Page 148 of The Girlfriend Zone

I want to tell her she’s got this.

That I’ll be there if she needs me.

That I can walk upstairs and explain to her father just how serious I am about his daughter.

But my woman’s decided she needs to do this on her own, and this message is the best thing I’ve heard in a long time.

Leighton: I can’t wait. Going to talk to him now. Wish me luck.

As I’m typing ahell yesreply, my brother’s voice carries across the locker room. “What’s that look on your face for?”

Tyler’s here early, tugging at his tie. He’s clearly not a fan of the suit walk dress code.

“Leave the tie on,” I instruct. “Leighton wants a pic of both of us. She might be a few minutes late.”

He shoots me a look that says he’s had enough. “Dude. You need to deal with?—”

I hold up a hand, cutting him off. “It’s happening. Right now. The dealing with it.”

His brow shoots up. “Yeah?”

“Yep.”

He offers me a fist for knocking. “Good on you.”

“Thanks,” I say, but it feels strange to sit here doing nothing while she’s upstairs having what’s probably the most intense conversation of her life. I want to be there. To do something. To say something.

Tyler moves closer, sits next to me, lowering his voice. “You’re good with whatever happens?”

I scrub a hand over my jaw. “The way I see it, I face off against brutes like you every day on the ice. I can handle this.”

“Handle what?”

Fuck.

That’s Coach. He’s already here.

Tyler’s eyes widen like saucers, and with his back to Coach, he mouths to me,It was nice knowing you.

I swallow hard, forcing myself to get my act together as I meet the cool blue eyes of Coach McBride. “Handle Dallas, sir,” I say, keeping my tone steady.

Coach gives a sharp nod, his expression unreadable. “Good. After you do your promo or whatever it is, I’d like to chat with you.”

Tension slams into me. Did she talk to him that quickly? Is he okay with it? She must’ve moved fast. But maybe…maybe it went okay? He’s a good guy, after all. A great one. He’s the one who helped turn my career around. And his daughter came to him right away to tell him about us—well, as fast as was reasonably possible. He probably appreciated that.

Hope sparks in my chest. “I’ll be there, sir.”

Meanwhile, Tyler is very interested in his phone.

Coach nods again, rapping his knuckles against the doorframe before walking off.

When the coast is clear, Tyler drops the act and bursts out, “What the fuck? Are you the luckiest guy in the world or what?”

“I don’t even know,” I admit, smiling dopily, reeling from surprise. Could it really have gone that well? Maybe it did.

“Did he just find out you’re down bad for Mini Mac One and he’s cool with it?” Tyler whisper-asks, as gobsmacked as I am.

“Stranger things have happened,” I say, trying not to let my hopes get too high, but also letting them.

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