"That's the last of it."

Jack picked up the two remaining boxes, craning his neck to the side to accept the kiss Aimee gave him. As they separated, he glanced my way, an unspoken understanding passing between us before he moved towards the door. "I'll be downstairs, but take as long as you need."

"Thanks, babe," Aimee replied, exhaling slowly once the door to our apartment fell shut.

My apartment.

Two weeks had passed since Aimee dropped the bomb that she was pregnant and planning to move out, and while the news had certainly shaken me, I was incredibly happy for her. I just hadn't expected her to jump into action right away. Within a few days, a pile of boxes began to appear, filling quickly and making it clear this was a sooner rather than later type of move.

And why wouldn't it be? She wanted to be with Jack, and with nothing holding her here, she was free to do just that.

"So," I started, trying to keep the sadness out of my voice, "I guess this is it."

Aimee's lips twitched. "I guess it is," she replied, her gaze swinging slowly around the room with nostalgia.

I struggled with what to say next. I wanted to say congratulations one more time—to wish her well without making it seem like she was moving across the country instead of simply across the city—but most of all, I wanted to tell her I'd miss her. Though when I failed to find the words, she jumped in once more.

"I know I kind of sprung the whole moving out business on you—"

I shook my head, cutting her off. "It's fine, really."

Shifting from one foot to another, Aimee sighed. "You keep saying that, but I know it probably fucking sucks that this is happening the same time everything else in your life is being flipped upside down."

"I mean, it's not ideal—" The excitement in her eyes dimmed as remorse crept in. "—but I'm not holding it against you." Things were changing in both our lives and no realistic person would expect things to stay exactly the same, but when it came to our friendship, I knew we'd find a way to make things work. "Sure, it'll be different not living across the hall from you, and that'll take some getting used to, but I'll still be here. I'm still your best friend, and whether you need me to be there to bitch about Jack's game schedule or to babysit your future little monster, I will be. That's not something you ever need to worry about."

Hope sparked in her features. "So, you're saying I'm forgiven?"

"There's nothing to forgive," I replied, my mouth lifting into a smile. "Though there might be if I stop hearing from you now that we're not living together," I added teasingly. "I expect constant updates about how your job's going, what living with Jack is like, and any news you get about the little bun in your oven."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep you in the loop," she said with reassurance. "Plus, do you really think I can go all that long without seeing you? There'll be plenty of brunches and girls' nights in our futures, that's for sure."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

With our emotions on the brink of bubbling over, we threw our arms around one another. Our breathing was slow, and in that moment, it was easy to imagine everything around us had come to a standstill. That time wasn't moving forward.

"I love you, Jo."

I closed my eyes and held on tighter, because once I let go, it'd be time for her to walk away. "I love you too, forever."

"Forever."

When we pulled apart, we wore identical teary smiles, knowing this was it.

Taking a step backwards, and then another, Aimee grabbed her purse from where it rested on the dining table. The last thing of hers left in the apartment. "I better go. Lord knows Jack will be sitting in the car with the heat on, draining the battery."

A laugh escaped my lips despite being on the verge of crying. "I'll see you later," I said, as though she was only going out for the night.

Because we weren't saying goodbye.

With one final look in my direction, she headed for the door. There was no hesitation in her movements, no second guessing, making it apparent that while it may have been hard, this was the right thing for her. For us.

And when the door fell shut behind her, I was left alone, laden with emotions as I let my tears fall.

***

An hour later, my eyes had dried, but Aimee's absence had left the apartment in disarray. Not physically, since it was cleaner and emptier than it had been in a long time, but to me, things didn't look right.

Most of the furniture had gone untouched in the main rooms, seeing as we'd bought it together, but she'd taken a few of the trinkets that'd made the place feel like home. The vase from the center of the dining table; the set of coasters we used in the living room; a miniature giraffe statue that used to rest beside the television; the small stack of cookbooks in the kitchen; a portrait of the Eiffel Tower. The list went on, and though they were all small things most people wouldn't realize were missing, I did.

The only space that proved she'd officially moved out was her bedroom—now completely empty. Just four peach colored walls and an ample amount of free space begging to be used. And eventually, it would be, when I mustered up the strength to move my desk and designs out from the cramped corner in my room, but today was not that day.

Today felt like it wasn't any type of day. Not productive, not relaxing, just nothing.

