Page 111 of Uniquely in Love

She shook her head, like she could guess where I was going with that. “I can, uh… have them by myself, you know. And I’ve had a few boyfriends. None of them could ever make me finish, though.” She bit her lip. “I had to fake it. Eventually, they all kind of… fizzled out.”

I could see why.

“Plus, I was never really sure if they were dating me forme,or because my dad was the Coach of a professional hockey team. When they started asking to come to games all the time or to meet the players, it just felt like they were… I don’t know…using me.”

Damn. “Sophia. That sucks. I’m so sorry.”

She shook her head. “It is what it is. I just think I’m overdue for some good, hot sex, you know?”

“With a hockey player?”

Sophia hummed. “I mean. They have great stamina, right?”

I couldn’t deny that. “Reallygood stamina. I mean, if Owen’s any indication. He’s the only person I’ve ever been with,so I don’t have anything else to compare it to, but…” I held my face in my hands. “He’s amazing. And he’s so considerate and gentle with me, but then he’s also a little wild in bed, and it’s nothing like it was when we were younger.”

“But?”

“Why do you think there’s a but?” I frowned. “There doesn’t have to be a but.”

“I don’t know. You seem like you’re holding back. I’ve never even heard you call him your boyfriend.”

It was weird, because calling him my boyfriend almost felt like anunderstatementof what we were to each other. He was my everything. But… “We haven’t exactly put a label on it yet. I don’t know. I only moved in with him because my apartment flooded, and then we agreed to be friends and…” One thing led to another, and here we were.

“He asked you to stay, though, right?”

“What do you mean?”

She blinked. “Like, stay with him. Even after they fix your apartment.”

I hadn’t thought about it in weeks, mostly because I hadn’t even called my landlord for an update. He had told me to stay with him, but that was when I’d said I’d find a different place and not to impose on him. Had he said anything long term? “I…” Suddenly I felt sick to my stomach. “I don’t know.”

“I’m sure he will,” Sophia said. “He’s probably so focused on hockey that he didn’t even think about it.”

“Yeah.” I forced a smile on my face. “I’m sure you’re right.” Besides, we had a dog together. He had to be thinking long term, right?

My teaching contract was technically only for a year, though, and it wasn’t like I’d reassured him I would stay in Seattle, either.

God, I couldn’t wait for him to get home. This definitely wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have over the phone.

Not when thel wordhad been on the tip of my tonguefor the last week every time we hung up. But I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

Maybe I was just scared that the perfect bubble we were living in was going to pop.

Being treatedas a WAG was a completely different experience than coming to games before. Was I Owen’s girlfriend? I still didn’t have an answer to that. But his expression when he’d gotten home three days ago, dropping his bag onto the floor and pulling me into his arms made me feel like I was.

Like he’d needed the comfort. Like he’d neededme.Zamboni had eagerly jumped on him a few minutes later, and then he was carrying me into the bedroom, showing me exactly how much he’d missed me.

Fuck, I was in too deep.

Especially when we were driving together to his games, and he kissed me before he left for the locker room and left me with Soph and the other wives and girlfriends. Tonight was no different. I hadn’t worn his jersey to the game tonight—since I realized quickly why most of the girls didn’t wear them to every game—but I could tell how much he loved having me there to watch him play.

“I take back what I said,” she whispered into my ear after he’d walked away.

I turned to her, the expression clear on my face. “Huh?”

“There’s no way he’s ever letting you go, Ellie.”

My cheeks flushed, but I tried to force my expression into a neutral one. “Maybe.”

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