Chapter Twenty-Three

S lowly I wake up. I smile when I realize that Clay is pressed in behind me. His naked body against mine. Last night plays through my head. It was everything I ever wanted and more. I'm still slightly tender, but it was worth it. So worth it.

My mind shifts to Clay, and I bite my lip. I said what I meant the other day. I do want him, and while I don't regret anything, I'm still scared. As much as I want to enjoy our time together, I'm scared of when the other shoe will drop. I feel like I have one foot out the door, and I hate it.

If only there was a way to convince him that he doesn't need to enter the draft this year and that he can wait.

It isn't your job to change his mind, you can only support him, a little voice in my head tells me.

Clay makes a humming noise as he pulls my body closer to his.

"How long have you been awake?" he rasps before kissing the back of my head.

"Not long," I tell him as I kiss his arm that's under my neck.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You're tense." He pauses. "I just want to make sure you don't regret last night."

I break out of his hold and roll over and face him. "I don't regret last night in the slightest. It was everything I could have ever wanted and more."

His cheeks flush. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, and I hope you feel the same way," I quip.

He kisses the tip of my nose. "You know I do. Now tell me what had you so tense."

I bite my lip as I contemplate my words. "I'm scared," I say slowly.

"What has you scared, beautiful?" he asks as he brushes hair away from my face.

"I'm scared of you leaving and breaking my heart," I say candidly.

Clayton jerks as if I just hit him. "What? The last thing I want to do is break your heart, Grace. In fact, that's the exact opposite."

"I know. I know. Just hear me out, okay?" I say in a soothing tone.

He nods and swallows hard.

"You're going to enter the draft, and we both know it. You'll get drafted to some amazing team that's nowhere near here. You'll go, and I'll still be here with your sister and our friends. You'll get so busy building a career, and you'll forget all about me."

"Grace…"

"And it's okay. I want you to get drafted and move to a kick-ass team. Really, I do, but at the same time, it makes me a little sad for me because I can't see how it will work out for us, but I'm willing to go through the heartache of losing you if it means I get a little bit of time with you."

Clay cups my cheek and tilts my head back, making me look right at him. "Even if I get drafted, I'm not leaving you. Okay?"

I shake my head. "You can't promise that."

"I can," he says adamantly. "Grace, you're the only woman who has ever made me look twice. The only one who has ever made me want something other than hockey. I know it's too soon, but it's you, and it will be you."

"What's me?" I ask quietly as my heart races.

"You're the one for me. It's going to be us, okay?"

I swallow my heart as tears fill my eyes. "You really mean that, don't you?"

"I do. You and I are going to date and fall harder for each other. Our friends are going to hate us because we can't keep our hands off of each other, and then when you graduate, I'll convince you to move to wherever I am. Then with time, I'll ask you to marry me."

"You've got it all planned out, don't you?" I ask as the tears fall down my face.

He shrugs. "I'm hopeful. What can I say?"

"It's going to be hard."

"I know, but I think if anyone can pull it off, it's us."

"I want that too, you know."

"I'd hope so, or shit would get awkward fast," he teases, trying to lighten the mood.

I scoff. "I think we're awkward enough as it is. Let's not add to it if we can help it."

He leans down and kisses me until we're both breathless. I place my thigh over his hip, lining us up perfectly. Clay palms my ass as he rocks against me.

"I can't wait to get inside of you again," he says between kisses.

I bite his bottom lip and slowly pull away. "Then why don't you?"

Clay growls and rolls us so I'm on my back, and he's between my thighs.

"If you insist." Clay reaches over to his nightstand to grab a condom but pauses when someone bangs on the door.

"Rise and shine, you two!" Beckett shouts through the door as he pounds on it.

"Go away!" I yell.

"No can do! Now get out of bed and come have breakfast with all of us!" Beckett shouts with humor in his voice.

Clay groans and rests his forehead on my shoulder. "Assholes, all of them," he says, making me giggle.

I run my nails over his scalp. "We should probably get up before they come barging in here."

"They wouldn't."

"Please, we both know they would."

Clay pushes up onto his elbows, caging me in. "Pick this back up later?"

"Oh, you can count on it."

I watch as Clay crawls off the bed, and I watch him adjust himself.

"Like what you see?" he jokes.

"You know I do."

He holds out a hand, and when I place mine in his, he pulls me off the bed. Reluctantly, we put our clothes back on.

"Ready?"

I shake my head. "I'll meet you down there. I'm just going to go to the bathroom real quick."

Clay nods and kisses me quickly. "Sounds good, take your time."

As I watch him walk away, I can't help but reach up and touch my lips. I hope he's right and that everything will work out the way he thinks it will.

Rounding the corner into the kitchen, I come to a stop. Brett, Beckett, and Wyatt are all standing around looking at me with smiles on their faces.

"Why are you two looking at me like that?" I mumble as I make my way to the fridge.

"I don't know, why are we looking at him like this, guys?" Brett says.

Beckett hums. "I don't know, maybe because we know that our friend Grace slept in your room last night."

