Page 121 of The Head Game

August laughed. “I don’t think that’ll work. And I’ll do or not do whatever I think is right.”

Nico made a face. “I promise, it wasn’t the sex.”

“I’m just saying maybe we should take everything a little easier for a few days,” August suggested.

Nico huffed. “Why am I attracted to someone as boring as you?”

“Because you know you need someone to keep you out of trouble.”

Nico gave him a little smile. “I guess there’s that.”

* * *

Nico was clearly exhausted and still hurting when he awoke but he was stubbornly insistent on being there as moral support during the Zoom meeting.

“You risked your entire career to be there for me,” he said, his voice a little muffled as he tugged a hoodie over his head. “I can be here for you now.”

August paused in buttoning his own shirt, staring at Nico across the bed.

“What?” Nico said, freezing. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

August swallowed, a little choked up from the emotion going through him. “I—I didn’t expect you to.”

Nico frowned and walked over. “Do you think I’m that … self-absorbed or whatever?”

“Self-absorbed? No. You’re a good friend to Skylar and you care about your parents and your team.” August hesitated. “I guess I had the impression there were a select few people who—who that loyalty extended to, maybe. I didn’t think that I was one of them.”

Nico seemed to consider the idea. “I guess that’s true. I have a lot of friends, I know a lot of people, but I only have a small inner circle of people I trust.”

“And I’m one of the inner circle?” August pressed.

Nico reached out and did up another button on August’s shirt. “Yeah, Auggie, you’ve become that. Turns out that happens when someone helps you get through the worst time in your life. I meant it yesterday when I said we’re a team now.”

Blinking, August nodded, too overcome to say anything but, “I’d be glad to have you on the call with me.”

Nico stepped back and shoved his hands in his sweats’ pocket, then hesitated. “Hey, uh, I had an idea.”

August lifted an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“You could, uh, wear my ring.”

August looked down as Nico held his right hand out. A narrow silver-toned band ringed in what August presumed were diamonds rested in his palm.

“Nico …”

He shrugged. “Look, I have a bunch of jewelry but this is the simplest ring I own because it’s the one I bought with my first hockey paycheck. I know this isn’t the style you’d normally wear but … I thought it might make this whole arrangement look more legit.”

“Nico … I … don’t even know what to say.”

He closed his fingers around the ring and dropped his hand, looking away. “It’s stupid, I know.”

“It’s not stupid,” August said, catching Nico’s fist and lifting it. He gently pried his fingers open to reveal the ring again. “It’s a good idea.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” August said, overwhelmed by the gesture. “Thank you.”

“Well, take it.” Nico thrust his hand out. “See if it fits. I usually wear it on my thumb so I thought it might be big enough to go on your ring finger.”

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