Whenever I moved, the walls felt stifling, like they were closing in on me, and when I tried to work on my designs, it was like every ounce of creativity in me had dried up. The sketches I drew were unimaginative and stiff, all ending up as crumpled balls of paper in the trash, and though I contemplated starting up the sewing machine to work on some of my past designs, I knew I didn't have the focus necessary to do them justice.

It was as though a cloud of loneliness had filled the apartment, jostling me from all angles. Tugging at my heart and making my head hurt. Affecting me worse than I ever thought it would. When I couldn't take it anymore, I picked up my phone and dialed Seb, hoping that since the team's official practice had been early this morning, he was free.

He answered on the second ring.

"Hey," he said, taking a second to quiet the people on his end of the call. "How are things going over there?"

With a sigh, I flopped down backwards on my bed. "They went. Aimee left with Jack about an hour ago, so this apartment officially belongs to me, myself, and I," I explained, and despite trying to keep my voice steady, I couldn't disguise the melancholic tinge to my words. "What about you? I'm guessing you're still at the rink?"

There was a commotion—a laugh and a few hollers—before he replied. "Yeah, I'll pretty much be here all day. A no-game Saturday is rare, so Coach pulled out all the stops to get us ready for tomorrow's game. We had a yoga instructor come in to lead us in a lesson, there's extra ice time booked, and he has us watching game film during breaks. And on top of all that, Henry's in town, so I have a quick meeting with him after everything's done here. I should be done by five though and I can swing by after that if you want."

Glancing at the time, I held back a groan of disappointment when I saw it was barely two. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"I'll see you then."

"See you."

After hanging up, I spent the next two hours searching for something to do, but I wasn't hungry for anything more than a quick snack, and after flipping through nearly every channel available, I resigned myself to the fact nothing in this apartment would do. I needed to get out.

It may have been ludicrous, but after wrapping myself up in a warm jacket, scarf, gloves, and a pair of boots, I headed out on foot, making my way towards the arena.

While the sun shone bright in the clear blue sky, the brisk February wind nipped at my skin and my breath appeared in visible puffs. Not many people were out, and if they were, they were seeking warmth in the closest coffee shop. But not me. Undeterred, I kept up my pace, snow crunching beneath my feet as I trotted down sidewalk after sidewalk.

By the time the arena came into view, I was rosy cheeked and almost positive my legs were minutes away from growing numb. Rushing across the near empty parking lot, the automatic doors slid open and a blast of warm air greeted me. Immediately my muscles began to loosen up, and though a few of the security guards had started to recognize me since I'd started dating Seb, I didn't want to disturb anyone. Instead, I found a bench situated outside the restricted areas where I hoped I'd be able to catch Seb on his way out.

Though in the case that I didn't, I shot him a text, letting him know I was waiting.

Just as I was about to pull up a game to fill the time, a heavy set of footsteps had me looking up. Though it was Wellsley, not Seb, who rounded the corner.

Recognizing me, he stopped. "Hey," he said with a smile. "You here to meet Seb?"

"Yeah, just waiting around until he's done with meetings. Are you headed out for the day?"

He nodded, readjusting the strap of his duffle. "And I'm looking forward to a night in after today's training."

I winced. "That bad?"

"Just intense, since we have a division match-up tomorrow and every team is still battling for a spot in the playoffs."

"I'm sure you guys will get there," I said encouragingly.

"Here's hoping." His grin widened at the prospect. "I'm assuming you'll be at the game tomorrow?"

I nodded. "Cheering along with the rest of the fans."

When a few other players began to trickle out into the halls, waving to Wellsley as they passed, he made a move to a follow them. But not before he nodded down the hall, drawing my attention in that direction as he walked off. "There's your boy now."

Rounding the corner, Seb and his agent appeared to be deep in conversation. Henry was talking as Seb nodded along, though when his gaze swiveled in front of him, he did a double take upon spotting me, his surprise evident.

"What are you doing here?" Seb asked, having clearly not gotten a chance to check his phone. Standing as he reached me, I smiled into the quick kiss he planted on my lips. "I thought I told you I had a meeting with Henry and I'd meet you at your place."

"Oh," I said, taken aback as my gaze flickered between the two of them. "I thought you meant you were meeting with him here." Which clearly wasn't the case. "I wouldn't have walked over if I'd known."