Wyatt grunts. "I'd say sleeping wasn't the only thing that happened last night."

I look at him and raise a brow. "Really, you're getting in on this?"

Wyatt shrugs as he brings his glass of orange juice up to his mouth.

"So…" Brett trails off when Grace enters the room. "Morning, Jelly Bean."

"Morning, guys. Do you have any coffee?" she asks.

"I'll get it for you," Beckett tells her.

"How are you feeling?" she asks him.

Beckett groans. "Not you too."

"What! You can't blame us for being concerned. Head injuries are no joke."

"He's fine. I'd say the bigger question is, how are you this morning?" Brett says.

I watch as a pretty blush starts to cover her cheeks, and I know the guys don't miss it by the way they share a look.

"I have no complaints," she tells them.

"Really? Not one?" Beckett teases her.

"Okay, enough, you guys," I warn them.

"Yeah, I was told there was breakfast, and as far as I can see, there is none," she adds.

Brett slaps a hand over his chest. "Do you really think we would let you starve?"

"I don't know, would you?" she challenges him before turning to Beckett as he hands her a cup of coffee. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, and breakfast is in the oven, keeping warm. We wanted to wait for you guys," Beckett tells her.

"What can I do to help?"

Moving over to her, I kiss the top of her head. "Go sit down. We got this."

She nods and walks to the table while Wyatt and I grab the paper plates and utensils. Brett and Beckett grab the food and bring it to the table.

"Wow, this looks amazing. Honestly, when you guys said breakfast, I was thinking Pop-Tarts," Grace says when they set down the hash browns, pancakes, and sausage. I sit down next to Grace while the guys take the other seats.

Beckett scoffs and leans forward onto the table. "We're growing boys and athletes at that. We burn a lot of calories and need something more than Pop-Tarts to get us by."

She picks up her fork and points it at him. "Touché."

Without thinking about it, I place food on Grace's plate before adding any to mine.

"Thank you," she says quietly.

"You're welcome."

As I eat, an overwhelming feeling of rightness settles over me. This. This is what it's supposed to be like. I have my girl next to me and my three best friends surrounding us. Everyone getting along. When breakfast is over and the kitchen is cleaned up, the guys start talking about needing to hit the gym for weight training.

"Yeah, I need to run by my place and change before class," Grace says as she eyes the clock.

"If you give me twenty, I can walk you." Before I even finish offering, she's shaking her head.

"No time. I can go by myself."

"Are you sure?" I walk over to her and wrap my arms around her waist.

She nods. "Positive. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah." I smile down at her.

She pops up on her toes and gives me a quick kiss.

"Text me." She waves toward the guys. "Bye, guys."

"Later," they say in unison.

When the door clicks shut, Brett turns toward me. "So are you two dating or what?"

"We are," I tell them proudly.

Beckett pats me on the shoulder as he passes. "Good, better not fuck it up. Now get ready, we have a gym to hit."

"Hi boys," a group of girls say when they pass us by.

"Ladies," Beckett says with a smile on his face, but we don't stop walking.

We drop our stuff in the locker room before heading into the gym.

"Are we doing the circuit on the board?" Wyatt asks.

Every morning, the trainers put a new workout circuit on the board that they want players to do. It's not mandatory, but highly recommended.

"Yeah, even if I know I'll be sucking ass for the rest of the day," Brett mutters. "You think they would be a little bit easier on us when the season has started."

"Ain't no rest for the wicked," I tell him. "Besides, when has that ever been the case? This isn't your first year, Brett."

"I know, but a man can hope."

"Hope in one hand and shit in the other, and see which fills up first," I joke.

He rolls his eyes and opens his mouth to say something, but is cut off when Coach yells my name.

"James, my office."

"Everything okay?" Beckett asks.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's nothing. You guys get started without me, and I'll catch up," I tell them as I start walking toward Coach's office.

"You wanted to see me?" I say when I step into his office.

"Shut the door and take a seat."

I do as he asks and then sit.

He leans back in his chair and studies me thoughtfully. "It's been a minute since I've checked in with you. How is everything going?"

"Good."

"Everything okay at home?"

"Yeah, sorry for missing practice last week."

"I'd rather have you miss practice than get hurt because you're distracted. Head on straight now, though?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now I have two things. One, where is your head at on the draft situation?"

I rub my hands over my legs. "Honestly, sir, that was part of the issue last week. It's been weighing heavy on me, and I haven't made up my mind yet."

He nods. "Understandable. But you'll need to make up your mind soon."

"I know."

"I got a report about your grades. I see the tutor is helping."

I feel the corner of my mouth tip up. "Yeah, Grace is great. Anytime she explains it to me, it clicks, but for some reason, when the professor tries, it goes in one ear and out the other."

"Teachers aren't one size fits all. Everyone learns differently."

"I couldn't agree more, Coach."

Someone knocks on the door, and Coach sighs. "Come in."

An athletic trainer pops their head in. "Do you have a minute?"

Coach nods and turns to me. "Get out of here and keep up the good work."

I stand. "Yes, sir."