He pauses, and Avery brushes her hair off her shoulders, watching me. “And you’re saying this because of your mom?”

“Yeah, I don’t want to upset her.”

He doesn’t say anything, just lets out a long breath. I feel sick. Like utterly sick. I don’t want to disappoint him. But then, did he care about my feelings when he broke up our family? No. So why should I care about his? Probably because I’m hoping one day, he’ll do right by my mom and she’ll take him back. Then Jude and Jayden will come home and we will be a family again. I know that’s a stupid thing to want. We are all grown up, and they grew apart, but I would do anything to have my family back together.

But then I look across the table and I realize she is what I want most.

“Okay, son. I respect that.”

That pulls me from my thoughts, and my face twists in confusion. “You do?”

“Yeah, I mean, I’m the one who hurt her. You’re being a good son, and I respect that.”

Am I being punked? I look up and even Avery is confused and in disbelief.

“Okay, thanks,” I croak out.

“All right, bud. Let me let you go. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Yeah, bye, Dad.”

“Bye, y’all.”

When I hit end on my phone, I turn to Avery. “I don’t know about that.”

Her brows are touching and her lip is curled. “Yeah, I mean, I don’t know him, but that seems kinda fishy.”

“Hmm.” I tuck my phone into my pocket. I don’t know what he is up to, but man, I’m so tired of worrying about what he is going to do. I just want this to be easy, I want to enjoy my year, get into the NHL, and live. Fuck, he drives me crazy, but I have to let that go.

Because nothing matters but celebrating with Avery.

“Fuck it. You almost done?”

She nods, reaching out and taking my hand, lacing her fingers with mine. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just don’t trust him.”

“Me either,” she says slowly. “I don’t trust my family either, and I have to spend three days with them starting Friday.”

I balk. “Ew, gross.”

“Exactly.”

“Do you think I’ll meet them?”

She shrugs. “Maybe one day.”

“Do you want me to meet them?” Why do I care? I don’t want to meet the people who hurt her.

“Do I want to show off my superhot, sexy, talented, amazing boyfriend to my family?” she asks with a grin. “Yeah, but I don’t think it would make me happy the way it should. They’ll find a way to ruin it, so maybe I’ll keep you all to myself.”

I grin, cupping her behind her neck and pulling her toward me. “That’s a good place to keep me.”

“I think so,” she says with a wink.

“I am hot, too. And talented. I think you did good there.”

She rolls her eyes. “It’s suffocating in here with your ego, you know?”

“Eh, hush. You love my ego.”

She blows a raspberry, but it’s only for a second before I press my lips to hers, my eyes falling shut as her kiss takes me to another world. One where there is no pain for either of us. Where we both come from happy homes with no drama at all. But when she pulls away, I’m ripped back into reality, staring into her turquoise eyes.

This reality, yeah, it can be tough, but it’s also pretty freaking great.

With her in it.

I kiss the back of Avery’s head and she nuzzles her ass against my cock. My heart is still racing, and I can feel hers doing the same. Wrapping my arms around her naked body, I kiss her shoulder and then the back of her neck. “I love you.”

She lets out a sigh. “I love you too.”

Still in my arms, she turns, leaning her forehead against my chin. While the sex was hot like it always is, I could tell she was distracted. I’m not a hundred percent sure about what, though. Usually, she’s totally into it, but it was different this time. Which makes me a little nervous. Does she know what Jude wants to tell me?

Tilting my chin up, I move her face back with only my chin as she laughs. “Jace! I hate when—” But she’s cut off when my chin goes into her mouth. Moving her head, she glowers. “—you do that. It’s weird. Like you have no hands or something.”

I grip her ass and she laughs. “Oh, I have hands. But hush, I want to look at you before you leave me for a couple days.”

She looks sad as her gaze falls to my nose. “I don’t want to go. Especially since you’ll be seeing an ex all weekend.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Don’t trust me?”

“Whatever. You know I do. I just don’t trust her, she looks slutty.”

I shrug. “Eh, not really.”

She gives me a dull look. “Jace, her profile pic is her with a bra on, pushing her breasts up. I can guarantee you more than half the men on her friends list don’t even know her.”

I grin as I think about the picture. “She was fun.”

She shudders. “I might need to go make sure I don’t have any STDS.”

“Drama queen.”

“Ha, don’t hate ’cause I want to be safe.”

“Um, my cock is one hundred percent clean. I was taught well: Don’t be a fool, wrap your tool.”

She eyes me. “While I appreciate your vow of cleanliness, I’m really impressed that you can still surprise me with your corniness.”

“Hey!”

She kisses the side of my mouth as I cuddle against her, our breathing falling into the same rhythm. Her fingers slide up the back of my head and I melt against her. Closing my eyes, I whisper, “You have nothing to worry about.”

“I better not,” she warns and my mouth curves up.

“I better not either,” I grin back and she’s the one scoffing this time.

“Please, don’t be silly.”

Opening my eyes, I shoot her a serious look, which causes her to dissolve into laughter. Rolling her eyes, she presses her nose to mine and I look deep into those beautiful eyes of hers. I have nothing to worry about, and I know it. This girl is mine. All mine. But, there is still a bad feeling in my gut about what Jude has to tell me. I don’t know what it is, and that scares me.

When her eyes turn from happy to serious, I forget about Jude and my brow rises as her lip goes between her teeth. “What?”