Seb's eyebrows shot upwards and an ounce of worry flooded his features. "You walked all the way here?"

"I needed to clear my head and get some fresh air." I shrugged, digging my hands into my jacket pockets. "But don't worry about it. You two go and have your meeting. I'll walk around and find a coffee shop to sit and wait in."

While that seemed to appease Henry, Seb was quick to shake his head. "No, don't." Turning to Henry, he asked, "You said you only fly out in the afternoon, right? Can we meet tomorrow morning before practice instead?"

Arms folded across his chest, Henry turned his head, fixating his gaze on me a moment too long. "Sure," he replied flatly, clearly unimpressed at my appearance. "Anything to accommodate your girlfriend."

Though it was evident he didn't want to accommodate me at all.

"Great, then we're all good here," Seb said, either missing Henry's underlying sarcasm or ignoring it entirely. "I'll message you tomorrow when I leave the apartment."

Henry's jaw ticked with mild irritation, but he kept his cool as he nodded in agreement, not saying so much as a goodbye before heading down the hallway and out of sight.

"Well, isn't he just as pleasant as ever?" I mumbled.

Seb chuckled, unruffled by my comment. "He's just serious about his job."

"You can say that again."

"It's true," Seb insisted before his facial expression slowly turned serious. "But considering you're here, I'm gonna go out on a hunch and guess you're not exactly up for hanging out at your place tonight?"

"Not really, no," I replied softly, shaking my head. "It was weird being there knowing I now have the place to myself, and I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually, but I was hoping you had something else in mind for tonight."

Taking my honesty for what it was—a plea for a distraction—he took a few seconds to think. "Take-out at my place?" he offered.

I reached out and cupped his cheek, feeling the light scratch of his beard against my palm. "That sounds perfect."

***

Sitting next to one another on Seb's sofa, Chinese take-out in hand, a thriller movie played on the television. Though I wasn't as invested as I wanted to be.

The longer I sat there, stuffing my face with chicken chow mein, the more aware I became that while I was focused on the movie, Seb only had eyes for me. His gaze bore into my side, making me realize the thoughts I was trying to suppress were still influencing my subconscious. I was an open book, emotionally exposed.

When he finished his food, Seb readjusted, resting his arm along the back of the sofa. "Did you want to talk about it?" he asked, and my eyes dropped to my nearly empty take-out carton, knowing exactly what he was referencing.

I set my chow mein on the table and turned towards him, tucking my legs underneath me. The truth was, I did want to talk, I just didn't have a clue how to put my thoughts into words, but I gave it my best shot.

"It's just... I don't know, I feel like I don't have a right to be annoyed with Aimee. She's pregnant for fuck sakes, and she's been engaged for a few months, so I didn't expect her to stick around as my roommate for much longer." I took in a deep, ragged breath, running a hand through my hair. "She's allowed to be happy and have a life, but the timing just sucks. I already have a lot on my plate, and this just adds to it, but even saying this out loud makes me sound selfish."

Seb shook his head. "You're not selfish. You're allowed to feel angry when things don't go the way you expect them to. You're allowed to feel sad knowing you lost a roommate. You're allowed to feel whatever you need to, because that's the only way you'll move past it."

"See, in my head I know that, but considering she's been nothing but accommodating, what with paying her share of the rent and everything, I can't seem to let myself believe it."

Scooting closer, he lifted his hand to cup my cheek, rubbing his thumb slowly across my skin. "Sometimes situations just suck, Jo. The best thing to do is take a few days, get used to living in the apartment by yourself, focus on your designs, and then reevaluate how you feel about the situation. Though by then, I'm sure you'll have started to realize all this chaos was for the best."

A wary smile pulled at my lips. "So, you're saying I'm not a bad person?"

"Not at all. You're just human."

Sliding my arms around his neck, I pulled his head down for a kiss. A quick, soft, gentle caress. "Thank you."

"Whenever you need to get something off your chest, I'm here," he murmured, lips brushing against mine.

Words so simple, yet they triggered a reaction that had my heart close to bursting. All traces of anger, of sadness, faded as something else took their place. Something I wasn't ready to admit out loud.

So I kissed him again, showing him how I felt with unabashed passion. Showing him how much he'd come to mean to me.

