“Tell me something you’ve never told anyone.”
His request brings me back to reality as I look up at him. My brows come together before I look away from his smiling face to stare at our entwined hands. There is plenty I’ve never told anyone, but I can’t share that with him. He wouldn’t understand, and he’d probably run for the hills, taking the cheese and pepperoni with him. No matter how easy it feels, how comfortable I feel under his gaze, I know I can’t share that.
“You first.”
He smirks. “You don’t know how deep to go, huh?”
“You got me,” I say with a shrug and his lips curve.
“Okay, um, I’ve never been in love.”
My face scrunches up. “What? Seriously?”
“Nope, never. Well, I mean, I’ve been in a very long relationship with hockey—”
“Gag,” I moan and he laughs. “No, really, you had to have had a little high school thing with someone.”
“No, I was so busy with travel hockey, and most of the time I slept through school. I mean, I was sleeping with this girl, Molly Collins, who was in love with me and did my homework for me so that I’d pass, but it was never more than that. I never led her on, though,” he insists, probably because my face is indicating that he is a dick. “I never said I loved her. But we had fun, went to prom and all that ja
zz. I haven’t seen her in a couple years. She’s touring England right now.”
“Oh, well, that’s cool, I guess.”
He laughs. “Really, she knew the deal. When we graduated, she asked if I wanted more. I said no, and she said fine and left. No hard feelings. She likes all my Facebook stuff when I post.”
That makes me laugh as I lie on my hands, our gazes still locked. “Then, yeah, you’re good. She won’t come back to kill you.”
“Thank God.”
Grinning, I confess, “I never went to prom.”
His brows shoot to where the beanie on his head sits as he gasps, “Really?”
“Nope.”
“Why?”
“No one asked.”
“That’s unacceptable.”
I laugh. “Well, it’s true.”
“I would have asked.”
“And I would have said yes,” I say automatically, which makes his lips curve in a sinful grin.
“But you wouldn’t have dated me, huh?”
This time, I’m grinning. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“But not now?” His eyes are challenging and I don’t want to give in, but he is making it hard.
“One, you haven’t asked, and two, you have to get why I don’t want to date anyone. It’s just messy, and you of all people should understand that.”
He nods. “I do, and that’s why I didn’t want to get involved with anyone either. But that’s changed now.”
“We’ve known each other a day, Jace. Calm your tits.”