Page 4 of Your Second Chance
She gave a small, confident smile, though there was nothing small about her presence. She folded her arms loosely, standing her ground in front of a room full of coaches who probably hadn’t touched social media since 2010.
“Nice to meet you all.” Her voice was clear and even. Not a trace of nerves. “I promise I won’t get in your way too much.”
An American. Of course. What the hell did an American know about rugby? The thought annoyed me more than itshould have, irrational and petty, but there it was. Rugby wasn’t just a game—it was culture, history,ours. And some American was here to make us “look good” online?
Absurd.
I leaned back in my chair, jaw tight, frustration gnawing at me. What frustrated me even more washer—the way she looked so put together, so effortlessly confident, like she didn’t have a clue how out of place she was. And yet, she wasn’t out of place. Not really.
She was beautiful, and that pissed me off most of all. Because no one this stunning should’ve been standing inmymeeting, messing withmyhead, and making me feel like I’d forgotten how to breathe.
“We’re excited to see what you can do for the team.” Will spoke up first, and a chorus of agreement echoed from the coaches.
“Thank you.” She smiled, but there was something behind it—something missing—and I hated how badly I wanted to know what it was.
Her hand drifted to her stomach briefly before she quickly straightened, forcing another weak smile. “I can see you’re all deep into your own meeting, and I don’t want to step on any toes. So instead of standing here and lecturing you about what I’d like to bring to the team, I’ll just email the PowerPoint.” She chuckled lightly, though the sound was thin. “But only if you promise to actually click on the link.”
Will gave a short laugh. “Deal. I’ll make sure the boys are all informed before Monday.”
“Thank you,” she said again, nodding at Peter before slipping out the door.
I watched her through the glass as she turned the corner, thinking she was out of sight. The moment she thought no one could see her, she broke into a full sprint down the hall.
What the hell?
Peter started talking again, something about marketing targets, but his voice faded into the background. I stared at the empty doorway, the image of her sprinting burned into my head.
Before I realized what I was doing, I pushed up from my chair. “I’ll be right back,” I muttered, not waiting for anyone’s response.
I stepped into the hall, my boots heavy on the tile as I moved quickly after her. She wasn’t far. I made it to the bathroom when I heard it—the faint sound of retching.
I paused, turning my head toward the door. My first thought was to keep walking. It wasn’t my business, after all. But then I heard it again—a rough, gut-wrenching sound—and my stomach tightened.
“Nova?” I knocked gently on the bathroom door.
She probably went out last night, and this was the result. I stepped back, waiting.
No response. Just more of the same—puking, followed by a sharp gasp for air.
I knocked again, a little louder this time. “Nova, you okay in there?” I called out, my concern growing. “You need anything?”
Still nothing.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, stepping closer. “Come on, love. You don’t sound fine.”
There was a beat of silence before I heard her voice, weak and strained.
“Sorry,” she managed to say, her words barely audible. “Just... just a second.”
She heaved again, and for a moment, I froze—caught somewhere between giving her space and doing something about it. Five seconds of indecision stretched too long before I pushed the door open. It wasn’t locked, but if it had been, I probably could’ve broken it down in thirty seconds flat.
The bathroom was small, a single stall, and Nova was on the floor, the back of her head resting on the cold tile next to the toilet. Her face was pale, her curls clinging to her damp forehead, and a bit of dribble ran down the side of her mouth.
“I-I think I caught something,” she croaked.
She looked like hell.
I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser, ran it under the tap, and dropped to my haunches beside her.
