Page 130 of Stick Side
“Probably,” she admitted. She couldn’t say with one hundred percent certainty, but the odds it wasn’t her were slim to nil.
Melody’s discomfiture was pronounced enough to leave her skin feeling itchy. Ben’s words hinted that their relationship had been a physical one. It had been, but it felt awkward to acknowledge it to Nolan.
Melody brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. As she did so, she couldn’t help but remember the way Ben’s fingers felt when he did it for her.
Melody shook herself out of her reverie.
“Ben is a good person,” she told Nolan simply.
Nolan inclined his head in thought.
His eyes glanced back at the television screen. “Is Ben really not going to press charges for slander?” he asked.
Melody shook her head. “He isn’t planning to press charges for slander or anything else, no,” she confirmed. Shawna haddropped that little tidbit of information while they’d been out dancing the other night. “Apparently, he feels like being publicly branded a liar is punishment enough. Anything else he could do would just adversely impact the baby, who is an innocent party in all of this.”
Nolan whistled. “Damn. He really is a good guy, isn’t he?”
“He really is,” Melody confirmed. No matter their relationship challenges, Ben’s character wasn’t in question.
“I kind of wish I could dislike him for reasons other than that he managed to capture your interest before I could,” Nolan commented with twisted lips, “but he isn’t giving me a lot to work with.”
“I’m sorry?” Melody offered, not sure what else to say. A feeling of déjà vu overtook her. Hadn’t she just had this very conversation with Eric?
Nolan looked down at his hands before giving his knuckles a conscious crack. “I didn’t want to ask before,” Nolan stated as he lifted his gaze back up to hers, “but maybe I should have.”
He eyed her curiously before asking, “Do you love him?”
Melody felt like his question had knocked the wind out of her. “I might,” shemanaged to eke out despite her breathless state.
Nolan studied the hockey game for a moment—gathering his thoughts, she suspected—before returning his full attention to her.
“I like you a lot, Melody,” Nolan declared openly, “but I deserve more than playing second fiddle to your feelings for another man.”
Melody moved to speak, but Nolan stopped her with a silencing hand.
“This isn’t your fault,” he reassured. “You may not have used fancy words or titles, but you told me you were involved enough with someone that you weren’t available to date me or anyone else. I just didn’t want to see the signs.”
“As awful as it sounds,” he continued, his facial expression self-deprecating, “I guess I was kind of hoping the article was right and that the whole pregnancy scandal had been enough to dissuade you from continuing to pursue a relationship with him. I thought we might have a chance at something real if I just gave you a bit of time to get over him.”
Nolan surveyed her with shrewd eyes. “Looking at you now, though, I can see that isn’t the case. Your feelings for him don’t look like the fleeting kind.”
“I’m really sorry, Nolan,” she offered up in sympathetic apology. The last thing she’d wanted to do was mislead him or string him along in any way. “I hope you know that you’re a really good guy, too.”
“I do,” he said with confidence. “But maybe I’m just not the right good guy for you.” He smiled wistfully. “Unfortunately.”
Melody’s lips twisted in a combination of regret and apology. Her feelings for Ben were so strong she seemed to be wearing them more openly than she’d realized. But what was she going to do about them? That right there was the million-dollar question.
The waitress chose that moment to return and take their order. Maybe her tacos would hold the secret to her romantic woes. She seriously doubted it, but a girl could dream.
Chapter 66
Ben
Benshookouthisarms as the rush of pre-game adrenaline moved through him. No matter how many games he’d played, how much he’d trained, or how confident he felt in his ability to help bring home a win, his heart always beat a little faster and his thoughts always accelerated pre-game.
As much as he tried to keep his focus on the game ahead and nothing else, his thoughts kept being pulled to Melody. He didn’t even try to resist, because he knew that doing so would be pointless. Better to just acknowledge his thoughts than let them compete for his attention.
Melody was in the stands tonight. Not only would this be the first time she saw him play live since they started dating, it meant he would finally get to see her after the whole Cynthia Hargraves fiasco.
