“Oh, Heath, I’m sorry.” She squeezes my hand. “I won’t pretend to understand what that must have been like. I’m certain that she loved you the best she could. That’s all anyone does. It isn’t perfect.”
“I know. Knowing it and accepting it aren’t the same.” My heart’s beating like a drum in my chest. “The thought of my feelings for you being tainted by the past… I hate it. I don’t want anything bad to ever touch you. You are my favorite person. You’re the only person I’d skip food for or that could convince me to eat Neapolitan ice cream or… a thousand other things. You. It’s only you. And when I walked in here, I fully intended to stand firm on my stance of never speaking the words, of keeping the best thing in my life away from my worst memories, but then I saw you and I realized that it doesn’t matter what it’s meant before. If loving you is wanting to spend every day with you, laughing and having fun, supporting you, and having your back, then I do. I love you, Ginny. Of course, I do.”
“Really?”
“Really, really. I love you. I love you. I freaking love you.”
She smiles and closes her eyes like she’s trying to savor the moment. When her brown eyes meet mine again, it’s such a punch to the gut I wonder how it took me so long to realize it.
“We don’t need to use the word. Not if it bothers you. I just want to know that you’re as crazy about me as I am you. That we’re in this together.”
“Did I mention I’d skip food for you?” Her lips part into a happy grin and my chest tightens. “One last thing.”
I hop up onto the table and clear my throat. “Genevieve Scott, will you be my girlfriend?”
People are staring and snickering. Ginny’s cheeks go red with embarrassment, but she nods. “Of course I will. I’d skip food for you too.”
I jump down and kiss her again, then pull back so my forehead rests against hers. “I had no idea it was ever unclear that you were my girlfriend. I’ve always thought of you as my girl. I’m sorry that I left any room for doubt, but I won’t make that mistake again. I’ll stand on this table and ask every day if you want me to.”
“I’ll consider that. Could be entertaining.” She laces her fingers with mine. “Speaking of food though, is that for me?” She tips her head to the bowl of ice cream.
I push the tray toward her, a huge bowl of Neapolitan ice cream topped with gummy bears.
“That is a lot of gummy bears. How did you get ice cream at this hour?”
“I know people.”
Her gorgeous smile will be the death of me. She picks up the spoon and brings a big bite to my lips. I take it and then kiss her again.
Maverick appears at the table. “Awww, look at you two, all smiles.” He drops his tray and then drapes an arm around each of our shoulders. “Bring it in, you two crazy kids. I’m so dang happy I could cry. Way to go big, buddy.” He nudges me with an elbow and then squeezes Ginny into his massive frame. “I love you two.”
And I know he does. Whatever it means to him, he means it with his whole heart. It’s freeing to know I get to make it mean whatever I want to, too.
“Love you too, Mav,” I tell him.
He gives me a toothy grin. “Damn straight.”
41
Ginny
One week later
“I have to go to class, I’m going to be late,” I protest, but make no move to actually go anywhere. Heath’s arms are wrapped around me and I nuzzle into his chest, stealing some of his warmth. “It’s so cold.”
“This isn’t cold.”
“It’s like forty degrees outside.”
“Like I said, this isn’t cold. Wait until you come to Michigan sometime in the winter. You’ll need real winter clothes, not these cute accessories you have.” He pulls my beanie down farther, so it completely covers my ears.
“It would be fun to see snow. It almost never snows here and when it does, it’s gone too quickly to appreciate it.”
Another chilly breeze whips through campus and I shiver.
“Come on, baby doll,” he says. “Let’s get you to class where it’s warm.”
As we’re crossing to the humanities building, a guy headed toward us slows and a big smile tips up his lips. Heath stops, as does the guy.
“Heath, hey.”
“Wes!” Heath steps forward and they hug.
Wes is a few inches taller than Heath with lighter hair and a leaner build. He looks familiar, but I can’t place him until Heath turns to me and introduces him as one of the coaches of the basketball team and an old teammate of his brother’s.
Heath comes to stand beside me again. “And this is Ginny, my girlfriend.”
My insides light up every time he calls me that.
Wes nods his head to me in greeting. “Nice to meet you, Ginny.”
“You too.”
“What are you doing on campus, old man?” Heath asks. “Shouldn’t you be at the gym making guys run sprints or something?”
“Not for another hour.” His smile is big, and his eyes crinkle up at the corners. “I’m meeting Blair for lunch.” He takes a step past us and turns. “Hey, nice season, by the way. I’m hoping to make another game soon.”
“Nathan’s coming up in two weeks for the game against Western Michigan.”
“Yeah? I’ll have to
