Page 52 of Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist

“Nah, man. Have a good time.”

“You know I will.” Trip pulled on a sleeveless tee and slammed his locker closed. “You seen Noel lately?”

Warily, Nick answered, “Yeah, why?”

“Just curious. I stopped by her place last week.” Trip didn’t add more, obviously baiting Nick to ask what happened, but he already knew. Nothing.

“Good for you.” Nick made an attempt to step around Trip, but the other man blocked his path.

“Are you actually a thing? Or you just hooking up?”

“Why do you care?”

“Just curious what makes you so special.” Trip’s cold gaze trailed over Nick, conveying with one look he thought Nick wasn’t shit.

Nick bristled. “Come again?”

Anthony stepped in front of him, facing Trip. “Maybe you should step off and work out whatever’s got you twisted up.”

Trip threw his hands up. “I’m just asking. For years guys in this town have been chasing Noel, trying to crack through all her damage and here you come walking back into town, and suddenly she’s relationship material?”

Nick stepped around Anthony, putting a reassuring hand on his arm. “Noel’s always been relationship material. She was just waiting for the right man.”

“And that’s you?”

“You think it should have been you instead? Why? You didn’t even have the balls to tell her when you started hooking up with someone else so I’ll ask again…why do you care?” Nick punctuated every word, keeping his cool when what he really wanted to do was put the puffed-up asshole in his place.

Trip’s face flushed purple. “Fuck it. I don’t. You can have her. She—”

“You wanna think long and hard about what you’re going to say next because that is my friend you’re talking ’bout,” Anthony growled.

Nick would have felt sorry for Trip if he wasn’t resisting the urge to kick his ass. Nick was six-foot-two in his bare feet and Anthony topped him by an inch, plus another thirty pounds of muscle. It made Tony a beast on the football field and growing up as the youngest with four older brothers, he learned how to fight dirty early.

“All I was going to say is that she deserves to be happy,” Trip gritted out.

“Don’t worry about Noel’s happiness. I got it covered.”

Trip glared when Nick winked at him. Anthony trailed behind him out of the locker room, catching up when they reached the exit. Even with the sun shining above, there was still a sharp nip in the air and Nick pulled the sweatshirt he’d grabbed from the locker on over his head.

“What a douche.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” Nick said, unlocking his truck. “Thanks for having my back in there.”

“Always. Get home before your mom roasts you. See you Thursday!”

“Yep.” Nick climbed up into his truck and took the long road through town, honking as he passed A Shop for All Seasons. Holly’s car was still parked down the street, so at least he wasn’t running too late.

Nick walked through the door eleven minutes later and found his mom in the living room, folding clothes.

“Hey, Mom.”

She shot him an arch look. “The photographer is going to be here in fifteen minutes.”

“I know, that’s why I’m here. Gonna hop in the shower and get pretty for the camera. It won’t take me long.” He took off toward the hallway.

“Your shirt is hanging up on the ceiling fan in your room.”

He stopped midstride and spun around. “You bought me a shirt?”

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