Page 90 of First Down Promise

I press my palms onto his chest and smile down at him. “You had me at privacy.”

“We deserve it.”

Chapter Thirty

Josh

The next morning, I stay in Abby’s bed while she gets ready for the meeting. My back aches from missing my very specific mattress, but holding her to me while she fell asleep was worth every wince today.

“Will this suffice?” she asks as she emerges from her bathroom in leggings, a Stallions crewneck sweatshirt, and Converse. Her hair is pulled into a high ponytail that sways over her shoulder as she leans over her vanity to swipe some lip gloss and mascara on.

“Of course, you look gorgeous.”

“Ugh, my under-eyes,” she groans and taps a little concealer with her finger under them. “I thought I slept well considering…”

“You did. It’s just weighing on you.”

She turns with a faint smile. “Thanks for staying last night. I’m sure it was awkward.”

“No, it wasn’t.” I sit up and brace my hands behind me on the mattress. “I’m glad I was here for you.” I swing my legs over the side of the bed, and she moves to stand between them. Putting her hands on my shoulders, she leans down and presses her freshly glossed lips to mine.

“We need to stop by my place on the way, so I can freshen up,” I say when she steps back.

“I figured.” She grabs her phone from the nightstand. Sighing, she slides it into the pocket on the side of her thigh. “No updates from Pete yet.”

“He’s probably resting,” I reply.

Her eyes flicker to the side, and she bites her thumbnail. “Yeah…”

I stand and approach her to rub her upper arms. “Everything’s going to be fine.” I reach past her to the velvet jewelry box on her nightstand and pop it open. Despite everything, I can’t stop a smile as I pull the gold cuff out. “In case you need a reminder.” She offers me her wrist, where I place the cuff while she watches my every move.

“I love you.”

I gently cradle her head in both hands. “And I love you.” It’s my turn to lean in and kiss her softly.

I drive us to my place, and Abby sits in the living room while I rush through the shower and my usual routine. Even if we didn’t have this stupid meeting to go to, I wouldn’t want to keep her waiting. I’m not sure if she’s going to want to see Pete today, or if he’ll want to see her. Do I want to see him?

In my closet in just a pair of fresh briefs, I drag a hand down my face. He’s still my best friend, but I’m not so sure I’m still his. Coop might have taken that title now since Pete and Dane sparred too much, but I always thought Pete liked that someone gave him shit. My grip tightens around the hanger. What does this mean for our quartet now?

I pull on a pair of jeans—a cut that doesn’t hug my legs—and a Stallions hoodie. Might as well match my girl. I step into some casual sneakers and put a Stallions hat over my damp hair.

“Ready to go?” I ask, closing the door to the primary suite behind me.

“Yeah.”

We pile into my truck, and I drive toward the training facility. She stays quiet, staring out her window the whole time, while I try to stay extra cautious on the road.

“You have nothing to worry about,” I reassure Abby as we near the facility.

“Easy for you to say when you’re a player. They won’t do anything to you, Josh,” she replies.

I clench the steering wheel and keep my eyes on the road. The fucked up thing is she’s completely right, and it’s truly a moot point to argue something like that just to make her feel better.

“You look pretty,” I murmur.

She turns to watch me drive and smiles. “Do you always think I’m pretty?” she asks. “Even better, would you love me if I was a worm?” A grin pulls at my cheeks as I chuckle at how adorably over-the-top she can be.

“Would you love me if I was one?”