34. Sawyer

CHAPTER 34

SAWYER

Dove

Good luck tonight hockey star

Me

You sure you don't want to just quit your job so you can make it to all of my games?

Dove

Why do I feel like you're serious?

Me

Why would I joke about that?

Dove

Sawyer!!

Me

Catch you later, Dove

Dove

You better wink emoji

"That's what I'm talking about! Let's fucking go!" I can't contain the adrenaline running through me any longer when Matty slaps the tie-breaking shot into the net right before time runs out. We all tackle him and celebrate yet another win making it an undefeated season for the Badgers so far.

Just as I'm walking back to my locker from the showers, I hear my phone go off, smiling when I see the photo of Leah and I lighting up the screen.

Dove

What an assist. hot emoji

Me

Were you able to watch?

Dove

Sure was!

Me

They let you watch a game during a parent-teacher conference?

Dove

*attachment 1 image*

No way.

I click on her contact and put the phone to my ear. It only rings once before her voice fills the line.

"Hey there hockey star."

"See, that sounds so much nicer coming from you than when Tucker says it." I smile when I hear her laughing. "You're here?"

"I am. Our meetings ended a little earlier than expected so I ran home and changed and then came straight here." That gives me an idea.

"What are you wearing?" The guys start hooting and hollering, acting like complete idiots—the way men do in locker rooms.

"How scandalous of you to ask," she teases. "Why don't you come find out."

"Oh, I intend to. Come down here and wait in the hallway, I'll be ready in ten."

"Ready? For what?"

"Our first date, what else?" I smirk when the line goes quiet. "Ten minutes."

"Okay, bye." She hangs up and I dress in the suit I showed up in tonight instead of the clothes I was planning on leaving in. Exactly ten minutes later I'm walking out of the locker room with my bag slung over my shoulder, and when Leah comes into view I come to a halt. She is wearing a blue dress that makes me want to blind anyone else who's had the absolute privilege of looking at her in it.

The peasant style sleeves are long and flowy, gathering around her wrist more tightly, while the skirt is layered and dangerously high on her thighs. She has on some gray booties with it, and I physically cannot pull my eyes away from her.

"You okay there, Moose?" She blushes and my feet finally start working again.

I stalk towards her, dropping my bag a few feet away from where she stands, and when I finally reach her, I wrap my arms around her ass, careful not to lift her dress when I pick her up, and kiss her. She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me right back and it isn't until some of the guys start to exit the locker room, starting with their shenanigans, that our kiss breaks.

She bites down on her bottom lip and buries her face in my neck, giving me a sense of pride. Knowing that she's mine and that she finally feels comfortable and safe with me is a feeling I won't ever take for granted.

"I'm better than okay. And you look absolutely breathtaking tonight." I finally put her feet back on the ground and she grabs the collar of my suit jacket, taking me in.

"Back at you. I can't decide what I like you in more, your uniform, your suit or your boxers." She raises a brow, causing my dick to follow suit.

"Want me to let you see option number three again? To help you make a final decision of course." I wink at her, and she playfully rolls her eyes. "Ah, maybe another time then, I've got better plans for us tonight anyhow." I wrap my arm around her, grabbing my bag from the ground as I lead the way to my truck.

When we pull up to the restaurant Leah's eyes light up. It's notorious for being booked out for months but they're also known to have the best drinks in Nashville and if there's one thing I've learned about Leah—and the rest of the girls—it's that they can appreciate a good mixed drink.

"Are you serious? This place is impossible to get into!"

"I may or may not have a standing reservation here." I shrug, and her eyes grow wide.

"How rich are you?" I bark out a laugh, unbuckling my seatbelt and she mirrors my movement.

"Oh, come on now, I was sure you didn't care about that stuff." She shrugs at my teasing tone as I get out to round the truck and help her out.

"I don't," she says simply, lacing her fingers through mine as I walk a step ahead of her the whole way up to the entrance.

"Good evening Mr. Clark, your usual table?"

"Yes, Maggie. Thanks so much." The hostess smiles and leads us through the quiet restaurant to the table in the far-right corner.

"I live a modest life; the way Momma always told me to when I made it big. I make smart investments, only spend what I need, and when I do decide to splurge, I make sure it's on important things. Your money goes a lot further that way." Leah nods in understanding, propping her elbow on the table as she studies me.

"You are never going to stop surprising me, are you?"

"I sure hope not." I wink and lean in to kiss her but before I can, we're interrupted.

"Leah Gates?" A voice I don't recognize pulls Leah's attention away from me, her eyes widening as her mouth pops open.

"Joshua Miller?"

I look up to see a guy standing by our small, round table, the look of joy on his face matching Leah's which immediately pisses me off. I spent long enough trying to convince her she should be with me instead of the weasel, I'm not in the mood for any more distractions.

I take the opportunity to grab the back of Leah's chair and pull it seamlessly closer to mine, placing my hand on her leg somewhere between her knee and the bottom of her dress. Never breaking eye contact with the guy. Though he doesn't take his eyes off of her .

Motherfu—

"I can't believe it. I mean, what are the chances I'd run into you after all these years?"

My jaw is clenched tight, trying to keep myself from asking who the fuck this is and how the fuck they know each other. Especially when she pops out of her seat and rounds the table to give him a hug.

