Page 55 of Make Your Move

“He made it clear from the start that he’s not the relationship type, which is common knowledge. I don’t know what I was thinking, getting involved with him and thinking my feelings for him wouldn’t grow.”

Riley stares at me for a moment, sympathy washing over her gaze. “You’re falling for him.”

“Correction,” I tell her, forcing out a harsh laugh as I feel a twinge of embarrassment mixing with regret inside my chest. “I’ve already fallen.”

My best friend rolls her lips between her teeth, biting down for a moment, before releasing them. “Can I be honest with you for a moment?”

My nose scrunches. “Of course. You know you always can be.”

She lets out a deep breath. “I think Lincoln was being honest with you at the beginning. He’s clearly allergic to relationships, as his past supports that. I think things have changed for him.” She pauses, the corners of her lips twitching. “From an outsider’s perspective, he’s obsessed with you, Nova. That man hangs on to every last word that falls from your lips. He watches you like there’s no one else in the room. He loves your daughter.”

Her words seep into my heart, igniting a spark of hope inside my soul. I know better than to get my hopes up, but I can’t help myself when it comes to him. I knew the risk I was taking by sneaking around with him. I knew what could happen if my heart got involved.

“What you observe and what he feels might be two different things,” I remind her, letting reality come crashing down around me. “I can’t live my life hoping he might feel the same way as me. You know I want more than fleeting moments with someone.”

Especially him.

“As you should,” she says with a nod. “You deserve more than being someone’s fuck buddy.” She winces as she glances at Posey and back to me. Poe doesn’t notice, so Riley continues. “Have you said anything to him about it?”

I raise an eyebrow at her. “About what? My feelings?”

“Yes, that is what people do,” she says, rolling her eyes before giving me a knowing look. “When adults have feelings, they discuss them.”

“Ew.” The thought of admitting my feelings to him and possibly facing that rejection makes me want to throw up.

“I know, it’s a stupid concept really,” she says with a soft laugh, shaking her head. “But seriously, I think it’s worth bringing up to him. Either you lay it all out, or you avoid it and potentially have it blow up in your face after your feelings are too deep.”

I swallow roughly, weighing my options. “What if it’s too late already?”

“Well, then you’re fucked.”

I stare at my best friend, resisting the urge to kick her beneath the table. “You’re not helpful.”

“I never said I would be.” She laughs. “Just don’t lose hope before you know for sure. I have faith in Lincoln, and I don’t think you should give up on him just yet. He might surprise us all.”

The weight of her words rests heavily against my chest. I hope she’s right—I hope he does surprise me with his own feelings. That doesn’t mean he will. That doesn’t mean that our wants will truly align. I understand Lincoln’s qualms and hesitations about getting involved with someone on that level. There was a point where I decided Lincoln Matthews was worth the risk. The consequences to my heart are worth the moments we’ve shared.

Regardless of that risk, I have to think about my future, and that means figuring out whether or not Lincoln sees one for us.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out, my heart skipping a beat when I see his name across the screen. I look up at Riley, and she lifts her eyebrows when she sees my expression. “That’s him, isn’t it?”

The butterflies flutter inside my stomach as I unlock my phone and read the message from him.

Lincoln: I’ve been trying to find the right time to ask you, but you’ve been quite distracting whenever we’re alone.

Lincoln: Is now a good time?

Nova: A good time for what?

Lincoln: To ask you out on that date.

My eyes flash back to Riley’s. “He wants to take me out on a date.”

Riley’s face lights up, and a devious smirk dances across her lips. “I fucking told you, Nova.” She chuckles, letting out a dreamy sigh. “Give that man what he wants.”

“I need to see if my dad can watch Poe. I don’t want to ask Nash since he knows nothing about the two of us.”

“I’ll watch her,” she says without hesitation. “Just tell me when, and she can come spend the night with me.” She pauses, pursing her lips as her eyebrows pull together. “He needs to say something to your brother, but that can wait.”

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