Page 139 of What Are The Odds?
“I know. But I really do forgive you.”
His lips pulled up in a soft smile as his eyes searched mine.
“What happens when we graduate?”
I chuckled. “This conversation can’t wait?”
He shook his head. “I can’t lose you again.”
“Not going to happen.”
I untangled my hand so I could run my fingers along his jaw.
“I didn’t plan on bringing this up while you’re, you know, still in me, but I spoke to my brothers.”
He frowned. “About?”
“They’re going to spend time here next year. And I’ll fly home in the off-season for a while. Hopefully with you as well. Then maybe we can meet them in Hawaii whenever you get a short break.”
Levi was looking at me like I’d just solved all the world’s problems, and like I was his entire universe. I got it. I did. Because he was mine.
His voice was gravelly when he asked, “You’re staying?”
I nodded. “I’m staying.”
Our mouths collided again, this kiss saying more than either of us could. Once we were both breathless Levi pulled back and rested his forehead against mine.
“Happy New Year, Hughesy.”
I arched my back to kiss him. “Happy New Year, Holloway.”
Epilogue
Fair compensation
Levi.
I walked inside, setting my keys down.
“Grace?”
Music was coming from the kitchen. Loud music. That was the first thing I’d learnt when Grace and I moved in together. She never stopped playing music. While she cooked. While she cleaned. While she showered. I stepped into the living area, pausing to lean in the doorway. Grace was moving around the kitchen, dancing and singing while she prepared a smoothie. She bounced to the fridge, then spun away as she kicked it closed and skipped to the blender. This was one of my favourite things to do. Watch her whilst comprehending how fucking lucky I was. We’d been living together for almost seven months, since we’d moved out here straight after graduation. I missed living with the guys. Even Will’s grouchy morning moods. And Tripp’s near nakedness. And Ryan’s TikToks. But having Hughesy instead was fair compensation. Grace had secured a job at a local high school as the assistant coach of the swimming team. She also instructed baby swimming lessons at the local pool in between, which I had to admit, was pretty fucking cute. Both the school and swimming centre had lucked out. Grace was overqualified, and a better swimmer than either could have imagined helping out. When she’d given up swimming competitively after college, I’d been worried she’d regret it. She hadn’t. Not at all. She still swum most days. But now it was a choice. She didn’t have to slip out of bed each morning at five-am anymore. Now, she’d usually wait until I was getting up for practice too, and on my off days, she was happy to spend the mornings in the sheets with me instead. That wasdefinitelyone of the best perks to Grace’s retirement. Morning sex. She bumped a cupboard door closed with her hip then cranked the blender. We were a week out from Christmas, so Grace was dressed in more layers than I owned. As though she was outside in the snow and not in our house that literally had a heater in every single room. Including the floors. When I was home, I spent most of my time in a t-shirt and shorts because Grace always had the heat cranking. I crossed the room, snaking my hands around her waist and resting my chin in the crook of her neck. She startled at first, having not heard me over the music, before quickly relaxing. Reaching forward, she switched off the blender.
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
Turning in my arms, she craned back her head, smiling at me. I pressed my lips to hers. We’d been together for over a year now, though each time I kissed her, it was like the first time. The honeymoon period had never ended with Grace. It just kept getting better and better.
“Do you want a smoothie?” she asked. “I made extra.”
I checked the oven clock. I had time. I’d just returned from my morning skate. I had a home game tonight. Grace was coming. She came to most of my home games. Noah Mittelstadt, a Canadian playing at a div one college in Minnesota, had been drafted the year after me. A few injuries meant he’d been called to Colorado earlier than he was expecting. Despite not getting to see out his senior college year, it’d worked out for the best for Grace and me. Grace got along well with his girlfriend, Anna. Although Grace had made friends with other wives and girlfriends, Anna was her favourite. Having been dating since they were in high school, Noah’s abilities on the ice were never what drew Anna to him. For some guys on the team, it was easy to pick the girlfriends that had come after making it in the league. Whilst most of the partners I’d spoken to were genuine, there were clearly a few there for fame. Or Instagram followers. Anna wasn’t like that. Which is why Grace liked her so much. Not to mention they were the same age. For Noah and me, it was good peace of mind knowing Grace and Anna had each other. Especially for away games. After tonight, I had one more home game before a three-day break over Christmas. Then I’d be gone for my biggest stretch yet. Eight away games in a row. Eighteen days on the road. Eighteen days away from Grace. It was going to be torture, and I knew she wasn’t looking forward to it. But I had a plan in place.
“Where’s Tripp?” I asked.
That’s right. I didn’t really miss Tripp, because he’d been living with us the past two months. A few things had happened, which put him in Colorado for the time being. It’d been Grace’s idea that he stay with us while he figured out his next steps. The house was certainly big enough. It literally had a guest house, with its own bathroom and kitchen. Not that Tripp used that kitchen. He was in here more often than not. When I came home late, Grace and Tripp would generally be watching TV together, or eating dinner, or building flat-pack furniture whilst they argued like brother and sister. As much as I heckled him about living here, I truly didn’t mind. If anything, he was doing me a solid. Grace hadn’t wanted this house. She’d wanted something much, much smaller. Knowing he was here with her, keeping her company when I couldn’t, was reassuring. If anything, I was the third wheel to them now. They were always speaking about things I wasn’t looped in on, or cracking inside jokes.
“He’s meeting a tradie at his new house.”
