Page 100 of Second Chance with the Single Dad Goalie
“Hate you.”
“Love you too, shortcake.”
I purse my lips. “Keith’s going to lose his mind. In fact, everyone is gonna lose their minds.”
“He’ll, they’ll get over it. Because at the end of the day, they just want you to be happy. And I make you happy, right?”
“I hope so, and ew, don’t fish for compliments.” I wrap my arms around his neck.
“Not fishing,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my shoulder. “Just stating facts.”
Pressing his lips to mine, I melt instantly, my arms looping around his neck. His hands tighten on my waist, pulling me flush against him, kissing me slowly and unhurried. I sigh into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, and pulling him closer.
Blake pulls back just slightly, pressing his forehead against mine. “We’ll figure it out,” he murmurs.
I nod, still breathless. “Yeah. We will.”
*** (Announcement day) ***
The party is in full swing - laughter, music, and chatter filling the space. Keith is all smiles, soaking up the attention. That boy low-key loves being the center of it all. He’s been shaking hands, clapping people on the back, and grinning like he just won the lottery.
Blake is around somewhere. I haven’t seen him much tonight, but something’s beenoffwith him all week. He’s been distracted, unsettled. At first, I chalked it up to nerves - after all, we’re finally telling everyone about us, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t anxious too. But now, I don’t know…, a woman’s instinct?
A tightness coils in my chest.
I push off the wall and slip outside. The night air is cooler than inside, crisp against my skin. I take a breath, steadying myself—until voices cut through the quiet.
Arguing.
Blake’s voice. And a woman’s.
I move closer, my pulse hammering.
Then I see her.
Olivia?
What is she doing here?
She’s standing too close to him, her expression sharp, her body language tense. I watch as she reaches out, her fingers hovering inches from his arm.
My heart slams against my ribs. Oh, hell no, you don’t touch my man.
I clear my throat.
Blake looks startled.Guilty.
Olivia glares at me. Like I’m the intruder here.
"Sorry to interrupt," I say, keeping my voice even, "but we’re needed inside."
A flicker of something unreadable passes over Blake’s face. Olivia, however, doesn’t move right away. Instead, she shifts her gaze back to him, her lips curling slightly.
"You know what to do," she murmurs before walking past me, her perfume lingering in the air like a bad memory.
I stare after her, my chest tightening.
What did she say?