His mouth was hard and firm, matching my enthusiasm with his own. I threaded my fingers through his hair as he coaxed my lips apart, our tongues tangling together as I tilted my head, pressing myself closer. But it wasn't close enough.

Trailing my hands over his bearded jaw and strong shoulders, I pushed him backwards, swinging my leg over his before settling into his lap. His fingers dug into my hips and an eager groan left his mouth, the sound causing my skin to burn with pleasure. He was warm, strong, and mine.

Pulling back for a split second, I grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head, unclasping my bra in the same thought. Then my lips were back on his. Reaching down, my fingers explored the exposed skin above the waistband of his sweatpants where his shirt had ridden up, but as I moved to pull them down, impatiently seeking more, his mouth gentled.

Then it disappeared, and I felt a twinge of confusion when his hands came to rest atop mine.

With our foreheads tipped together, his eyes bore into mine and I saw hesitance creep out from behind the blatant desire. "Jo, if you're still upset," he said carefully, voice low, "I don't know if this is the best time."

I slipped my hands out from beneath his to cup his cheeks. "I'm not upset, I swear. I want this. I want you." My mouth curved into a smile. "I'll always want you."

Seemingly enough for the uncertainty to vanish, he grazed his lips across mine softly. But then he stood up, gripping my thighs and taking me with him as he headed for the bedroom.

My arms tightened around his neck. "Seb, what—"

The rest of my sentence was replaced with a cry of surprise as he let go, letting me fall the short distance to the bed. Eyes wide, I stared up at him in disbelief, but any protest I had died on my tongue when I saw the flare of desire on his face.

"Turn over," he drawled, voice low, and I listened. Lying flat on my stomach, my arms folded underneath my head, I waited with anticipation to see what he was planning. The mattress sank on either side of me as he inched up the bed, stopping once he was straddling my hips, managing to keep most of his weight off me. "Just relax." He bent forward, kissing the back of my neck. "And let me take care of you."

His hands skimmed down the contours of my bare back, his touch soft at first, but when he returned to my shoulders, the pressure increased. Massaging the muscles in my shoulders, he drew a happy moan from my lips, alleviating the pent-up tension I'd been ignoring for much too long.

"Oh, that feels good," I said honestly.

He continued at it, fingers spread. My eyes closed, wanting to enjoy the sensation. I felt cared for and turned on at the same time, and the longer he worked his magic, the further I fell into bliss.

When his touch moved lower, I vaguely remembered my jeans being shed before his hands moved to massage my calves, drawing a path slowly up my legs. Over the ticklish skin behind my knees, across the curve of my ass, and then a delicious stroke between my thighs, eliciting a shiver from me.

Then, suddenly, my underwear was pushed aside and I felt him there.

"Feeling better?" he rasped, holding back until I replied.

"Yes."

Anticipating what was next, I waited, and waited, left on the edge as he held back, dropping open-mouthed kisses along my spine before he finally slid inside. He moved slowly, drawing shuddering gasps from my lips each time he pulled back and thrust again.

He reached to where my hands lay, now grasping at the sheets, and intertwined his fingers with mine, all while keeping his pace slow and steady, edging me closer towards an orgasm with each thrust. With each ragged breath. With each press of his lips on my skin. With each whispered word.

Waves of pleasure began to wash over me, rolling in like the tide. One after the other they came until I was completely shattered and Seb lost control, roaring forward in a race towards his own release.

Collapsing on top of me, he took a few heavy breaths before rolling off the bed to go to the bathroom, only to return to find me in the same spot, sprawled out on the bed, naked, and unable to move.

Pulling back the covers, he maneuvered me underneath, sliding in alongside me. His arms came around me, pulling me into his chest. Into a cocoon of warmth, relaxation, and... love. And all I could do in the moment was cuddle closer.

Silence filled the space around us, neither one of us wanting to break it, though eventually, Seb did.

"And just so we're clear," he murmured, his lips brushing lazily against mine—once, twice—before he pulled my head back to his chest, "I'll always want you too."

Hearing my own words repeated back to me, my heart was sent into a frenzy. I was lost for a reply, so I simply lay my head on his shoulder, my eyelids growing heavier with each second his hand rubbed gently across my back.

And when the words finally came, I was already too far gone to realize what I was saying, let alone register his response. "Thank you," I mumbled incoherently. "For everything."