Page 134 of The Head Game

“Well, no one wants you having another seizure and drowning,” August said.

“Yeah, yeah,” Nico muttered. Okay, maybe he had a point. Still, it sucked.

“You can use our pool any time,” Dustin offered. “As long as you check in with Charlie or me first.”

Nico stifled a chuckle. Dustin’s indoor pool was amazing but they’d all heard Matty and Colton’s story about walking in on the two of them having sex on the couch. The one they were currently sitting on.

He was totally going to have to tell August that story on the drive home.

“Thanks. I’ve got the one in my building though, remember? Auggie watches me like I’m a two-year-old who doesn’t know how to swim. I’m surprised he doesn’t make me wear water wings and a life jacket.” Nico nudged August in the ribs.

He shot Nico a vaguely annoyed look but there was no heat to it.

Charlie grinned. “Nah, we’ll get you a totally fabulous unicorn floatie at least.”

Nico laughed. “Sounds good.”

Matty looked at Nico and August. “So, guys, I have to say, I did not see this engagement thing coming. What the fuck?”

Everyone laughed, even Nico, who smiled and shook his head. Leave it to Matty to lay it out there.

Although maybe not everyone was amused by the comment. August had gone tense beside him.

“Seriously,” Dustin said, a furrow creasing his brow. “That night in Evanston when you were snarking at each other, I had no idea you were involved, much less this serious.”

“We kept it under wraps the best we could,” Nico said, laying a hand on August’s thigh. “Until this one about lost his mind after the Buffalo game.”

Dustin paled. “God, August, you should have told me you were involved with Nico when we talked outside the locker room. I knew you were concerned about him but I thought … I had no idea …”

“Well,” Nico said because August tended to get tripped up when he was forced to lie. Even though Nico had made sure he didn’t have to do much lying at all. “It was a little complicated right then.”

He went through everything he’d told the NHLOA rep, the team listening intently.

“Aww, that’s so romantic!” Charlie said, pressing a hand to his chest. His wedding ring sparkled in the lamplight. Jesus, that was a big rock. August should feel glad his ring only had a bunch of tiny inset diamonds in the band. “August risked everything to be by your side. And a bedside proposal …”

Funny, everyone leapt to that assumption when Nico nudged them in that direction. And well, it had happened beside a bed. Just not the one in the hospital.

“Yeah, my Auggie is pretty romantic.” Nico winked.

August cracked a smile but he still looked a little tense.

They talked a little more about what was happening with August’s suspension before the conversation came around to Nico’s return to play.

“So what kind of timeline are you looking at?” Matty asked. “For coming back.”

“I’m aiming for after bye week,” Nico admitted. Still a few months off. Two and a half, anyway. He just had to get his grip strength and his vision fixed.

Easy, right?

“I don’t know, Nico,” Dustin said slowly. “Everything I read made it sound a lot longer. The team is prepared to have you out through the end of the season.”

“No, I read stuff too,” Nico protested. He shot a smile at August, thinking about their earlier conversation. “But that was all talking about coming back to contact sports after cancer treatment and shit. This was nothing like that. Easy in, easy out,” he joked.

“Nico …” Dustin’s tone was warning.

Nico held up his hands. “Dude, I’m not … I’m just saying, it’s not like I’m dealing with chemotherapy and radiation and all that.”

Dustin frowned. “I get that. But what I read about craniotomies—”

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