Page 47 of Nash

Me: Hell yeah! So proud of you!

Sofia: Thanks! I stuck a fun package in the mail for you.

Me: Oh, is it full of your products? Monroe and Blakely already order your stuff religiously.

Sofia: Tell them these treats haven’t hit the market yet. Blushes and a new lip stain.

Me: OMG they’re going to flip. Thank you!

Sofia: Of course! Congrats on the win BTW. Love you

Me: Love!

“Who are you grinning at?” Monroe asks. “Nash?”

I put down my phone and grab my ice cream and popcorn. “No,” I say. “It was my sister. She sent a haul for us.”

“Yes!” Blakely says.

“Lip stains and blushes not on the market yet,” I explain.

“I love your sister,” Monroe says. “I’m texting to tell her that now.” She pulls out her phone, firing off a quick text.

“Tell her I do too!” Blakely says.

I laugh, digging into my strawberry cheesecake ice cream before chasing it with a handful of popcorn.

She puts her phone down for only a second before she gets another text. “It’s Liam,” she says, smiling softly and shaking her head at her phone. “He’s wondering why I’m not home.”

“Didn’t you tell him we were having a girls’ night?” Blakely asks.

“I did,” she says, firing off another quick text before focusing on us again. “But he’s having a bunch of people over at his apartment and must’ve checked to see if we were doing girls’ night at mine.”

“Ahh,” I say, nodding. “Crazy that he lives right next door to you,” I continue.

“I know right?” she asks. “We’d seen each other in the building a few times after he signed to the Badgers, but I see him a ton more now that we’re…”

“Dating,” Blakely finishes when she can’t. “Can you still not admit that? It’s been two months.”

Monroe shrugs. “I don’t know,” she says. “He’s fun. And nice to me despite all the guys saying he’s a dick. I think he’s just that way on the ice, because he’s never been mean to me.”

“Okay, then why can’t you say you’re dating?” I ask.

“It’s too soon,” she says. “Plus…you know me, I don’t do serious relationships.”

“We know that,” I say. Monroe’s mom is one of the most sought-after divorce lawyers in the country. Growing up seeing so much of the other side of marriage had put anything serious off of Monroe’s radar, despite her parents being happily married. “But we support you,” I continue. “Even if you decided to get serious…with anyone.”

Blakely and I share a look, but don’t push anymore on the subject.

“Speakingof dating,” Monroe says, turning that look on me and switching the focus. “What about you? Have you and Nash finally admitted there is nothing fake about your fake relationship? Or are you still denying it?”

“I’m not denying anything,” I say. “I’ve told you how ridiculously happy I am with him.”

“And yet part of you still worries it’s not the same for him,” Blakely says, voicing concerns I’ve shared with them many times.

“Wouldn’t you be?” I ask them both. “He’s…Nash.”

“I know,” Monroe says. “Trust me, in the beginning we were worried about you getting hurt.”

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