Page 30 of The Hooker

Daisy brushes my hand. “Are you still in pain?”

“Nah. It’s just dislocated.” I open my eyes in time to witness her scoff and roll her eyes.

“‘Just dislocated.’ Rugby boys, I swear you’re built different.” She smiles at me fondly.

Her hand rests on the bed beside mine, and I nudge my fingers against her until she holds my hand. “I’m fine. Truly. A little sore, but no more than usual after a game.” I pause and think. “Maybe slightly more than usual, but you’re here to distract me, so it’s okay.”

Daisy plays with my fingers and looks at me from under her lashes. “I’m sorry I ran onto the field. PR will be having a nightmare. We won the game though, so retained the cup. At least the public has something other than us to focus on.”

“Don’t worry about that.” I shrug my shoulders, forgetting I recently dislocated one, and wince. The fact we won doesn’t even sink in. I’m too worried about what Daisy’s thinking. “You know that’s what I want. To be with you. For everyone to know.”

“I know. I’m sorry if I made it more complicated.”

Hope bursts through me, and I turn my hand to link our fingers together and squeeze. Jitters set up camp in my tummy like they do for the first game back after the off-season or an injury. “I’m sorry I signed the form without telling you.” Her head comes up and serious eyes meet mine. “I was trying to be sensible with the urging of Suli, but I should have spoken to you about it first. I shouldn’t have assumed anything.”

She stops me talking by running her other hand across my good arm. “I shouldn’t have taken so long to figure out what I want.”

“But you do…want this?” I ask cautiously. The warm hope in my chest waiting to shatter.

“I do. Of course I do.”

I blow out a long breath and grin at her. “Sign the form whenever you want. I didn’t mean to rush you or?—”

“I signed it yesterday. I was going to tell you after the game, but then you went and dislocated your shoulder.” She mock glares at me, but her face quickly softens. “PR had a plan and were going to have a meeting with us next week about how to break it to the public.” She grimaces. “I kind of ruined that.”

“Who cares? Everything’s been signed and now everyone knows and we can go home together.” I shake her hand excitedly. “We’ll figure out the aftermath later.”

Her eyes crinkle and her cheeks plump with her smile. “I like the sound of that.”

We fall silent and sit with giddy grins until Daisy says, “I’m sorry it took me the week to talk to you about it. I overreacted.” She goes back to fiddling with my fingers, tracing the nail beds, and smoothing over callouses. “I don’t like people making decisions for me without me, but I understand why you did it. It was smart, and I should have realised that sooner. It won’t take me so long next time.”

I tug her hand until she climbs on the bed with me, her hip pressed against mine. “Sweetheart, it won’t happen again. We both learned something about the other, and we spoke the entire time. So we need cooling off after a fight, so what? Next time we’ll be better.”

“Yeah?” she asks quietly.

“Yeah. Now kiss me,” I demand.

She leans forward and our lips meet softly. The gentle kiss of knowing someone else, the comfort of their skin on yours, the warmth that spreads through my chest, and the feeling of home.

Daisy pulls away but doesn’t go far. “I love you.”

My lips quirk and I let her words wash over me, wash away the doubt and stress of the week, and now my injury. None of it matters, not with Daisy beside me, not with Daisylovingme.

“I love you too, Daisy. You’re my best friend, but you’re so much more than that. You’re everything to me,” I choke out.

She drops her forehead to mine. “It’s the same for me. You’re my home, Jamie. You’re it for me.”

I swallow the emotion clogging my throat and kiss her, nipping her bottom lip. “Good. You should move in, so carpooling is easier.”

She purses her lips against the laugh she’s struggling to hold in. “Driving five houses up the street makes it hard?”

“No, but being away from you does.”

“I’ll think about it. The hardwood floors in your villa are to die for.”

“You only love me for my villa, don’t you?”

“Of course not. I love your car as well.” I dig my fingers into her waist until she laughs. “And I love you the most.”

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