A Love Like This (Mature Jocks Series #1)

Chapter 26 || I Love You

A A R O N

"Is Liz coming to this event?" Nick asks. Nick, Terence and I are currently at Nick's family house. We all went to college together, and so Ava knows us so well. So she invited us to hang out, also baked a cake congratulating us for making it to the playoffs.

The game against Atlanta last week was a tough one, thanks to Alex with an assist from Kevin, another guy on the team, a second goal only two minutes to the end of the period. The roars and screams from the crowd when we won was everything. We've been unstoppable this season, and I also know that other teams are getting ready for us. The best part of everything was my time with Liz at the hotel. At first she said she couldn't make it, turns out she wanted to surprise me. The look on her face when I pulled out of her was everything.

"Yeah, according to Reiter, Mr. Summers said she's also invited," I sigh. We're currently watching Summers team against Washington. He's an impressive goalie, I'd give it to him...... but that doesn't change the fact that I hate him for being an asshole big brother to Liz.

"I don't get it, why can't he just invite her himself, I mean..... legally, he's her father," Terence says as he walks into the living room, joining us on the couch.

"And psychological he's not," I snap. "And I can't let him talk shit to the woman I love,"

Silence crashes the room. I'm confused, until I realise why.
"Shit," I sigh and I can already feel Nick grinning from ear to ear. "I just said that," I mutter.

"Did I hear correctly? Aaron West is in Love," Ava approaches the room. I'm so screwed. She sits on the couch directly opposite to ours and she smiles. Doctor Ava Stones is the best.

"Wish I recorded it so I can play it on loop every morning," Nick teases.

"Or I'd just text her and tell her," Terence jokes and I throw him a sarcastic laugh.

"Get out of here boys, I want to have a heart to heart with Aaron here," Ahh.....she wants to talk to me. Nick playfully smacks me on the shoulder and Terence makes singsong I love you sounds. Grown men, acting like they're still in college. I like it that way though.

And now it's just me and Ava. She doesn't say anything, she just smiles and then I take that as my cue to say something.
"How did you know you were in love with Uncle Caleb?" I'm glad he's not home today, he'd make fun of me until I'm out of here. Nick has the best dad in the universe.

"Get straight to the point West," she chuckles.

"We haven't talked about our feelings," I mutter more to myself but she hears.

"Nick said she jumped into the water when she saw you in there," she states matter-of-factly. "And you took her to his favorite spot,"

"Why hasn't she said anything then?" That has been the question on my mind for the past few seconds.

"She's a woman, she doesn't want to look stupid, she doesn't want you to abadon her, she's also not sure of what you feel, she doesn't want to get hurt," she pauses for a moment, then she continues. "Aaron, you're like a son to me too, and no one has ever looked at you the way she looks at you, not to mention your calling for her in your sleep," she smiles.

Did I do that?
"How can you be in love with someone without knowing it?" The question rolls on my tongue.

"Because you haven't felt love from any woman before," she smiles. "Because you spent half of your life with someone that didn't care.... naturally, that's the way you're wired...take it from me, you've been in love with her for a long time,"

I think back to the night when we first kissed. In her bedroom. The way her body fit perfectly with mine. I think back to out first night together, she was drunk and saying all sorts of incoherent things, she was deep in sleep and all night....all I did was watch her. I think back to the backseat, the way she moaned my name........