Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Grace partook while I opted to stay sober, but I’d be a lying bastard if I said I didn’t take advantage of her heightened sensitivity when we were alone in our tent later that night. Just trailing my fingertips over her skin had her writhing in need. And when she finally couldn’t take anymore and climbed on top of me, she rode in slow, smooth movements that tested my ability to last long enough for her to find her release first.
We woke with the sun the next morning, packing up our supplies and stopping long enough to wish Nora and Glen a happy life before we started trekking back to the ranger station. We were exhausted after the back-to-back hikes, so we slept in a nearby hotel that night before hitting the road the next morning.
And then, we were headed north to Canada.
There was so much to see, so much we wanted to stop and explore as we crossed through Idaho and Montana. We seemed torn between taking in all the sights we could, and getting to our end-destination before we ran out of time.
In the end, we landed on a week of exploring the area, losing our days trying our hand at fly-fishing, hiking, and exploring while every single night was spent discovering more about one another. The book I’d brought with me still had a bookmark in the same place I’d left it that day we’d hiked in Chattanooga. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone this long without reading.
But I had better things to do with my hands now than turn the pages of a book.
When we weren’t fucking each other into oblivion, we were talking — Grace’s head on my chest, my fingers rubbing lazy circles on her skin. She made me laugh. I made her feel safe enough not to fake a smile. And it didn’t matter how late we stayed up or how much we talked on the road, I never got tired of hearing about her life — her past, what she was thinking now, where she thought she might be in the future.
I’d only known the girl for a month, and yet it felt like I’d been living under water before I found her. It was like she’d pulled me to the surface, like I’d taken my first breath and looked around and saw the world with fresh eyes.
And now, I couldn’t imagine living without her.
Which fucking gutted me — because I didn’t have another choice.
One night, when she was sound asleep and letting out the most adorable, annoying little snores in the world next to me, I let myself entertain the thought of asking her to be with me. Really be with me.
And then I instantly realized how fucking stupid an idea it was.
Vince would never let it happen. The moment he found out, he’d fight me. He’d threatened all of us on the team within an inch of our lives to stay away from his sister. And it wouldn’t be just me and Grace who would suffer. Vince was our strongest winger. He was our point-leader. If Will wasn’t our captain, it would be Vince. He pulled us all together, made us stronger, made us want to work harder for each other.
But this… this would tear us apart.
My stomach tightened at the memory of Will cornering me at the tournament, at what he’d reminded me of.
This was bigger than just me.
And even if I did decide to say fuck Vince and fuck the team, too — what did I honestly expect? Grace was twenty-fucking-two years old. She still had so much growing to do, so much to see and experience.
I would hate giving her up when the summer came to an end.
But I’d hate holding her back even more.
I shoved all those thoughts to the back of my mind whenever I could, committing myself to soaking up the present moment. Because right now — she was mine.
It was the wildest sensation when we finally decided to cross the border, handing over our passports at the Canadian checkpoint with Grace bouncing excitedly in the passenger seat. I felt both like I was coming home and like I was jumping headfirst into a pit of needles.
I smiled and pointed out landmarks to Grace as we drove, all while my stomach twisted into an awful knot. We stopped at Tim Horton’s for a double double and timbits, and I stretched my hands against the numbness threatening to invade them.
It was amazing.
And yet, it was terrifying, too.
Because I was back in my country — but I was also closer to my father.
We stopped for the night at a little manor in Glenwood, a small village not far from the border with a gorgeous view of the mountains we’d be driving toward the next day. The host was a huge hockey fan, and about lost his shit when he saw us walk up to check in. He went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, even going so far as to make us dinner — bison burgers and poutine.