“Hey, you’re here.” Surprise and happiness filtered through my voice. Perhaps a little embarrassment too that he’d overheard me, assuming he had. But after his slight distancing, if that’s what it was, perhaps this was what was needed. Unintentional or not, he’d finally heard what I wanted.
In his silence, worry snapped to attention in my gut. “Lottie.” I glanced to his side. “Where is she? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” he answered, a softness forming in his eyes, the norm whenever we talked about Lottie. “Ollie stole her away.” Angling to his right, I followed the line of direction. Seeing Lottie in an Eagles courtesy wheelchair, a grin on her face and three of my teammates fawning over her, I relaxed, exhaling heavily.
“Thank Christ.” I rubbed at my heart, the pang of worry slowly dissipating. “Lottie’s out and about.”
“She is. She doesn’t need the wheelchair, obviously, but it was the compromise to come and see you, knowing she wouldn’t be jostled by accident.”
“Good idea.” While it wasn’t busy like it would be in a few hours, there were still plenty of people around. “And you guys came to say hello?”
“Lottie wasn’t sure if you’d be coming home after practice and before tonight’s game. She wanted to wish you luck.”
“Lottie’s pretty great at her pep talks.”
Eddie snorted. “She has her moments.”
“You guys can still come tonight, if you think she’s up for it. I can make sure she’s safe and—”
“Maybe the next home game.” The seven days between now and then would give her more recovery time. “I’ll be so focused on worrying she’s okay, I won’t be following the game properly. I don’t want to miss a thing.”
Disappointment warred with relief. I didn’t want Lottie here for the same reason—the whole being fragile thing, not just because I wanted all her dad’s attention. “I’ll be home straight after the game.” The words rushed out with no real purpose other than to remind him I wanted to spend time with him too.
“You don’t have to rush back. It’s important you spend time with your team.”
I snorted. “These guys get enough of me when we’re away. Give them the chance, they’d be begging you to take me off their hands.”
His brows shot high, eyes flaring. “That right?”
“Ha. Don’t you know it.” Cassius appeared out of nowhere and draped his arm over me. “We’d pay for it to happen. Give us a break from his dickish ways.”
“You know, there’s plenty of time away from my ‘dickish’ ways without selling me off, right?”
“Meh.” Cassius shrugged, hand squeezing my shoulder. “Selling you off implies we’d get paid. Did you miss how desperate we were to pay someone to take you?”
My elbow in his side made him grunt. “Whatever, asshole. Eddie would pay a tidy sum for my fine ass.” My nod was firm. “Isn’t that right?”
Between the pulled-in lips and the frown, Eddie didn’t seem in agreement.
“Don’t you give this dick any fodder. You’re my friend and would happily pay for my time.”
“Pimping you out. Sweet,” Cassius added. “Though I don’t think Eddie needs to pay for something you’d give so willingly.”
I jerked my head to look at Cassius, mouth gaping, heat spreading up my neck. “Dude…”
Cackling, Cassius wisely backed away.
“The fuck? Not cool, man,” I added, my ego demanding I at least attempt to not appear as needy and desperate as apparently my teammates knew I was.
Blowing me a kiss, Cassius continued backing away. “Just calling it like I see it. And Coach said ‘hurry the hell up.’”
I closed my eyes, wondering how just a few moments ago I liked the idea of Eddie hearing my conversation. Being called out, though, made me wish for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. It was something I was used to feeling recently. You’d think it would get easier. But nope.
Instead, I forced myself to look back at Eddie. His gaze was already locked on me.
“Can I borrow you for a minute? Somewhere private. I know you’re busy, but just… a minute.” The serious expression on his face did nothing to ease my desire to disappear, but still I nodded.
A glance at Lottie reassured me she was okay, but I needed to be certain. “Ollie.”
