Page 2 of Seal the Deal

Green eyes sparkle at me as her grin widens. “Yeah. But it’s not just any pinky promise. It’s special. You have to do it right.”

I chuckle. “Oh yeah? What makes it special?”

“Here.” She scoots closer and lifts my hand. “First, you hook pinkies like this,” she says, her teacher-like tone making me smile. “Then you press your thumbs together, like this.”

I follow her lead, our thumbs now touching, and she leans in closer. “Now, to seal the deal, you lean in and kiss your thumb.”

I’m still grinning as I lean in, our faces close enough that I can feel her breath, see the light in her eyes.“Like this?”

She nods, her expression serious but playful. I lean in further and kiss my thumb, our hands still linked together.

“Promise,” I say softly.

Her eyes meet mine, and my pulse thunders. “Promise,” she whispers.

For a moment, it’s just us. Lying under the stars, sealing a promise that feels bigger than words. I consider closing the distance between us, but I stop myself. Something about this moment feels perfect as it is. No need to complicate it.

Instead, I squeeze her hand gently before letting go, feeling the weight of our promise settle between us.

With her, everything feels balanced, like the world is exactly as it should be. But as the night wears on, the reality of our separate lives looms closer.

In a few hours, I’ll be on a plane, heading back to an NHL draft that could change everything. And she’ll go back to New Zealand. The thought punches me in the gut, a hollowness opening inside me I’m not ready to face. I don’t want this night to end. I don’t want to say goodbye.

I sneak another glance at her, the urge to kiss her nearly overwhelming. I’ve wanted to kiss her all summer. It’d be so easy to just lean in…

But I hold back. Kissing her would only make leaving harder, and I can’t afford to get attached—not when we’re about to be a world apart. Still, the pull is there, creating a constant ache in my chest.

I swallow the impulse and force myself to smile. “You know, if you ever come back to the States, look me up.”

She smiles, but there’s a sadness in it. “Same goes for you with New Zealand.”

“Deal,” I say, even though we both know the chances are slim.

We stay there, talking about everything and nothing until dawn breaks the horizon. I can’t remember ever feeling this connected to someone, or this peaceful. But too soon, the moment passes and it’s time to go.

As we walk back down the hill, I keep sneaking glances at her, memorizing every detail. The color of her hair and how it curls at the ends, the curve of her neck, the way she smiles. This is probably the last time I’ll see her, and the thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

At the edge of the camp, we stop. She faces me, her expression unreadable. Our cabins are in different directions, and we’re on separate buses first thing.

“Take care of yourself, okay?”

“You too.”

Before I can talk myself out of it, I lean in and press a quick kiss to her cheek. It’s not what I want, but it’s all I can give her. When I pull back, she smiles softly, and it takes everything in me not to pull her back again.

“Bye, Jake.”

“See ya, Charlie.”

She turns and walks away, and I stand there watching her go. My heart’s in my throat, a goodbye I’m not ready for lodged there, too.

Chapter one

Reassess THIS, you prick

Charlie - Present Day

The plane hits a pocket of turbulence, jolting me awake from a half sleep. I blink groggily, trying to orient myself, the steady hum of the engines a reminder we’re still in the air.

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