I check my watch. “It’s barely six.”
He shrugs. “I need time to unwind.”
Payton’s sly grin tells me he’s in on whatever this is, too. I blast him with a glare worthy of my nickname. He opens his mouth to say something, but Ethan grabs him by the collar and drags him toward the door.
Sophie and I are the only ones left at a table that looks like a food Armageddon.
Once we pay our bills—she flat-out refused again when I tried to pay for hers—she rises from her chair and slings her bag over her shoulder. “The light’s amazing this time of day. I think I’ll go take some exterior photos of the arena to help with my article.”
I beat her to the door again, earning me a smile that makes me forget my concerns. All I know is I’m not ready for our time together to end.
A light breeze welcomes us as we walk outside. The sun has lowered, softening its light in preparation for the impending sunset. A sudden sense of ease overcomes me as if time slowed to allow us space at this moment.
The stretch of sidewalk is clear, so I zip ahead of her and turn around, walking backward. “I can show you how to get there. I know the area.”
An amused expression crosses her face. “What makes you think I don’t?” She pretends to be shocked. “You’re not making an assumption, are you?”
I feel myself smiling, and I can’t stop it. “Busted.”
This time, her surprise isgenuine. “You didn’t…”
The soft tone in her voice stops me, and that itch I felt in my chest earlier floods back stronger than ever. “Didn’t what?”
She shakes her head, brushes past me, and then calls over her shoulder. “Doesn’t matter. Feel free to tag along.”
By the time we reach the arena, the first glimmers of the sunset streak the sky, casting abstract shapes of blues, purples, and pinks across the glass panels of the building. Sophie’s right. The lighting is perfect.
With a soft gasp, she stands in front of the arena like a kid on Christmas morning, floating her gaze from one side of the arena to the other.
“It’s gorgeous.” She pulls her camera out and shoves her bag against me without even looking at me. “Hold this.”
Camera stuck to her face, she moves in a fluid motion I find intriguing. And as mesmerized as she appears to be with the color display dancing across the architecture, I’m equally captivated by her.
Oblivious to anything else going on around her, she snaps shot after shot, changing direction and angles like a pro. Her focus reminds me of how I feel during a breakaway, intent on getting to the opposing team’s net before they can steal the puck. In those moments, the noise of the crowd ceases to exist. It’s just me, the puck, and the sound of my blades cutting through the ice.
Finally, she lowers her camera and does a sweeping scan of the arena from one side to the other. More purple than pink streaks the darkening blue sky now.
She walks over to where I’m leaning against a light pole right as it flickers on, casting a warm glow over her. “I think that’s enough. I can get more in the morning if I need it.”
I sling her bag over my shoulder and take the camera from her. “Stand under the light.”
“Why?” She makes a grab for it, but I lift my arm out of her reach.
“The light’s amazing right now,” I tease.
She lifts a brow, her expression sardonic, but does as I ask. “You’re ridiculous sometimes, you know that?”
I frame her face in the camera viewer. The lighting isn’t just good, it’s perfect. The lamppost back-lights her hair, making her look like an angel.
Click. She shakes her head and rolls her eyes.
“Stop.” She waves me off and turns away, showing me her profile. Her nose has a slight curve and tilts up above the swell of her lips.
Click.Click.
“Okay, that’s enough, don’t you think?” She puts her hands on her hips and faces me, eyes wide, which about does me in.
I’m a sucker for them every time.Click. Click. Click.
