Page 36 of Forecheck
Instead, I bent and kissed her softly, then stepped away, lacing our fingers together. “Let’s go to bed. Just sleeping.”
“That’s it?” She sounded surprised, and that further irritated me. It appeared Lexie had been right when she’d told me Berkley’s dating history was a disaster. Add that to the list of wrongs I intended to set right.
“That’s it, Berk. If you don’t want to take things further tonight, we don’t have to. I’m happy just knowing I get to wake up next to you tomorrow morning.”
“That’s…refreshing.”
I stopped in the threshold of my bedroom and gripped her upper arms lightly, waiting until she met my gaze to speak. “I don’t know who you’ve been with before me, or what you’ve gone through, but I can promise you’re safe with me. And I know my personal life has been splashed all over gossip rags, and that you’ve probably read every sordid rumor and detail, but that’s all behind me now. Can you trust me when I tell you there’s nowhere I’d rather be than here with you?”
Berkley gnawed on her lower lip, and I pried it free from her teeth, brushing my thumb over the spot.
“Yeah,” she breathed at last. “I trust you.”
Good,” I said. “Now let’s get you out of this dress.”
“What if I wanted to sleep in it?” she quipped, and I smiled, relaxing as the tension of the last few minutes melted away with her words.
“I mean…you could,” I said as we moved into my room. I withdrew a t-shirt from my dresser, holding it up for inspection. “But I guarantee you’ll be more comfortable in this.”
“If I put that on,” she said as she stalked toward me, her tiny feet making softshushing sounds against the carpet, “you’re never getting it back.”
The shirt I’d pulled out was one of my old Warriors tees, formerly deep blue with a bright red Warriors’ logo, now fadedsignificantly thanks to all the times I’d worn and washed it. On the back, the white lettering of my last name and number was cracked and peeling off in some places.
“It’s yours,” I said, and she took it, shooting me a little grin over her shoulder as she padded into the bathroom to change.
Everything is yours.
My Lips Are Sealed
“So, how was playingWAG at that fancy party last night?” Kimber asked from where she was sprawled out on my bed.
As usual, my former roommates had come over and made themselves at home while I packed to head back to Traverse City for three weeks.
Now would have been the time to have that conversation I’d promised Lexie I’d have with them, but…god, it was so hard. They were my friends, and though they irritated me, I still loved them and didn’t want to cause any drama.
“I’m not a WAG,” I said.
“I don’t know,” Amelia said from the floor. “You definitely look like one in these pics. If I didn’t love you so much, I’d be disgusted how beautiful you are, and how good you two look together.”
I dropped the sweater I’d been in the middle of folding and hurried over. “There are pics?”
“Yes,” Amelia said with a smirk, holding her phone close to her chest. “The Warriors just posted them on socials.”
“Let me see!” I yelled, reaching for the phone.
“I thought you weren’t a WAG,” Kimber said with an eye roll. “So why do you care?”
“There are pictures ofmeon theDetroit Warriors’ social media accounts,” I ground out. “That’s why I care.”
And…okay. I didn’t love having photos of me displayed so publicly, but some small part of me was thrilled by the knowledge that thousands of people would be seeing me on Brent’s arm. They’d have no idea who I was, or how serious it was between us, which I preferred. But still…the photos spoke volumes, and every single one that featured us screamed that Brent Jean was off the market.
The idea made me giddy. If my family wasn’t waiting on the other end, I’d be more depressed about leaving the city for three weeks. However, as much as I wanted to spend more time with Brent, I desperately needed this break to relax and refocus before my final semester of law school.
“Enjoy the spotlight while it lasts,” Kimber said.
I whirled on her, my joyous bubble from a moment ago popped. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
Kimber sat up. “It means you expect too much from people, and Brent will end up being just another man you push away…or run off.”
