Page 62 of Someone You Deserve

“Good night, Astrid,” he says simply.

“Good night, Penn,” I whisper back as he releases me and then I leave the shop and walk out to my car to drive home, not remembering how I even got there because the only thing I keep replaying in my mind is the fact that I just had sex with Penn—and there’s no going back to the ways things were after that.

Chapter nine

Astrid

“No matter what happens today, just know that I’m proud of you.” I lean down and kiss the top of Bentley’s head, even though he’s trying to pull away from me.

“Mom, stop,” he groans, fixing his jersey.

“Just go out there and do your best. That’s all you can do.”

He shakes out his limbs and jumps up and down a few times. “I know, but I just really want to win.”

“I know you do.”

“Boys, time to warm up!” Dallas calls from his spot on the field, and the team rushes out to meet him.

“Be careful, please!” I yell at my son as he rolls his eyes and runs to where the other boys have all gathered.

It’s the championship game for Bentley’s soccer team, and I can’t deny that my nerves are high. They are on a normal game day too, but today they’re exacerbated by the fact that Penn and I had sex last night and we still haven’t had the chance to talk about it.

Part of me expected a text or call from him this morning, but the only one I received was a picture of the floors that he finished earlythis morning. When I went into the bakery to fulfill the cupcake order that got ruined during our sexcapades last night, I couldn’t believe how beautiful the store looked now that the renovations are all completed.

But as soon as I walked into the kitchen, all I could see and think about were our naked bodies and every surface they touched last night. And to make sure that the health department could never accuse me of being an irresponsible bakery owner, I disinfected the entire kitchen, especially the metal counter where we spent our time.

I figured Penn probably slept most of the day so he could be coherent enough to help Dallas coach the game this afternoon, so when I arrived and he greeted me as if nothing happened, my anxious thoughts started to spiral out of control.

Did he regret what we did? Did the time between last night and now give him clarity that we shouldn’t have gone that far? What does this mean now? Are we going to chock it up to a one-time thing, or pretend like it never happened?

“God, you make me crazy. I’ve thought about this so many times, Astrid. How you would feel, how you would sound.”

His words conveyed a strong message in the moment, but I honestly have no idea where his head is right now because I’m having a hard time getting my own under control.

“Hey, there!” Willow comes up beside me, startling me so badly that I jump.

“Jesus!” I place a hand over my chest, feeling my heart thrashing underneath. “I am already on the verge of a heart attack, so please tread carefully.”

Willow rubs my shoulder, looking slightly concerned. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay. It’s just been a crazy morning and I’m really nervous about the game.”

She wraps her arm around my shoulders. “Dallas is confident they can win this thing. They have a strong offense. He told me all about it this morning after we had sex on the kitchen counter.”

I turn to face her slowly. “Didn’t need to know that.”

“Sorry. But it was amazing and I’m still thinking about it.” She waggles her brows.

Yeah, I know the feeling.

In a matter of minutes, the game is underway, and I can’t stay seated in my chair for longer than two seconds. My eyes keep bouncing between the game on the field and the man whose lips I can’t stop feeling against my ass as he licked frosting off of it. I’m so on edge that I start biting my fingernails, a habit I kicked a long time ago, but somehow my nervous system hasn’t forgotten about.

“Astrid, if you don’t stop, you’re not going to have a fingernail left.” Willow pulls my hand from my mouth, holding it with her own instead.

“God, I hate this. Bentley wants this so much.” I feel her stroke my arm, trying to offer me an ounce of comfort as we stare out at the field, watching the teams fight tooth and nail, each pass and missed goal amping up the anxiety on the sidelines.

“I know, hon. But losing is part of life too. He’ll be fine either way.”

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