Yeah?

Would you please come on an adventure with me? For old-time, friends sake.

Of course. See you in the morning.

I grinned to myself before looking around my apartment, trying to see it from her point of view. What would she think when she came over? Would she feel comfortable here?

Was it wrong of me I hoped she would?

The next day,I left my place at 8 AM sharp, heading to pick Ellie up from her apartment.

“Where are we going?” Ellie asked a few minutes later as we drove towards our destination. She crossed her legs, resting her hands in her lap.

It wasn’t in the nicest area of town, which I didn’t love, but I understood her need to do this herself. We both came from families with no shortage of money, but I’d never felt right taking my parents’, either. I’d wanted to make it for myself,and I had. Between my yearly salary, endorsements, and investments, the amount in my bank account was enough to make anyone do a double take. But it was mine.

“Somewhere you’ll like,” I promised. Today felt like one of our old adventures from our early days of dating, back when we were in high school. Ellie had always come along back then, for everything from hiking to sharing picnics under the stars while laying in the truck bed. Sometimes, I wished I still had the old truck, but a smaller car made sense for living in the city.

This morning, I’d pulled on a dark gray sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, plus my most comfortable pair of tennis shoes. We weren’t going hiking, but I wanted to take her some place I’d loved since I first moved here. It was a little off the beaten path, but ever since I’d discovered it, I’d tried to come here once a week and just breathe.

It helped to remind me who I was and where I came from.

Looking over at her, I took in her appearance. She’d pulled her hair back in two double French braids, and was wearing a pair of daisy earrings with a light blue sweater and jeans, as well as a pair of sneakers on her feet. I’d told her to dress casually for where we were going, though I hadn’t told her my plans.

I was trying hard not to think about the last time she’d been in my car, which was proving hard with her scent surrounding me, taking me back to that night. Florals and citrus, and fuck, she smelled good. She looked good, too. Better than good.

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