17. Epilogue

Epilogue

I wince as the paintball hits my left ass cheek, the sting radiating through my body. And here I thought today would be a nice day after everything that went down two weeks ago. I mean, the Titans won the Frozen Four and it's surprisingly warm for April. Plus, Jackson's family lives in a goddamn mega-mansion right on the water.

But leave it to this asshole to ruin it.

"Are you kidding me right now?" I rub the sore spot, glaring daggers at my soon-to-be ex-boyfriend if he keeps this shit up, who's lounging on his king-sized bed like a smug ruler surveying his kingdom. The 1000 thread count sateen sheets beneath him shimmer in the soft light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the bay.

My whole life I just thought sheets were sheets. But nope. Since Jackson got out of the hospital last week he's been staying at his family's house, and I got a lesson—aka a lecture—about proper thread count.

"I'm fucking stuck in this damn bed, and you've banned sex for the time being, so how else am I supposed to let the world know you"re mine?" His lips curl into a wicked grin as he takes aim and shoots me again. This time the paintball hits me in the chest.

I stumble back, my hand flying to the spot where the ball made contact, the welt already forming beneath my fingertips. "Jackson, stop! You could've taken my eye out."

He scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Oh, please. I have perfect aim. And your nipple is nowhere near your eyeballs, dumbass."

"Swear to God I am going to break up with you . . . or push you off the damn bedroom balcony, you entitled fucktard."

"Maybe you should stop denying me sex then." He levels the gun at me, one eyebrow raised. "Are you going to ride my dick?"

A growl rips from my throat as I stalk toward him, ignoring the pain of another paintball hitting my shoulder.

I rip the gun from his hands and march to the double French doors that lead out to the balcony, throwing them open with a bang. I step out into the unseasonably warm spring air, the salty breeze whipping through my hair as I yeet the gun over the railing, watching with satisfaction as it falls to the ground below.

After, I storm back into the room, then stand at the edge of the bed with my arms crossed. "Mind telling me why the fuck none of those balls broke?"

Jackson"s eyes sparkle with mischief. "Viktor did me a solid and froze them. Turn around and pull down your pants. Let me see if there's a bruise forming on your ass."

I narrow my eyes, my voice low and threatening. "Keep acting up and see what happens."

He just waggles his eyebrows, unfazed by my anger.

With a defeated sigh, I climb onto his oversized king bed, the mattress dipping beneath my weight as I crawl to sit next to him. "If you keep pushing me to go against the doctor's orders, I"m leaving your ass behind this summer."

Jackson"s face tenses, his jaw clenching as he presses his lips into a thin, tight line, the Cupid's bow even more pronounced with the tense set of his facial muscles. "Not the first time you've made that threat, so if you don"t want me going to Massachusetts with you, just say so."

"It's not that I don't want you to go." I swallow hard, the lump in my throat growing with each passing second. "What if . . . my mom . . . There"s just no guarantee she"ll have good days while you"re there."

He grips my chin, tilting my head up until my eyes meet his. "Then we take care of her."

Now it's my turn to scoff. "Yeah, because that"s what every guy wants to do on their vacation."

Jackson growls, his fingers tightening on my chin. "Kill, your family is mine. Your problems and fears are also mine. So, if that"s how we spend two weeks, then so be it. You don"t ever have to ask for help. You'll always have it without question."

Tears pool, spilling over and rolling down my cheeks no matter how hard I try to hold them back.

"Come on, jackass. You"re going to make me stop saying nice things if this crying shit keeps happening." He teases, but his voice is soft, his touch gentle as he wipes away my tears with his thumb.

"Love you too, asshat," I whisper, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

I lean in and kiss him, claiming his mouth as he claims mine. His arms wrap around me, pulling me closer as the world outside fades away until it"s just the two of us.

Jackson Reed will always be my biggest rival on the ice but off it, he's not just my boyfriend, he's my teammate in life.

And there's no one else I'd rather have by my side.