Page 105 of Can't Always Get What You Want

Nova tips her head back. “God, I sound like I’m whining.” Pause. “I love my brother, but it wasn’t easy being in his shadow.”

I don’t say anything. Because this right there? None of this is about her exes. This is abouther.

“So anyway, my last boyfriend—if you want to call him that—fell into that category,” she trails off, sighing. “He was one of those guys who pretended he loved an independent woman who isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind. Said he could handle all the noise that came with being with me—sports media and stuff because for a long time, I went with Gio everywhere.”

I knew that about her.

Back when Gio was a rookie, Nova was his right-hand.

His support.

Yeah, he’d dated some social media influencers and the occasional model, but none of them proved steadfast. You can’t replace the loyalty and trust of a close family member in this business.

“…Turns out he hated how independent I was. Hated that Gio bought my apartment. Loved the free rink-side seats, of course, but hated that he couldn’t control me.” A chuckle leaves her throat. “It was a volatile three months that felt like years.”

The words hang there between us, and I can see the weight of them in her shoulders.

But she doesn’t have to carry it alone anymore.

Not with me.

“You tell any of this to Gio?”

She laughs. “God, no. Are you kidding? He already thinks no one’s good enough for me. He would have lost his shit.”

“So? He should have. Whoever that dude is, he sounds like a prick.”

Nova shifts beneath the water. “He was exhausting. I don’t know why I tried so hard to make it work. I let him treat me like that,” she says, voice quieter now. “That’s the part I hate the most. I made myself smaller. I kept giving him chances, and for what?”

“You ever think maybe you were too much for him because he was never enough for you?”

Her throat works as she swallows. “Yes,” she whispers. “But it still messes with your head.” The water moves. “Tell me about your last girlfriend.”

My last girlfriend.

Ugh. “Do I have to?”

“Of course not.”

Nova says it gently, but her gaze doesn’t drop. She’s not trying to pry. She’s just giving me the same space I gave her.

Which means I have to tell her.Not because she’s pushing—but because I want her to know.

I sigh, dragging a hand through the water. “My last girlfriend... man. She was a lot of things. Gorgeous. Smart. Charming in that way that makes you believe you’re lucky just to be in the same room with her.”

“Ew,” she jokes, shoving a small splash in my direction.

I grin, flicking some bubbles back at her. “Hey, I saidwas.Past tense. You don’t have to throw down.”

Honestly though, I love that she’s a tad jealous. It warms me on the inside.

“She had this way,” I continue, “of making everyone feel like they were the center of her world. Like the room lit up when she looked at you. You’d think she was sunshine.”

“But?” Nova prompts, tilting her head.

I lean back, letting the water settle around my shoulders. “But it wasn’t real. At least not for me. She was really good at appearances. Great at telling people what they wanted to hear. And I didn’t notice how much of myself I was giving away until I was empty.”

“Did she ever say she loved you?”

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