Page 50 of Eternally Yours
Emma sets the curling wand down by the sink and passes her fingers through my locks, separating the curls and giving them a more natural look. “There, all done.” I look myself over in the mirror. I went minimal with my makeup, only mascara and lip balm.
“You’re glowing, Cece. I like this look on you,” Emma says as she looks at my reflection.
“Yeah, me too.”
I leave the bathroom and walk over to my bed where I had laid out my clothes. Pulling off my robe, I slip into my tight-fitted jeans and pull a long-sleeve shirt over my head. Once I’m done, I sit on the bed and place my hand on the pretty black box Silas left me.
When we got home, two identical boxes were propped up against our door. One with my name and the other Emma’s. Inside were our tickets and a jersey with ‘HAYES’ and number ‘19’ written on the back.
Lifting the lid of the box, I put the ticket aside and retrieve the jersey. It’s mostly blue, with two white bands and a red one between them at the bottom. The same white and red bands go around the upper part of the sleeve. On the front, a big white ‘G’ takes center stage with a golden Griffin crawling through it.It’s spectacular.
I pass my arms and head through the holes and stand only to frown. I look down at the jersey. The sleeves are way too long, and the hem passes my knees.This thing is huge, it must be a mistake.
Emma trots back in at that moment in her jersey, which is a lot smaller. She slows her steps when she sees me, eyes going wide. “Oh my God.”
“I know, I look ridiculous.” I flap my arms out in defeat.
“It’s his jersey.”
“I know it’s his jersey, but I think he messed up the size. It’s way too big.” I start rolling up the sleeves to get my hands free.
“No, babe. It’shisjersey. Look.” She walks over to me and touches a patch on the top left side of the jersey. “It’s his captain patch, it’s literally stitched in. This ishishockey jersey.”
“Wait, what? Why would he give me his jersey?” I furrow my brow. This doesn’t seem like a gift you make to a girl you just started dating.
“Because he’s crazy about you!” She takes me by the shoulders, giving me a little shake. “Dammit, I should have called four months like Amanda.”
“I am not getting engaged or married anytime soon!” I say with annoyance.
She pats one of my shoulders, giving me a sympathetic smile. “You should probably tell your boyfriend that, because I can already hear those church bells ringing.”
Chapter seventeen
Cecilia
Sorry neighbors...
We make our way inside Madison Square Garden, grab a beer each and popcorn, then head to our seats, which happen to be right behind the glass. Morgan’s already seated and waves the moment she spots me.
“Hi, Sweetie! I’m so happy you’re here, the first games are always the best! You’ll see, the crowd will go wild, and our boys will get super excited,” she says in her sweet voice when she stands up and pulls me into a hug.
“Hi Morgan, it’s good to see you again. I’m excited to see them play, although I’ll most likely be clueless the whole time.” I laugh as we pull apart.
She keeps her hands on my arms while looking me over, or more so the jersey. Shaking her head and smiling, she says, “Oh, he’s really gone.”
“That’s exactly what I keep telling her,” Emma says from behind me.
Morgan looks around me as they exchange a knowing look. “She’s still in denial. It’s okay, I was the same with Clay when we first met. Hi, I’m Morgan Burkley.” She holds her hand out for Em to take. And she does, eagerly I might add.
“Hi! I’m Emma Mackenzie, this one’s best friend. I’m obsessed with your work. You did my condo, and I secretly love you,” Em rambles off as if she just met a worldwide celebrity.
I groan loudly. “Jesus, Em. I told you not to be weird.”
“What? I’m not being weird. I’m just telling her how much I love what she does.”
Morgan giggles. “It’s okay, really. I like knowing that people appreciate what I do.” She smiles genuinely at us, then turns to look at the screens above the rink where a countdown begins.
“Oh, look! It’s starting, we should sit down.” She folds back into her seat while I take the one next to her, Emma sitting on my other side.
