Page 72 of The Head Game

August was going to have to keep playing the dutiful fiancé until further notice.

“Well, thank you,” he managed. “That’s very kind. I appreciate it.”

“Nonsense, it’s the least we could do,” Isa assured him.

“Is Skylar coming today?” August asked.

Isa nodded. “Yes, the poor thing was exhausted so I urged her to get some more rest. She’ll join us a bit later.”

“Oh okay. Good. I’m glad she’s getting some sleep.”

“In the meantime, what would you like for breakfast?” Anika asked.

“Uhh, anything’s fine, really,” he said, figuring it was pointless to argue. “I don’t have any allergies or dietary restrictions.”

“Coffee? Tea?”

“Coffee, please. Milk, no sugar.”

“Well, off you go,” Isa instructed, making a shooing motion. “Breakfast will be here by the time you’re done showering.”

Still half-asleep and vaguely confused, August let himself be herded into Nico’s room again. He slept deeply, his face turned away from August.

The white bandage stretched in a U shape along the right side of his head and was held in place with tape. The sun coming in the window highlighted the bruising on his skull along the edges.

Another strange flicker of fear, like the one August had felt as he looked at Nico seizing on the ice, washed over him.

Nico could have died.

As hard as Keller’s hit had been, as difficult as it had been to watch that seizure happen, it was for the best, wasn’t it?

It had allowed the doctors to find the tumor growing inside of Nico’s brain and get it out.

Nico wasn’t completely out of the woods yet but he’d made it through the surgery safely. That was something.

Nico stirred and August ducked into the bathroom, feeling foolish for standing there and staring.

God, he was starting to act like he cared about Nico.

Which was absurd of course.

Except … August dropped the bag on the bathroom tile and sagged against the door. He did care.

Not in the way a fiancé would. Not in the way he would have if it had been Daniel in that bed—

August froze, heart pounding. He hadn’t thought about Daniel once since Nico was injured.

Fuck.

August wanted to chalk it all up to adrenaline and lack of sleep and everything else he’d been dealing with. But the truth was, he’d thought of nothing and no one but Nico in the past few days.

Not even himself.

He’d probably torpedoed his career for some guy he barely knew because he was worried about him.

August swallowed hard, flipping on the water in the shower to heat, then methodically stripped off the scrubs and let them fall to the floor. In the bag, he found a small toiletry kit filled with luxury grooming products.

Overkill, but a nice gesture.

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