SIX MONTHS LATER
“What are your plans for the summer, man?” Logan asks me as he sits down on the bench just outside of campus.
Today was the last day of our junior year and it was officially summer break. Although, for those of us who play hockey, it doesn’t really mean much. Even though the season is over, that doesn’t mean our time on the ice is over.
It’s pretty standard for everyone to enroll in some type of summer league or different camps so we don’t lose any of our skills. I don’t think it would be possible to completely lose them, but ice time is precious time and we can’t afford to lose that. None of us can afford to have any of our skills become rusty. Especially with senior year coming up in a few months.
That’s all we need, to get through that final year and then we can finally move on with our careers. All of us have been shooting for the NHL, but it’s not a known fact that we will all make it there. I have no doubt in my mind that Logan will be one of the ones that do make it.
“I’m actually going back home to Maine for the summer,” I tell him, glancing over at him as he raises an eyebrow at me. “I’m going to do a summer league at the rink by my parents’ house.”
“Damn, dude, I didn’t think you would be leaving us for the entire summer.”
Other than when my mom was sick, this will be the first time going home that I’ll be staying there for a significant amount of time. And it will be the first time in the past three years that I’m not playing with the guys that have become like my family.
“I know,” I shrug, attempting to dismiss him. “I think it will be good for me to go home and spend some time with my family again. You know, your mom followed you out here, so you still get to see yours all the time.”
“Yeah, I know…” He pauses for a moment, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “I know that she has Owen, but I’m afraid she might lose her mind if I end up getting drafted farther away from her.”
A laugh rumbles in my chest. “Your mom will fly out every damn week to watch you play wherever you are.”
“True,” he laughs along with me. “What about Sydney? Does she know you’re going back to Maine for the summer?”
“We talked about it a little, but every time I try to bring it up, she acts like it isn’t actually happening and shuts me down.”
Logan looks off in the distance, his face lighting up as he spots something. My gaze follows after his and I see Isla, his girlfriend, strolling toward us. Logan looks back at me. “Did you ask Sydney to go back to Maine with you?”
A frown pulls the corners of my lips down. “I tried to, but she wouldn’t give me a chance to even ask.”
“So, don’t ask,” Logan offers with a shrug. “That girl loves you and will follow you to the ends of the earth. Buy her a plane ticket and see what happens.”
“What are the two of you gossiping about?” Isla questions us with a smirk on her face as she stops in front of Logan.
Logan rises to his feet, stepping into her space as he wraps his arms around her waist. “Asher’s going to Maine for the summer and is too much of a pussy to ask Sydney to go with him.”
“That’s not true,” I retort, narrowing my eyes at him. “She hasn’t given me the chance to ask her.”
“Because she’s afraid,” Isla offers, her voice soft and gentle. “Look, getting involved with guys like the two of you isn’t easy. It makes the future seem precarious and unpredictable. Show her that you are serious about her and what you really want. And when she tries to shut you down on it, don’t let her.”
“I don’t want to force her to come or make her feel like she’s obligated.”
Isla shakes her head at me. “She won’t and I know you wouldn’t do that to her.” She pauses for a second, gazing at Logan before looking back at me. “Let it be her decision and respect whatever she chooses. Just let her know you want her to come with you and you’re not asking just as a formality.”
I mull over her words for a moment, staring off into the distance as the two of them share a passionate kiss. Isla is right and I’m glad for both of their advice. I’ve been afraid to push the issue with Sydney because I don’t want to scare her off. I don’t want her to feel like she has to give anything up for me. But I can understand her reservations and her fears.
She’s already expressed being afraid of what will happen after graduation and I’ve assured her that it changes nothing between us. If we end up in different states because of our careers, the only thing that changes is the amount of distance and how often we see each other. It changes nothing about my feelings for her and how much I fucking love the girl.
Logan and Isla turn their attention back to me, saying bye before they disappear out to the parking lot. I know I will see Logan again before I leave for the summer, so them leaving abruptly isn’t surprising. Plus, the two of them are attached at the hip and can barely keep their hands off one another.
I would rather them take that elsewhere, because I have something much more important to attend to. I need to go find my girl and convince her to come with me.
I don’t bother calling Sydney before stopping at her place. She has a habit of going home directly after she’s finished with her last class and nine times out of ten, I end up coming here at some point in the evening. It’s nice, being able to show up unannounced and knowing she’s expecting me anyway.
Using the key Sydney gave me, I let myself into her apartment. The soft sound from the TV comes from the living room, but she’s nowhere to be found when I walk into the room. As I walk through her apartment and head down the hallway, I see light shining from under the crack of her bathroom door.
