Page 103 of XOXO, Summer
“You’re beautiful, as always.” Her hair is pulled back, and she’s wearing a T-shirt and jeans that fit just right. Damn, she looks good. “You sure you can’t stay? I can be outta here in five minutes if I skip the shower.”
She reaches up on her tiptoes and presses a kiss against my lips. “I can’t. I love you, though.”
“I love you, too, so much.”
Her cheeks flush before she kisses me again. Then she turns to leave, picking up pace the further she gets away from me.
“Summer?” I call out.
“I’m really probably getting towed,” she says over her shoulder. “Call me when you get into your car. I have a long drive, and we can chat on my way back to the Cove.” She turns a corner and is gone.
What the hell just happened here?
I get to the empty locker room to remove my skates and stretch. My muscles are tight, but the envelope Summer gave me is too enticing to ignore.
Dear Daniel,
You were right.
You make me feel safe
. . . Our home.
It will be our place together, where we can raise Roman and maybe our own children.
. . . You’re not here.
You are my home. You are my everything.
XOXO,
Summer
My heart poundsas my eyes bounce through her words once more before they settle inside my brain.This means . . .
“Fuck!”
CHAPTER 34
SUMMER
“Oh, thank God,” I say, panting as Fall’s car comes into view.It’s still there.
I stop, planting my hands on my knees to catch my breath. I’m no runner, but I did my best running impersonation all the way from the arena for fear that the car would be gone before I made it back. It didn’t hurt anything that running got me farther away from Daniel, making it that much harder to turn around.
The sky is dark too soon for the hour, with gray clouds hovering above, threatening rain. At least I’m in my sneakers if it starts to pour. I shove off my knees and start down the sidewalk again as a bolt of thunder strikes in the distance.
I pick up my pace as even darker clouds roll in. A woman walks toward me with a concerned look on her face. I give her a small smile as I grow closer, wondering if I should say hello or nod kindly as I pass. I don’t know the etiquette in New York.
“You should run,” she says as the distance between us diminishes.
Huh?“It’s not raining yet.”
“A man is chasing you. Run!”
What? A man chasing me?My heart leaps as my feet falter, and I look over my shoulder and find Daniel blasting toward me still in his Breakaways uniform.
“Summer!” he shouts.
