Page 63 of Your Second Chance
“Glad it’s useful,” I muttered, grabbing a towel to wipe my face.
A beat passed before she tilted the phone slightly toward the scoreboard. “You looked like you were gonna pass out after that try,” she said, softer this time.
I gave a small huff of a laugh. “Probably was.”
Another beat. A longer pause. Neither of us quite sure what came next.
“I was live-streaming parts of the game, with permission, of course, from the owner, and the comments about Coach Daddy and the sexiest coach alive were too good.”
“Joy,” I deadpanned.
“Hence why I pulled up the second phone so I could give the true fans what they want.”
“A video of the game?”
“No,” she chuckled. “You and your sexy face that many would like to sit on.”
This time it was my turn to smirk. I closed the distance between us in a few quick strides. Grabbing her face, I turned her toward me. “Sit on my face.”
Her eyes popped open, and then she pulled away. “We need to talk.” She shifted the conversation seriously. “I feel really bad about yesterday and throwing all that at you.”
Shefelt bad? Why? If anyone felt bad, it should’ve been me. I ran away when shit got hard.
“No. What? Why?”
“Why... I feel bad?” Her lips curled down like she wasn’t sure how to respond.
I looked up and tugged on the pom-pom of the hat. “You’re wearing the hat I got you.”
“Yes, but please answer me.”
“I feel bad, love. I shouldn’t have left you. We had a nice day and then things got complicated?—”
“And you don’t do complicated.” She butted in.
“That’s not it. I got scared.” I shook my head, disgusted with myself. “Can you come over later? Mum and Dad are leaving in the morning and are coming by for dinner.”
“Who’s inviting me?”
She looked so sad, her big, beautiful green eyes shadowed with something I couldn’t quite name. The curls escaping from her knit hat framed her face in a way that tugged at something deep in my chest.
“Me. I’m inviting you, Nova. Not them. Me.”
Her eyes searched mine, the silence stretching between us until she gave the tiniest nod. “Alright.”
“Afterward, when they leave, we can talk about this.”
“Like, actually be adults and not ignore this big thing happening between us?” She joked, and I grabbed her arms.
“Yes.”
“Okay, Coach Daddy.”
“Mhmmm.” My nostrils flared in mock anticipation, a smirk tugging at my lips. “I love the way you call me Daddy. Say it again.”
Her laugh rang out as she smacked my arm and stepped back, holding up her phones like they were trophies. “Thanks for making us go viral, baby.”
Like that, she was off, her curls bouncing under that damn pom-pom hat, leaving me standing there grinning like an idiot. I loved hearing her laugh. I loved it so much I’d do anything to hear it again.
