OFF LIMITS

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - Domestic and Coupley

MACK

Kat and I have gotten into a comfortable routine that works amazing for both of us. She stays over at my place every time I have a game, and she sneaks into my room every time we're on the road.

We've done a really nice job keeping everything between us one hundred percent innocent. I can't speak for Kat, but it's been ridiculously difficult for me.

When we're on the road, I do better at it because she usually sneaks into my room when I'm already in bed and then leaves really early in the morning while I'm getting ready for morning skate.

But when she comes to my place, we always have dinner together. We talk, and we get ready for bed together. It feels domestic in a way I've never experienced before.

Of course, I've had girlfriends before, but they have never really been serious—not in the way it feels with Kat. It's impressive how easy it is for me to share my apartment with her a few times a week like she's meant to be here with me.

We've gone as far as her leaving an extra toothbrush and some pajamas here. It's extremely coupley, but we don't do any of the other things couples do.

Right now, she's sitting on my kitchen counter, typing something on her phone while I heat up our dinner. She's been loving the things my chef meal preps for me. Way better than the mozzarella sticks I burned the night we slept together.

"Who are you texting?" I ask her.

Fuck, I sound like a jealous boyfriend. I'm not her boyfriend.

She puts the phone down and smiles at me, "Just my dad. I was letting him know I won't be coming home tonight."

"Where does your dad think you stay when you come over?" I've never wondered that before, and it's been a couple of weeks since we started our sleeping arrangements.

"He thinks I'm dating someone." Her cheeks flush, adorably so.

I wish that statement were true. I wish I could take her on a real date. I've thought about asking her so many times.

When I leave for morning skate, she usually stays sleeping, but she's never here when I return.

I've considered asking her if she'd like to wait for me to get back from the morning skate so we can go to that little café we went to the morning after I passed out. But I haven't, for the same reason I haven't kissed her again.

What Hudson said the other day about us got to me. We're pushing our luck, and it'll indeed be me taking all the heat if Hartley finds out.

I want Kat. I want her more than anything.

But I need to figure out how the fuck I can have her without letting everything else in my life go to hell.

Now, if Hartley thinks Kat is staying over at her boyfriend's three times a week, he may not be as overprotective as I thought he was. "He thinks you're dating someone and is not freaking out about you staying over so much? I thought he was really overprotective."

"He is. You should see how he glares at my little sister's boyfriend when he comes over for dinner." She smiles. That definitely sounds more like Hartley. "He's being a little bit more chill about my situation."

"What about your mom? Is she chill or is she as overprotective as Hartley?" I ask, taking our plates over to the dining table that's already set.

Kat walks over and takes her seat in front of me like she always does when we have dinner together. She gives me a tiny smile. "My mom passed away when I was eight."