Page 40 of The Player

Relief hit her first, and embarrassment was right behind it. Of course Drew would be the one to find her stranded in a filthy gas station parking lot after her date with Cedric blew up. There had to be a less humiliating way for this night to end. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to wish he hadn’t come.

When he reached her, he started to lift a hand toward her, then stopped. His fingers flexed before he lowered it. She figured he didn’t know what had happened, or whether she even wanted anybody touching her right now.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m okay.”

His shoulders eased, but he studied her face for another second, like he wasn’t sure he believed her.

“Ryan called you?” Nicole asked.

“Yeah.”

“I told him to have Bailey bring my car.”

“He just said you were out here alone and needed a ride.” Drew glanced around the nearly empty lot, from the grimy booth to the cars passing beyond the pumps, then looked back at her. “So I came.”

Nicole couldn’t get her head around that. Watching the game on television before Cedric picked her up, she’d seen his face when the camera found him after the loss. He’d played well, but they’d still lost, and she’d bet anything he was blaming himself for it. He had every reason to go home and be pissed at the world for a while. Instead, he’d come for her.

“Thank you,” she said, and it came out shaky. More than anything, she wanted to close the small distance he’d left between them, put her head on his chest, and wrap both arms around him.

“Did he hurt you?” he asked.

“No. Not like that. He said something messed up, and I got out of the car. He never touched me.”

Drew let out a slow breath. Some of the worry left his face, but not all of it.

“I told him we couldn’t get back together. That it was really over between us.”

“Is it?” He wasn’t grinning, and he wasn’t teasing. He just looked at her and waited.

“Yeah, it is.”

This time, he reached for her without hesitation, one arm at her waist, and pulled her in. Nicole rested her head against his chest as his other arm closed around her. The hoodie felt cold against her cheek, but he was warm beneath it. She felt him exhale, and his hand spread across her back. With her eyes closed and both arms wrapped around him, she held on.

When they finally eased apart, Drew took her hand and walked her to the truck, helping her into the passenger seat before shutting the door. The truck was old but clean and smelled faintly like him. Nicole loved it immediately.

Once they were on their way, he switched on the radio and told her to pick a station. She found the Quiet Storm, and Xscape’s “Do You Want To” filled the truck as he took the ramp onto the interstate.

Nicole slipped off her heels and let them drop to the floorboard. Driving with his left hand, Drew reached across the bench seat with his right. She met him halfway, lacing her fingers with his and letting their hands rest between them.

For most of the drive, he was unusually quiet. Before tonight, he’d always had something to say, usually something cocky enough to make her roll her eyes. Now he watched the road, his thumb brushing slowly over her knuckles. A few times, she caught him glancing at her, but never long enough to read whatever was going through his mind.

Drew didn’t ask about Cedric, and Nicole didn’t ask about the game.

The drive felt too short. Before she was ready, they were turning into her neighborhood, where porch lights glowed along the street. Drew pulled into the driveway and left the engine running.

“Thank you for the ride.” She reached for the door and eased her other hand out of his.

“Stay right there,” Drew said, and cut the engine.

Nicole waited while he came around the truck. When he opened the passenger door, she gathered her heels and clutch in one hand, took his offered hand with the other, and climbed down barefoot. The driveway was cold beneath her sore feet, and she winced.

“Your feet hurt?” he asked.

“I’ll live.”

Drew stepped closer and bent to lift her, one arm under her knees and the other around her back.