Page 94 of Your Play to Call
“I have an idea.” I say while I help her take my shirt off.
Warm water fights the coldness in my bones and there are mountains of bubbles. Willow sits in between my legs, leaning her back to my chest, and my arms wrap around her front.
“Thismightbe too many bubbles.” Willow laughs as she tries to get some off her face.
“Is there really a limit when you’re talking about bubbles?” I ask. In all honesty, she’s right. I had no idea how many to put in. Seems like there’s enough for multiple very aggressive bubble baths.
“Mmm. This is perfect.”
“Told you, there’s no bubble limit—”
“Not just the bubbles. The drive. The Ferris wheel. The beach.” She turns her head to mine, and I steal a kiss. It’s sweet—full of all of the things I didn’t say earlier.
You’re the first person I’ve considered settling down with.
I want to take every road trip and vacation with you.
There’s no ocean I won’t splash around in, no matter how cold, as long as you’re by my side.
You could be my family.
“Thanks for taking a chance on this. On me,” I say, touching my head to hers.
“Here’s to many more chances.”
Many more.
Chapter 50
Willow
The sun shines brightthrough the windows. I’m replaying last night in my mind, over and over. Everything from the Ferris wheel, to the beach, the “I love you”, the ridiculous bubble bath. I want to mentally catalog each and every detail.
Tripp has seen me naked. Touched and kissed every inch of my skin. But soaking in a bubble bath with a professional athlete, with your back to his front, is an experience. For a few fleeting moments, I wondered about the soft parts of my body. It’s hard not to when you’re touching a body like Tripp’s, but in that moment, he leaned his head down to mine like he knew I needed the reassurance.
I never felt more loved. Accepted. Myself.
My breath hitches, thinking of Tripp telling me he loved me. The weird thing was I knew he was going to say it. I could feel it.
In the past, I’d find a way to get him to keep it to himself. Things always felt so uncertain once those words were said. Heavier. There was more at stake. It’s not words themselves but what happens after—bigger conversations, expectations—and something I’ve never been able to get right.
This time, I wanted him to say it. The doubt still scratches the back of my mind, but it’s much lighter than with anyone else before.
He currently sleeps while my arm is draped across his chest. His face is slightly turned away from mine. I pick up my head just enough to see hissilhouette, his long eyelashes fluttering with sleep, and I lay back down and smile into his chest.
My phone rings, ruining the lazy moment. Tripp’s eyes squint at me, and when he smirks, I could melt into a puddle on the floor.
I reach for my phone. Erik. Typically, he calls Claire or Emilie. It’s rare that he calls me directly. I let the call go to voicemail and put my phone on silent. Whatever it is, I’m sure it can wait.
“Who is calling so early and disturbing the beauty sleep I desperately need?” Tripp says through closed eyes and pulls me into him, kissing my neck and jaw.
“Someone who can wait.”
We stay in bed for hours, drifting in and out of sleep, because we have nowhere to be. It’s satisfying and something we don’t get to do often. Before it gets too late, Tripp heads downstairs to grab breakfast.
He walks in with a tray full of breakfast sandwiches, fruit, and what looks like banana pancakes. There’s an espresso machine in our room he turns on like he’s done it a thousand times before. Maybe he has.
When he hands me an espresso and watches me about to dig into some pancakes he pauses.