“Hi, yourself.”
“I... I don’t even know what to—” Her eyes widened to saucers as they finally took me in. “Asher...” she croaked.
“Yes, babe?” The corner of my mouth tipped as realization slowly seeped into her expression.
“Why are you wearing that?”
“What this?” I pinched the cherry and white jersey and pulled it away from my chest. “Figured I should get used to it.”
“B- but why?”
I took a step closer. “Because come fall, I’m going to be playing for the Temple Owls.”
“You are?” The surprised expression on her face was adorable.
I nodded, fighting a grin. “It isn’t official yet, but it will be soon enough. What do you think?” Turning on the spot, I paused long enough for her to get a good look at the name printed on the back.
“Hernandez,” she whispered.
“That’s right, babe.” I faced her again, closing the distance between us. “You’re wearing my name and I’m wearing yours. Do you know what that means?”
Her lips parted but the words got stuck.
“It means,” I leaned in, hovering my lips over hers, “I’m yours and you’re mine.”
“I think I like the sound of that,” her voice quivered, but the smile on her face said it all.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she breathed. “There’s just one tiny problem.”
I reared back, my brows bunched together. “I won’t be at Temple in the fall.”
“You won’t?”
What the actual fuck?
Mya shook her head. “I won’t be there… because I accepted the place at Cleveland.”
“You what? I’m not following.”
Guilt sparkled in her eyes. “After that night at Felicity’s, I knew there was no way I could walk away from you. I just needed time to figure things out. So I accepted the place at Cleveland. I was waiting for the right time to tell you.”
Cupping the back of her neck, I drew her close to me. “Well, you’re going to need to un-accept it. I want Temple, Mya. I want Temple with you.”
“You’re sure?”
“More than anything. Where you go, I go, Hernandez.” Her body relaxed against me at my words.
“But what about your dad?”
I eased back to look at her. “Who do you think pulled some strings with the administration at Temple?”
“He did?”
“He owed me, and now,” I kissed the end of her nose, “now we’re even.”
“I don’t know about this.” Mya drummed her hand against her thigh as I pulled into a parking bay at the hospital and cut the engine.