"I know! Oh my gosh, it's so good to see you." I grab her hand and pull her back into my lap. Startling the guy and causing Leah's head to whip around to look at me.

"Who's your friend, Dove?" I shoot a charming smile—my press smile, as I like to call it—to the guy to ease some of the growing tension.

"Sawyer, this is Josh. We went to college together. He went to Peru after graduation to teach and—I still can't believe you're here!" she says, shaking her head in disbelief. Josh just nods at me with an awkward grin on his face.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so rude. I'm just still in shock. Josh, this is my boyfriend, Sawyer. He?—"

" The Sawyer?" His eyes widen and even though she's not facing me, I can see Leah turning red. So, she talked to him about me?

"The one and only." I extend my hand and Josh shakes it firmly.

"Wow. I mean, that's great. I'm really happy things worked out for you, Le." I internally growl at the nickname. How fucking close were they?

"Thanks Josh. It was really good to see you." She smiles sweetly.

"Yeah, I better let you two get back to it." Josh waves and waltzes further into the restaurant. Leah, however, becomes eerily still.

" The Sawyer?" I question, "Care to explain that?"

"Um…no?" She tries to stand but I place my hand back on her thigh, though this time my fingertips have disappeared beneath the fabric of her dress. She's hidden behind the tablecloth so no one can even see where I'm holding her, but I still see the way her head swivels around the restaurant.

"Dove?" She sighs and her eyes lock with mine.

"Josh and I met in college, and we became fast friends. He was honestly one of my best friends while I was there." I attempt to ignore the blood thumping in my ears.

That time should have been ours.

"You already had friends." I'm aware I sound completely insane right now, but I told her I was a jealous motherfucker—and I meant it.

"Who were all away at different colleges…" The look on her face as well as the ultra-slow pace of her words tells me she's aware she's reiterating something I already know.

"Anyways, he ended up catching feelings for me that I didn't reciprocate. I told him I didn't feel the same way and felt comfortable enough to tell him why— which is where you come in. He was really understanding, and it was so close to graduation that we didn't really have time for it to become awkward before he left. This is actually the first time I've seen him since he asked me to go with him." She casually stares out into the restaurant, meanwhile my heart falls through the seat of my chair.

"He did what?"

"What?" Her eyes meet mine again, and her brows pull together like she's trying to figure out what she missed.

"He asked you to go with him to Peru? " My heart is back and beating so hard it's almost painful.

"Oh, uh… Yeah." Now it's me looking around the restaurant, but mostly to keep myself from spontaneously combusting.

"How close were you two, exactly?" Every word feels like acid on my tongue.

Her head tilts to one side. "Sawyer, come on. That was years ago. You know I haven't been with anyone?—"

"Hop up, Dove." I pat her hip and her face turns to sheer panic.

"No," she argues. I pick her up and move her from my lap, grabbing her hand as I walk us outside. I made a promise I wouldn't walk away again, and I don't want her misinterpreting this as me doing so, but I can't fucking breathe in this restaurant right now. If I don't get out soon I will be making a scene.

When we make it outside the cool air hits my lungs, and I relish in the way it allows me to pull in a full breath. Leah follows behind me until we're stopped in front of an alley, far enough away from the crowd gathered outside the restaurant.

"Sawyer what the hell is going on?" She crosses her arms over her chest, and I run a frustrated hand through my hair.

"Oh, I don't know, Leah. I just found out that some guy thought the two of you were close enough to ask you to go live across the world with him, so?—"

"But we weren't, " she argues, her voice low but shaking.

"Really? He apparently thought you were!" The idea of her being that close with anyone else pisses me off—but not at her. Not even at the other guy. At myself.

She wasn't in my life during those years because of my decisions, and the realization that she could have ended up with someone else, living in another country with them, makes me want to go back in time and knock the shit out of twenty-year-old me.

"But we weren't , Sawyer. We weren't!" she shouts back now.

All I can do is shake my head. She runs her hands through her hair as rain starts falling around us.

"God! This isn't fair, Sawyer. You don't get to be upset about me having a friend in college, when you got to go around fucking anyone you wanted to during that same time. You didn't see me throwing a fit over that when I found out, did you?"

"That's different. Those girls meant nothing to me! I never saw a future with them. I never even saw a tomorrow with them. It was just a stupid way to blow off steam and fill a void. This guy clearly saw a future with you!"

"But I didn't see one with him !" she shouts, taking my face in her hands, my chest heaving with every breath I take.

"Don't you get it, you idiot? I have only ever been able to see a future with you! I couldn't get you out of my head. No matter how hard I tried, you were there, Sawyer. You've lived in my mind and my heart since the moment I met you. No one compares to you. I. Am. Yours . So don't let people from my past make you think I'm not!"

"Say it again." I grip her hips, letting my fingers dig into her skin as the rain begins falling harder.

"I'm yours, Sawyer." Her thumbs caress my cheeks, a gentle comparison to the fierce way our words have been coming out and my lips come crashing down on hers. Our kiss is needy and desperate to make each other understand just how in this we are.

"Take me home, Sawyer," she breathes against my lips. "Let me show you how yours I am." The heart that was once beating twice its normal speed stops at her words.

"Are you sure?" My eyes lock with hers and she nods.

"Yes."

Completely abandoning the plans I had in store for the evening, I kiss her one more time and take her home.