“Ready?” Josh asked, taking her hand in his.

“As I’ll ever be.” She grinned.

They pushed open the door and started to run, their feet pounding into the pavement in time with the rain. It was a downpour. That was the only thing to call it. Thunder rumbled in the distance seconds before a flash of light lit up their path. Taylor jumped, her slick hand sliding from Josh’s.

By the time they got to the shelter of the parking garage her perfectly curled hair was drenched and sticking to her face. Her makeup was surely ruined. The dress that had made her feel so beautiful minutes before now clung to her thighs as the water pooled at her feet.

Their chests heaved as they fought to breathe normally, both grinning like idiots.

“That was fun.” Josh laughed, pushing his wet locks away from his face.

“How is it that I always end up so wet when I’m with you?” She stopped talking and her face heated up as her words replayed in her mind. It didn’t help that Josh was laughing so hard his face turned red.

“I didn’t mean…” She grasped for words. “It’s just that the first time I met you I was in a pool. And then the first time I went to your place, it was raining, and we got soaked.” She pinched his arm. “Ugh! Come on, Josh.”

“I’m sorry.” He held in another laugh as he pulled her to him and pinned her against the car. Trailing kisses along her jaw, all humor was gone in an instant.

She tilted her head as his lips moved down to her neck. His breath was hot on her skin as he spoke and she tugged him closer until his hips were flush against hers. He chuckled, and the vibrations ran through her body.

When he kissed her again, she shivered, making him pull away and take his warmth with him.

“You’re freezing,” he whispered. The hair on her arms stood on end as he ran his hands up and down. “I’d give you my coat, but it’s kind of soaked.”

“I left mine in Abigail’s car.”

“We’ll go to my place and dry off.”

She nodded as he opened her door and helped her in before running around to the other side. The nerves Taylor had held at bay all night hit her in full force and she suddenly couldn’t look at Josh. She wasn’t used to this anymore. It’d been so long since she wanted to be with anyone and she didn’t even know what Josh wanted. Did he want the girl he saw tonight? Because that wasn’t her.

“Hey.” Josh grabbed her hand as he parked the car. “You okay?”

A tight smile formed on her face and she glanced sideways at him, nodding because she didn’t trust herself to speak.

“Would you rather I take you home?”

“No,” she finally said. “I want to be here.”

They walked into the apartment to find Mack on the couch with his date straddling him.

“Dude!” Josh covered his eyes. “You have a room.”

Mack sat up quickly, pushing the girl off him in the process. She let out a squeal of protest, but he stood anyway, with only a pair of boxers hanging from his hips.

“Sup, Man?” He sauntered towards them, stumbling slightly. “About time you brought a chick home. It’s been too long for you. It’s not healthy. And Coach’s daughter, no less.” He raised his hand to Josh.

“I’m not going to high-five that.” Josh stared at his friend with disgust.

“Oh, well,” Mack said. “We’ll be done soon.” He winked at Taylor before going back to resume things with his half-naked girl.

“Come on,” Josh said, pulling her into his room and shutting the door to drown out the sounds. “I’m sorry about that. He’s an asshole sometimes, but this isn’t him. Something is up, and I can’t figure out what.”

“You’re a good friend.” Taylor walked further into the room and looked around. It was immaculately clean, unlike the rest of their apartment. The bed sat in the center with a deep red quilt draped over top. A picture on the dresser caught her eye, and she moved closer. It was the redhead she’d seen online.

“That’s Michaela,” Josh said, coming up behind her. Michaela. The woman who was practically his sister. She heaved a sigh of relief.

“She’s beautiful.”

“She is.”

Taylor moved on to the wall where a number of signed photos of some of the greatest hockey players of all time hung. “Gretzky, Orr, Federov, Bobrovski, Crosby. This is quite the collection.”

“My pride and joy.”

She smirked at him over her shoulder, and only then realized he’d removed his shirt. He held a dry one in his hands, about to put it on. Catching his gaze, she gave her head a subtle shake before letting her eyes slide down his torso.

His breath caught as she stepped closer and gently put her hands on his shoulders, letting her fingers trail down his long arms. Arms that were strong and protective. Arms that she knew could hold her together or tear her apart.

Her touch moved to his collarbone and down over his hard muscles. She traced the ridges of his abs, amazed at her own forwardness.

She circled around him, running a palm up his back before placing a single kiss on his shoulder. He spun and grasped her by the hips before kissing her deeply. For a second she felt like she was floating as he lifted her off her feet before putting her back down.

She shimmied out of her sopping-wet dress as Josh kissed her again. His hands warmed her skin. Taylor suddenly felt a wave of pure happiness. As quickly as that thought came in, so did a host of images. The last time she’d felt like that had been different.

Back then, the feeling didn’t scare her, but now she knew it could be taken away. It wouldn’t last. She stumbled back away from a confused Josh, struggling to breathe. Putting a hand to her chest, she bent over and sucked air.

“Taylor,” Josh said. When she felt a hand on her bare back, she jumped away.

Danny was the only person who ever had all of her, and if she took that step with Josh, it was like she was taking something from the boy she’d loved. Something they’d shared.

“I can’t,” she wheezed, a tear coursing down her face. “I’m sorry.”

He stood still for a moment longer before stepping forward and gathering her in his arms. “You never have to be sorry,” he whispered against her hair. “I don’t want to make you forget him.”

“You don’t get it, Josh.” She looked up at him. “This girl - the one with the pretty dress, the contacts, and the made-up hair. I’m not her. I used to be. That was the girl Danny loved. I tried to be her for one night, thinking I could have part of him back. Thinking it was the kind of girl you…” She couldn’t finish that thought.

“You did this for me?” he asked. “What made you think… wait, you Googled me, didn’t you?”

“Maybe.”

“Taylor, I like you.” A dimple appeared in his cheek as he gave her a half-smile. “I more than like you, but the real you. Faded jeans. Glasses that can’t seem to stay on your nose. Hair that always looks slightly messy because, after all these months, you still haven’t figured out how to style short hair.” He ran a hand over the top of her head. “I know this is hard for you. I’ve watched you slowly put the pieces of your life back together, but it only makes sense that you aren’t the same person anymore. That girl - the one you were trying to be - can stay completely in love with Danny. But, the girl you are now - well, I really want her to give me a chance.”

Taylor tightened her hold on him, a smile breaking free. She nodded against his chest, feeling two fingers beneath her chin, tilting her face up to look at him.

“Please try to be over him,” he whispered. “That’s totally selfish of me and I know you’ll probably always love him, but…” He paused with an audible sigh as he tried to figure out what he wanted to say. “I hope that doesn’t stop you from loving me one day.”

Stretching up on her toes, she gave him a sweet kiss, cutting off any other words that would spill from his mouth. “I think I can do that, or at least I’m going to try. And, for the record, I like you too.”

He hid his grin in the dip of her neck. “Will you stay here tonight?”

She cocked her head, considering it.

“You can say no,” he went on quickly, a hint of nervousness entering his voice. “Just know that as much as it kills me, I’ll be a perfect gentleman.” His fingers traced the curve of her jaw down to the hollow of her throat. “I just want to sleep with you in my arms.”

She swallowed hard before nodding.

He released her and went to his closet in search of dry clothes before throwing her a pair of sweatpants and one of his t-shirts. To her dismay, his beautiful abs disappeared beneath a shirt as he motioned her to the bed and turned off the light.

As soon as he crawled in beside her, he pulled her into his arms, creating a cocoon with his body.

“Sleep, pretty girl.” His breath tickled her ear, and she sighed. “I’ve got you tonight.”