Page 55 of The Player

Drew blinked at her, then lowered his head, smiling a little. When he looked up, his shoulders weren’t so stiff anymore. He dropped the bag on the floor and took her face in both hands. “You really fucking get me,” he murmured, then kissed her hard.

Nicole slid her hands around his waist and pulled him closer. For a few seconds there, she forgot how long she’d spent waiting for him to call. It would have been easy to keep going. Having him this close sure didn’t make her want him any less. Right now, though, getting into bed and letting him hold her sounded better than anything.

When she eased back, Drew followed her mouth for a second before stopping to rest his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry I didn’t call.” He lifted his head enough to look at her. “And I meant what I said. I didn’t come here for sex.”

“I know.”

When Drew pulled back, he looked at her face and frowned, then brushed a thumb under her eye. “Have you been crying?”

Nicole swallowed and curled her fingers around his wrists. Guess she hadn’t done as good a job of pulling herself together as she’d thought. “I talked to my mom a little while ago.”

“What happened?”

“Somebody leaked the story about my dad. Gina, the baby, all of it. It’s on the cover of a sleazy tabloid.”

“Fuck.” His hands stilled against her cheeks. “I’m so fucking sorry, baby.”

Drew gathered her into his arms, and Nicole wrapped hers around his waist, pressing her cheek against his shirt while his hand moved slowly over her back.

She told him about her mother finding the tabloid at the grocery store, abandoning her cart, and calling Tiffany from the parking lot. Saying it out loud brought the tears back, and she blinked hard. “Tiffany went over there. My mom didn’t want to talk to me at first, but I got her on the phone for a few minutes before you came. She kept telling me not to worry about her. After everything that happened to her today, she was the one making sure I was okay.”

“She’s probably just trying to protect you. But how are you holding up? Your parents are splitting up, and now strangers get to read about it. That’s a lot of shit to deal with, Nicole.”

“I know. I just wish she’d let me be there for her too.”

Her mother and Tiffany had always been tight. As the baby of the family, Nicole was used to being protected, but right now, a small, selfish part of her wished her mother would let her in the way she let Tiffany in. Nicole could handle more than her mother seemed to think. Unless that wasn’t the reason.

“I’m still talking to my dad,” she said.

Drew leaned back enough to look at her. “Okay.”

“Tiffany isn’t. Neither is MJ. I’m the only one.”

“Is your mom upset with you about that?”

“She hasn’t said she is.” But if her mother was hurt by it, what the hell did Nicole expect? She couldn’t keep defending her father and then be surprised if her mother chose to lean on someone else. The guilt came right back. She loved her mother and wanted to be there for her. She just couldn’t stop loving her dad to prove it. “Tiffany told me I needed to pick a side.”

“What?”

“She apologized. We’re okay.” Nicole wiped under one eye with her fingertip. “But I keep wondering if Mom feels the same way and just won’t say it.”

Drew caught her hand and held it between them. “Hey. You love them both. What the hell else are you supposed to do?” His thumb moved over her knuckles. “You’ve been worried about your mom this whole time. Talking to your dad doesn’t change that. Give her a little time, then tell her what you told me. That you want to be there for her too.”

“I will. I just don’t want to hurt either of them.”

“I know you don’t.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

Nicole looked down at their hands and thought about how little she’d told Cedric. He hadn’t asked, but even if he had, she wouldn’t have gotten into it with him. He wasn’t the person she wanted holding her through a night like this anymore. She leaned in and rested her head against Drew’s chest again, letting his arms close around her.

“Has your dad called you?” Drew asked.

“I called him. After I talked to my mom. He’s furious about the leak and worried sick about us.”

He kissed her hair. Nicole closed her eyes and held on to him, grateful he didn’t try to fill the quiet.

Eventually, she lifted her head. “I know you’re busy. But about you not calling . . . Don’t tell me you’ll call if you’re not sure you can.”

Drew looked down at her. When she took a small step back, his arms fell from her waist. “I meant to.”