Page 58 of Golden Goal

It's nights like this that make me realize how incredibly lucky I am.

But, as the night draws to a close, a small, lingering emptiness nags at me, a presence I try to ignore, fearing it might mean more than I'm ready to admit.

I take a deep breath and finally accept the truth. I wish Sutton were here.

CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR

SUTTON

"Who's calling you?"Marcus's voice startles me, breaking my focus.

I glance down at my phone, and there, Lincoln's face fills the screen. The picture, a snapshot from a day when he drove me home, captures his side profile in all its perfection. The sun setting in the background casts a warm, golden glow on his sharp features.

As I see his image, a rush of emotions floods over me - a bundle of tingly feelings that I can't quite ignore.

I swipe to answer, but before I can utter a single word, my phone is plucked from my hand, and I whip my head around to see Marcus pressing it against his ear.

"I've heard a lot about you," Marcus says, a brief pause following each sentence. "Yes... yes... well, no... yeah." Another pause. "My boy will kick your ass." He pauses again, a sly grin curling at the corners of his lips. "Good, that's what I like to hear."

Marcus takes my phone away from his ear with a wickedly captivating grin, tossing it casually onto my lap.

His handsome face, bathed in the soft light of amusement, radiates charm. "I can't believe you and Lincoln Golden are dating."

"We're not dating!" I protest, a slight edge of defensiveness in my voice.

He winks, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Yet."

Quickly, I retrieve my phone from my lap, holding it up to my ear. On the other end, I can hear Lincoln grumbling about something. I take a deep breath and speak, "Hey."

In response, Lincoln's voice comes through in a low, gruff tone. "Hey, sweetheart."

Mindful of our privacy, I decide to move to a different room. I glance around and head towards Leia's room, where she's assisting her mom in the kitchen. It's the perfect escape for a more intimate conversation.

I tell Lincoln, "Hold on. I'm going to a different room."

I reach Leia's room and shut the door quietly. With a sense of urgency, I speed-walk to her bed and crawl onto the comforter. I lie on my back, resting my head on a fluffy pillow.

I release a breath, breaking the silence, and ask, "How are you?"

"I'm good. Ronan just left my house for the first time in two days."

I chuckle. "You guys practically live together already. How much more time does he need with you?"

"You would think not much more time, right? He's always trying to cuddle me before we go to sleep."

Hearing that stirs up an irrational wave of jealousy inside me, as I want to be the one cuddling with Lincoln at night.

"Is he an only child?" I ask, pushing my jealousy to the side.

He pauses before slowly saying, "Yeah. He had a rough childhood and had no one to depend on before we became friends. We have a weird bond."

I smile, even though he can't see it, attempting to lighten the mood. "Marcus always tries to cuddle my brother when they share a bed. Maybe he should be friends with Ro."

Lincoln's laughter rumbles from the other end of the line. "Damn. I miss you."

"I miss you too," I reply softly.

"I told my dad about you."

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