Page 140 of Offside Devil

“Don’t remind me,” she sobs, pulling him in for a tight hug and kissing his face.

Zane hugs Aiden, whispering something I can’t hear in his ear. Then Aiden whirls around and hugs my leg.

“Bye, Mira!”

Tears suddenly burn the backs of my eyes and I blink them back as I hug him. “Bye, buddy. Have a good first day.”

I’m terrified for him to be out of my sight—but it’s more than that, too.

We look like a family. No one here would look at us and think that we’ve only known Aiden for a month and that I’m the nanny. We look like a real family—and I never thought I’d have one of those.

As I watch Aiden and Jalen running into the building together, it hits me all at once: I love this little boy and his dad.

I love them and I want to stay with them, and I hate that I can feel the clock ticking down on our time together. The news this last week bumped the timeline way up.

I’m going to have to leave them soon, and I have no idea how to go about that.

Zane wraps his arm around my waist. “You’re crying.”

I wipe my tears away and roll my eyes. “Yeah, well, him going to school means I’m going to work less hours. I’m crying about my paycheck.”

It’s bullshit, and Zane knows it. He kisses my temple. “I’m going to ride to the arena with Reeves. Is it okay if Evan drives you home?”

“Yeah, that’s okay.” The thought of sitting around the condo all day makes me want to crawl out of my skin, but I don’t have a lot of other options.

As if he can read my mind, Zane presses the keys to his Ferrari into my palm. “Get out of the house and do something for yourself.”

Before I can argue, Zane kisses me. It’s a perfectly respectful kiss to have in front of an elementary school. No tongue or thrusting or groping. But it still fries every single one of my nerve endings.

Then he walks off with Reeves, and all I can do is stare after him.

Jemma stands next to me, a watery smile on her face. “I just love young love.”

“It’s not love!” I punctuate the point with a hard jab.

Taylor yelps and draws her mitt back before I can even make contact.

“Would you hold still?” I growl, bouncing on the balls of my feet. “I can’t get a workout in if you keep dodging out of the way.”

“Yeah, but dodging out of the way is how I keep you from snapping my wrists.” She unstraps the mitts and throws them on the mat. “You're supposed to be sweating out your feelings, but I think you're even more repressed. I didn't know that was possible.”

I didn't start the day this way. It was that damn school drop-off. I’m not Aiden’s mom; I shouldn’t have even been there. If I’d stayed home, then I wouldn’t have seen the future I can never have dangled before my eyes.

Me, Zane, and Aiden… a family.

I don’t even know what a normal family is. My twisted family is the reason I learned to defend myself in the first place.

Zane is interested in me now, but I won't need to run if he learns the truth; he'll send me packing himself.

“This was your idea,” I remind her.

“Fine. Yeah. It was. But after half a second of this, I changed my mind. Whatever you’re processing now is beyond the help of exercise endorphins. Maybe you should find Zane and—stick with me, hear me out—talk to him about why you’re so upset you're willing to break your best friend’s arms.”

I scowl. “He's at practice, and I can’t sit at home—er—at his condo all day by myself. I’ll go crazy.”

I expect Taylor to jump all over my slip-up. You’re calling it your home! You love him! Talk to him, get married, and make a million babies.

Instead, she takes a deep breath, squeezes my arm, and looks deep in my eyes. “You need to go buy slutty underwear.”

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