Inching closer, I hear the sound of the shower running. Grabbing the handle, it’s unlocked as I turn it and let myself in. Steam billows out before I close the door, locking myself in there with her.
“Asher?” Sydney’s voice sounds slightly panicked as she says my name, her head ducking out past the shower curtain. I watch the relief flood her expression as she lets out a sigh. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry, babe.” I smirk, grabbing the back of my shirt as I pull it over my head. “You got room in there for me?”
A fire burns in Sydney’s hooded gaze. “Always,” she murmurs, licking her lips as she watches me undress.
Leaving my clothes on the floor, I walk over to the shower as she pulls open the curtain and I step inside with her. Sydney backs up, stepping back into the water as she gives me space to enter. Her body is wet and slick, glistening from the water. I follow along after her, stepping into her space as I wrap my arms around her waist.
Sydney pulls me into the water with her, the steam surrounding us as the hot spray spills down both of our bodies. “Perfect timing, showing up in time to get in here with me.”
“Let me wash you,” I murmur, releasing one arm from her waist as I reach over for her loofah. I squirt some of her bodywash into it. Taking a small step away from her, Sydney drops her arms to her sides as I bring the loofah to her chest and begin to work a lather with the soap. Her eyelids flutter shut as I scrub the front of her body.
Dropping to my knees in front of her, I scrub her legs. She stares down at me, a fire burning in her irises as I bring my face close to her pussy. I hear the sharp intake of her breath as I press my lips to hers, kissing her before I rise back up to my feet.
“Tease,” Sydney growls at me, frowning in disapproval.
A smirk forms on my face as I slowly turn her around to have her back facing me. Leaning forward, I nip at the lower lobe of her ear. “Patience, babe. I’ll give you everything you want in a little bit.”
“Fine,” she groans, planting her hands on the wall in front of her as I lather her back with more soap. Using the loofah I scrub with one hand, while I use my other and massage her flesh. Sydney moans softly, her body relaxing under my touch.
“Come to Maine with me.”
I don’t bother easing into the conversation, because I know Sydney will shut me down immediately. She hates talking about the future because of the uncertainty of it all.
Dropping her hands from the wall, she spins around to face me. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that I don’t want to spend a fucking second away from you, Sydney,” I tell her, stepping closer as I cup the side of her face. “I want you to come spend the summer with me in Maine. I want you to spend the rest of your fucking life with me, but I’m not proposing yet because I want that shit to be perfect.”
Sydney’s eyes widen slightly, her lips parting slightly, as she stares back at me. She’s silent for a moment, her throat bobbing as she swallows hard. “You want me to come with you?”
“Sydney,” I murmur, dropping the loofah as I cup both sides of her face. “When will you see how absolutely crazy I am about you? You’re my endgame. I don’t want anyone else in this lifetime but you.” I pause for a moment, my eyes bouncing back and forth between hers. “I don’t want you to feel pressured if you don’t want to go, but I want you with me.”
She continues to stare at me, like she’s at a loss for words. “I don’t want to live life without you and that scares the shit out of me, because I have no idea what the future holds, especially if you go to the NHL.”
“The future holds us, Sydney.”
“You want that with me?” she asks, her voice cracking around her words as she’s overcome with emotion.
A smile pulls on the corners of my lips. “More than I’ve ever wanted anything else in my life.”
Tears fill her eyes before they spill, mixing with the water that streams down the sides of her face. “I’ll come to Maine with you. I’ll follow you wherever you go, Asher.”
“I won’t be going anywhere without you, babe.”
Sydney steps closer to me, wrapping her arms around my neck as my hands find her waist. I pull her flush against me, her naked body pressed to mine. “This isn’t an official proposal, because I have plans for it already, but I can’t wait any longer to ask you.” I pause for a moment, swallowing over the lump in my throat. “I want you to have my last name and have my babies. Will you marry me, Sydney?”
Her eyes bounce back and forth between mine. “I would love nothing more than to be your wife.” She lifts up on her tiptoes as I dip my face down to hers, our lips lightly brushing against each other’s. “Yes, Asher Golding. I will marry you.”
“Thank fuck,” I breathe, nipping at her bottom lip. “I couldn’t wait any longer to ask, but you’ll get your ring with my official proposal.”
“So, this is all just a tease?”
A laugh rumbles in my chest. “No, babe, just a taste of what’s to come.”
Pulling away from her, I begin to make my way down her naked body as I pepper kisses along every inch of skin. Dropping to my knees in front of her, I grab the back of her knee and hook her leg over my shoulder.
“Now, it’s my turn to have a taste of what’s to come…”
