He doesn’t answer right away, but his jaw works, muscle flexing. Streetlights flash across his face, light, shadow, light again, and I can almost see him trying to find the right words.
“Are you saying you want to end this?” His voice is steady but careful, like he’s treading fragile ice. “And if you are… are you talking about the lessons, or the friendship?”
My stomach twists into a tight knot. The thought of losing him—losing this—physically hurts. Being here in Boston, in his world, meeting his colleagues, the WAGs…it’s been incredible. For the first time in forever, I don’t feel like I’m wandering alone.
“Tell me the truth,” he urges.
“I’ll always tell you the truth,” I say, my words firm, but inside, I falter. I can’t tell him that maybe, just maybe, my curiosity about Matt isn’t what it was a week ago. That tiny confession could ripple into something that threatens the fragile balance we’ve built. I can’t risk it. “I… I don’t want this to end, Jaxon,” I finally whisper, the words tasting heavy but necessary. “I just want what’s best for you. And if I brought anyone, or any kind of chaos, into your private life, I’d never forgive myself.”
He glances at me, eyes softening, jaw relaxing. “I want what’s best for you, too. That’s why we’re doing this…and why we’re going to keep doing this.”
A quiet sigh escapes me, the tension easing slightly. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about with Billy. He’s just looking to stir things up, but we’re not going to give him a story.”
“No, we’re not.” His tone is low, resolute, a promise wrapped in those words.
I tilt my head, trying to read him, feel him. “Tonight, we don’t even have to pretend,” I murmur, a small, teasing lilt in my voice. The truth is, I like pretending. His kisses, those soft touches that tease just enough, the way he leans in like the rest of the world doesn’t exist… it’s intoxicating.
He smirks, just enough to make my pulse quicken. “I forgot to tell you. Gina and Ash are joining us. Gina’s been run off her feet, and everyone thought she needed a night to relax. So yeah, pretending is still on.”
I glance down, feigning disappointment. “Damn.”
But even as I voice the words, a traitorous little part of me is entirely too happy. Thrilled, really. About his presence, about the closeness, about the way this game we’re playing somehow makes my heart pound like it’s breaking all the rules. If I were smart, I’d shut that part down immediately…
…but I don’t.
19
Jaxon
The door swings open before we even reach it, and Jaylynn barrels straight past me like I’m invisible, wrapping Rowyn in one of her signature rib-crushing hugs.
“I’m so glad you guys could make it,” she squeals, bouncing a little on her toes.
“Uh, hello…” I say, raising the massive salad bowl I’m holding as evidence that I, too, exist.
“Oh, please,” she scoffs, already dragging Rowyn inside by the wrist. I’m left standing on the steps, holding the salad like a forgotten offering to the gods of neglect.
“How about I just let myself in?” I call after them. “Or better yet, give me a fork and I’ll eat this masterpiece out here alone like a sad bachelor.”
Jaylynn stops mid-step and gives the salad a suspicious side-eye, then looks back at me. “Okay, fine. If you’re going to be like that.”
She snatches the bowl from my hands and turns to Rowyn with a grin that could power the whole block. “I’ve had this before at the inn. It’s so good.” She lowers her voice dramatically. “Let’s just see if it’s as good as his mother’s, shall we?”
I arch a brow. “Wow. Weaponized compliments now, huh?”
Rowyn laughs, giving me a soft elbow to the ribs. “Play nice.”
She doesn’t know how close I am to teasing back, but her laughter settles me. I love that sound. Too much.
We step inside, greeted by the smell of roasted garlic, something cheesy in the oven, and the faint buzz of laughter from the living room. The place feels alive, cozy, and homey, which hits me in a weird spot I wasn’t prepared for.
Ash and Gina appear in the foyer. “I hope you don’t mind that we’re crashing,” Gina says, pulling Rowyn into a hug.
“I’m so happy you’re here,” Rowyn says. “I know you’re run off your feet.”
Gina rolls her eyes with a good-natured groan. “With the Bucks in the finals, the café’s packed. Everyone’s after autographs or selfies or to ‘accidentally’ spill coffee on their favorite player. Hopefully things calm down soon.”
Then she pauses, her grin faltering just a little. “Wait. Did I just wish for my business to quiet down?” She shakes her head, laughing at herself. “To think I begged the universe for customers a few years ago.”