Page 63 of Crossing Lines

“I’m doing okay. It’s really pretty minor. I don’t even have much of a headache. I’m just hanging out in my room right now.” He sighed. “I want to see you.”

I looked off in the parking lot, watching the players and other team personnel leaving in their cars, their headlights piercing through the dark night, lighting up the desert plants and occasional Palo Verde trees growing in the medians. “Want me to come get you?” But what if all his roommates were already home? “Did your friends go out, or are they there?”

“They were stopping at a pizza place on the way home.”

“I’m coming over now.” No thinking about it. Starting my car, I drove out of the lot. He’d be better off with me watching over him anyway. “Text me your address.”

“Oh, am I staying the night? Do I need a weekend bag?” He chuckled softly.

“Yes.” My phone chimed, and I tapped on his address in my text messages. The map pulled up and my phone began directing me to his place. As I drove down Mill Avenue, I glanced toward my apartment building. Owen better not be hanging around. I wasn’t in any mood to be fucked with. Shit… “What are you going to tell your friends?” They surely wouldn’t expect him to be out all night with a concussion.

“Don’t worry about it. Archer, Mason, and Ace will cover for me.” He sighed. “Or I can tell them to let Myles and Tyler in on the big secret.”

Did I care anymore if his roommates knew? No, I cared more about being with him right now. “Go ahead. Might as well tell them. I’m going to want you with me for the rest of the weekend. You okay with that?” I drove onto his street. And it would be too weird for me to stay in his house with him, with Carlson and Hodge being there. Nope, he needed to come back to my place.

“Hell yes.” He breathed into the phone. “It’s not like I canstudy right now anyway. Spending a weekend snuggling with you on the couch sounds like heaven.”

I drove into the driveway at his house and looked out my windshield at the one-story bungalow and the yard filled with landscaping rock and desert plants. “I’m here. Do you need help getting your things?” I perused the place. One large tree stood tall over the roofline of the home. I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake here, taking him back to my place. But what else could I do? I sure as hell wasn’t going to leave him by himself. And then there was Laurent to deal with on Sunday. Hopefully, Jonah would be better by then.

“Nope, be out in a second.” The call hung up.

I sank back in my seat, propped my elbow on the door and rested my forehead in my fingers. Had Finley sensed anything tonight when Jonah had gotten hurt? I didn’t think it was too out of line for me to be concerned about an injured player. I hadn’t had time to process the events of the night. Jonah had filled my thoughts.

The door opened on the house and Jonah stepped out with a duffel bag strapped over his shoulder, wearing his team sweats. He waved at me, then closed his door and ambled to my car.

I hopped out of my seat and jogged to him. “Here, let me take that.” He shouldn’t be exerting himself.

“Oh hey, white-glove treatment, huh?” He handed the duffel to me, then leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Maybe I should get hurt more often.”

“Don’t even say that.” Did he have no idea the shit he was putting into the universe? With a shake of my head, I stuffed his duffel into my back seat, then rounded my car and opened the passenger door for him.

“Thank you.” Beaming at me with his stunning blue eyes, he ducked into the car seat and shook his black bangs off his forehead before strapping his seatbelt.

I jogged to my side of the car and hopped in. “When’s the lasttime you had a painkiller?” I started the engine and backed out of the driveway, then stopped.

“About an hour ago.” He relaxed into his seat.

An SUV pulled up next to us on Jonah’s side, then the tinted window rolled down and Archer looked us over from the driver’s seat with Mason sitting beside him, a shit-eating grin on his face. “I had a feeling you’d be spending the night with Coach Gibson.”

“What?” Tyler, sitting in the back, pushed his face between the front seats. “Holy shit. I knew it!” He snorted and pointed at Jonah. “You fucker. You’re banging Coach Hot Stuff.”

“Oh, Jesus.” My cheeks heated as I dipped my head. This was awkward.

“Boyfriends, Ty.” With a twist of his head and a smirk, Archer glanced at Tyler.

The back window came down. “Good for you, Jonah.” Myles gave Jonah a thumbs-up. “I know he’ll take good care of you.”

“But no sex with a head injury.” Ace popped up next to Myles and cackled.

“Shut it, Ace.” Jonah scoffed a giggle, then faced me. “Let’s go before they get even more obnoxious. I’m sure Archer will fill them all in.”

“I’m with you.” I waved at the young men. “You’re right. I’m going to take very good care of him.” With a grin, I drove off. I’d let Archer deal with the rest.

After drivingaround the ground level of the parkade, I pulled into my spot. I hadn’t seen Owen anywhere, thank God. I shut off the engine and turned to Jonah, sitting with the seat laid back and his eyes closed. Had he fallen asleep on the way over? “Hey, we’re here.”

“Oh shit.” He fluttered his eyes open and looked around. “Must have dozed off.”

“It happens with a concussion.” I stepped out of my car, then grabbed his duffel bag from the back seat as he climbed out of the car.

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