Page 90 of Timelessly Ours
“Nope.” He shakes his head. “All good.”
“Good. Nice game. Nick filled me in on what the two of you had to do tonight.”
He sighs. “With any luck, we won’t have to play this way too long.” He glances back at Angel, who’s still chatting with enthusiasm—which means he can't pull her away. “You doing okay? I’m asking as your friend.”
I roll my eyes, and I’m not sure what’s come over me, but I soften my tone because I know he means well. “Yes. I’m good.”
He shifts uncomfortably. “Will you call me if…you need anything?”
“You’re not good at this, are you?”
“No.”
I touch his arm. “I will. Thank you.”
My spine tingles and a sense of warmth washes over me. He’s here.
I turn and my heart flutters… because he’s already found me. He’s on the other side of the lofty space, surrounded by very important people and his eyes merely sweep over them, but keep landing back to where I’m standing.
My stomach flips at the attentiveness he’s giving me in the middle of all this and I turn away reluctantly. I need to give him space here. This is his job.
I hear Angel sigh. “I’ll be right back, guys. I need to say hello to some people.”
Jace releases her hand and mumbles something about him not being paid enough to be nice to people.
“You’re a real catch, you know that?” I grumble when Angel walks off. I never particularly liked the guy. The way he treated Angel last year after she did nothing but try to help him—he should be counting his blessings she gave him another chance.
Although my true angel of a friend would say he’s the one who gave her another chance.
“Who told you?” I ask, finally.
Keeping a protective eye on his girlfriend, he answers, “The version Nick told us didn’t add up. Plus, I don’t believe Coach would bring you back to his place unless he was taking care of you. He’s good like that. Always looking out. And then there’s you—there’s no way sober Nicole would just hide out somewhere because she was pissed. You’d sooner drop kick each one of us and tell us to stay out of your business.”
“That’s pretty insightful. I’m impressed.”
He scoffs. “Great. You’re finally impressed with me, and I can’t brag about it to my girlfriend.”
That makes me laugh for the first time in hours and a familiar voice cuts in. The voice I’d been waiting to hear all night.
“Nicole.”
“Hey, Coach,” I say, breathily.
He tears his gaze off me and turns to Jace. “If it helps, you can brag that I was impressed with you tonight.”
Jace nods appreciatively at his coach. “I’ll take it. Now if you’ll both excuse me, I think I’ll go do that right now.”
I follow his gaze and understand the urgency. Angel is caught up in a conversation with two very handsome men in suits.
“Coach?” he asks, feigning disappointment.
I smirk and raise a playful brow. It’s an entirely different world now that we can talk to each other at these things in a way we couldn’t before. Have this secret language where we’re both saying what we’re feeling.
And no one is the wiser.
After a moment of watching the crowd with me, he nudges my shoulder. “I haven’t done this in a while so forgive me if it’s forward, but…you want to go back to my place tonight?”
I laugh. “I should tell you, I’ve got a kid with me.”