Page 112 of Offside Devil

Suddenly, Jalen whispers something in Reeves’s ear. Reeves gestures towards me and Jalen comes slinking up, his chin dipped nervously.

“What’s up, buddy?” I kneel down to his level.

He swivels from one foot to the other, his hands tangled in the stretched-out hem of his t-shirt. “Um, my daddy said I should ask you if your kid can play with me.”

I’m someone’s dad.

Everyone on the team has been calling me “Daddy” all week, thanks to Jace, that asshole. My bedside table is stacked high with picture books that I’ve read on repeat to Aiden the past three nights before bed.

Yet, this is the moment the reality drives home.

This little kid is looking at me, and all he sees is Aiden’s dad.

It feels… good.

It feels really fucking good.

“Absolutely,” I tell him, squeezing his little shoulder. “But that’s really up to Aiden. You’ll have to ask him.”

Jalen looks past me to where Aiden has been sitting on a cushioned bench, clutching his Spiderman water bottle like his life depends on it.

All eyes were on him when we first showed up, and he’s been lurking on the sidelines ever since.

But when Jalen makes his way over, Aiden looks to me with wide eyes. I give him a subtle thumbs up. I can’t hear what Jalen is saying, but after a few seconds, Aiden nods and the two of them run off together.

And my heart almost bursts.

“Well, ain’t that fuckin’ precious?”

I look over my shoulder and Reeves is watching our kids run off together like it’s the best thing he’s seen all day.

“Yeah,” I whisper in quiet agreement.

More precious than I know what to do with.

Later, after hamburgers have been doled out and the snack table has been decimated, Reeves finds me sitting around the corner of the house, watching Jalen and Aiden turn a pile of dirt into a restaurant.

“They’re thick as thieves over there.” He hands me a drink. I almost refuse it before I realize it’s a can of sparkling water. “That’s great, since Jemma basically grabbed me by the nuts last night and made me swear I’d schedule a playdate with you all. She’s pissed she had to miss meeting Aiden.”

“Where is she?”

“Photoshoot in New York—or, er, maybe L.A.?” He shrugs. “I don’t know. Photoshoot somewhere. She gets back late tonight.”

“What do you do when you’re both out of town for work? Who watches Jalen?”

“Jemma’s parents live here. They take him when we can’t reschedule. But if you’re willing to share, we’d take Mira’s number off your hands.” He wags his brows. “Good help is hard to find.”

“No. She’s not—” Not what? I don’t even know how to finish that sentence. “It’s an exclusive contract. I don’t have family around, so I need her available.”

The lie slips off my tongue easily enough because it’s not really a lie.

I need her.

In more ways than one.

When Mira leaves, I don’t know what I’m going to do. How do you raise a kid on your own?

As if he can read my mind, Reeves leans in close. “How are you doing with Paige… you know?”

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