Page 30 of Make Your Play

“You don’t have to take care of me, Ry. You need to take care of yourself right now.”

I give him a sideways glance. “I’m pregnant, Nash, not disabled.”

“Well, I know that. What I’m saying is that you don’t?—”

Something inside me snaps. There are no other cars around and I quickly pull mine off the side of the road, putting it in park as I turn to look at him. “I need you to stop arguing with me. If you really don’t want to stay with me, I will take you home, but I would feel much better knowing you’re being taken care of and that someone is making sure you are doing what you need to heal.”

He stares at me for a moment, his eyes searching mine. My throat constricts and I attempt to push the emotion back down. “Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not.” The words come out in a rush and I shake my head at him. “I am okay. It’s you that has me fucking worried. I know it’s just your ankle but what happens when it’s something more serious?” I let out a deep breath, knowing I’m gettingworked up for no reason. “Sometimes, I just really wish you would have picked a different career.”

The muscle in his jaw tightens, his throat bobbing as he swallows hard. I watch his face transform, a small crease forming between his brows as his eyes grow warmer. His lips part, a soft breath escaping him before he closes them again.

“I watch every game that I can and sometimes I really just hate it. It’s scary to watch you get injured, to see you go off the ice and not return.” I shake my head, my nostrils flaring as tears prick my eyes. Stupid pregnancy hormones. “Sometimes you get hit so hard by other people, I’m afraid of what it’s doing to your body. I don’t know if the hits or the fights are worse.”

He stares at me for a moment before his voice drops lower, the sound vibrating directly through my heart. “As much as I’m trying to focus on all the things you’ve said, the only thing I can think about is the fact that you worry about me that much.”

Suddenly, I feel extremely self-conscious, like I just exposed a lot more than I needed to. “You’re one of my closest friends, so I think worrying is natural.”

His nostrils flare, his jaw tightening as he gives me a nod. “You’re right. You don’t have to worry about me, Riley.” He reaches over, grabbing my hand as he gives it a gentle squeeze. “I’ll follow the doctor’s orders and let my wife take care of me until I’m cleared to do things,” he adds with a wink.

My breath hitches, my eyes widening as my heart skips a beat in my chest as I hear him say that word. I force a smirk onto my lips, my eyes relaxing. “That’s what a good wife would do, right?” I ask him, the playfulness lingering in my tone.

“Only the best.”

***

“This smells amazing, Ry. Seriously, who knew you could cook?”

Laughter spills from my lips and I give him the middle finger. “I may or may not have picked up a few things over the years.”

“Well, I happen to be an avid watcher of all things Food Network, so if you ever need any pointers, I got you.”

Shaking my head, I sit down on the couch, holding on to my plate as I shake with laughter. “Bullshit, Nash Simmons. We both know you don’t cook.”

“Okay, you’re right,” he laughs, smiling back at me as he pushes his fork through the rice, mixing it with the vegetables. “Do you want to watch a movie or anything? I know I’ve kind of just moved into your house for the near future, but I wasn’t sure what your plans were for the evening.”

“I like that,” I tell him as I reach for the remote and head over to a streaming app to see what movies they have available. Nash falls silent as he digs into his food and I can’t help but smile at the sight of him. He’s comfortable on my couch with his foot propped up and an ice pack wrapped around his ankle. He looks like this is exactly where he belongs and I can’t help but feel like maybe it is…

We ended up settling on a comedy movie and we both finished our dinner. Nash pauses it for me as I take our plates into the kitchen and load them in the dishwasher. When I come back into the living room, I find him in the same place, smiling as he waits for me to get settled on the couch once more.

I sit on the cushion next to him, careful not to sit too close. I don’t want to encroach on his space, but with the way his leg is propped on one side, I have no choice but to sit like this on the other end.

Nash waits until I’m settled and covered with a blanket before he starts the movie again. It dives right into the part where the two main characters end up locked in a room together. Nash chuckles softly, the sound vibrating in his chest as it resonates against my eardrums. I start to laugh with him,the muscles contracting in my stomach when the baby moves, kicking the side of my belly with enough force to make it feel like my whole body moves.

“Ow! Jesus Christ.”

Nash whips his head to the side. “What? Are you okay?” He moves his body, his face instantly wincing in pain. “Goddammit.”

“No, I’m fine, don’t move!” I stare at him, the panic and pain evident on his face. Laughter bubbles up my throat and it feels inappropriate considering his expression, but I can’t help myself. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Look at both of us.”

“We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” Nash smiles through his pain, readjusting as he laughs. “I know why I’m in pain, but why did you say ‘ow?’”

I exhale a deep breath, my hand rubbing across my stomach as I feel him moving again. “Sometimes when he kicks, it catches me by surprise and it hurts.”

Nash’s eyes widen and he glances at my stomach, his expression filling with wonderment before he looks at me again. “Is he moving right now?”

“He is.” I smile at him as I nod. “Do you want to feel?”

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