Page 26 of Alive At Night

“The names certainly ring a bell,” I said with a smile and a wave over the railing, trying to look more enthused about this awkward meet and greet than I felt.

“Yeah, the looks might not, though,” Noah said with a chuckle. “I’ve definitely put on a few pounds since college.”

Making jokes about gaining weight wasn’t what I’d expected from a professional athlete, but honestly, it put me a little more at ease. I could relate. Post-college me had a different body shape than college me.

“Same.”

Noah waved off my admission and drew back, looking me up and down in an obvious, over-the-top way. “Jersey looks damn good. That yours, Briggs?”

Oh, so hewasa flirt. And was I misreading the silent communication between the two guys, or was Noah asking ifIwas Julian’s?

Because I certainly was not.

“The jersey,” Julian said tightly. He shifted on his feet before dropping the arm that had been around me. “The jersey’s mine, yeah.”

Noah raised a brow, and he grinned cheekily. “Well, it looks better on her than you anyway.”

Julian’s eyes rolled, but he was back to wearing that silly, goofy grin of his again—the one I couldn’t ever really remember seeing. “Nah, I just think I look better in an Everett jersey.”

“That’s what we like to see,” Grayson laughed before clapping Noah on the back and complimenting him on the game—which Noah and his team had won. My heart warmed as I watched the exchange, and I wondered if maybe Cameron had been right when he said his sister had found good people in California.

“How ya feeling, Gray?”

Julian leaned on the railing, pinning his friend with a meaningful look. The tone of the conversation shifted, and I wondered what context I was missing.

“Good.” Grayson nodded, putting his helmet beneath his arm with a sigh. “Ready to be back home, though.”

“I’m sure Nessa’s ready to get you home, too,” Noah said, elbowing his friend and opponent.

A heated grin split Grayson’s face, and I quickly concluded that Nessa—whoever she was—was a lucky lady.

We parted ways soon after that, which was fine with me. I knew we wouldn’t be able to talk to Noah for very long, but I was hoping that even that quick introduction would help me when I mustered the courage to slide into his inbox. Now maybe it wouldn’t seem so out of the blue to message him.

Julian was quiet on the ride home, but I didn’t have it in me to analyze his silence. I’d prepared myself for a few snarky comments to punctuate our evening, but they never came. Instead, I was left with my thoughts, contemplating exactly what my next move would be where Noah and the wedding were involved.

“What’s your address?” he asked when the glowing lights of the city grew closer.

“I’ll just walk home from your place,” I said with a yawn. “It’s not far.”

“It’s midnight.”

“So?”

“So, you’re not going to walk home.” He readjusted his hand on the steering wheel, gripping it tightly. “Tell me your address, Juni.”

“632 Oliver Street,” I recited.

But only because he called me Juni, and it wasn’t even the first time tonight.

Julian nodded, flicking his blinker on in preparation for the upcoming exit.

A few minutes later, we parked in front of my apartment building. “There she is,” I said with a sigh, pointing to the balcony above us on the second floor. “Home sweet home.”

Julian ducked his head to look out the passenger window, following my finger toward my dark apartment. When I thanked him for the ride, he turned his attention from the building to me. It was hard to make out his expression in the dark, but mostly he looked…tired. My lips parted as I sat on the verge of saying something more, but he stopped me.

“Good night, Daisy,” he muttered.

Sensing he wanted to get home, I quit lingering and jumped from the car. I assumed he’d drive off right away, but he didn’t. It wasn’t until I made it into my apartment, turned on the light, and walked past the window that I noticed him drive away.

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