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“Tis the season of good tidings and cheer. Phone sex too, I guess.”
“You’re funny.” Shawn opens his eyes, and he sits up. My underwear is still wrapped around him, and I’ve never seen something so sexy in my life. “I should go clean up. I made a mess.”
“Me, too. Thanks for helping me decompress,” I say, and he gives me a salute.
“Right back at ya, Daniels. I don’t even remember what my problems are anymore.”
“Funny how that works. Have a good rest of your night. I hope tomorrow is a better day. And we’ll be cheering for you on Sunday.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you at Maggie and Aiden’s.”
We stare at each other, and I realize I don’t want to hang up with him. I want to keep talking and ask about their practice tomorrow. I want to find out if the Christmas tree in his apartment is real or fake.
I think I might just want…him.
“Are you okay?” Shawn asks, and I smile.
“I’m fine. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Right. Yeah. Tomorrow.” He looks like he wants to add something else, but he doesn’t. “Bye, Lace Face.”
“See ya, Shawn Yawn.”
I click off my phone and throw it face down on the bed like it burned me. I stare at it and shake my head.
Nope.
There’s no way I’m falling for my best friend.
If anything, it’s just a silly crush. Post-orgasm affection toward the guy giving me attention. There aren’t anyactualfeelings involved.
But why thehellis there an ache in my chest when I think about him walking away from me when the new year strikes?
TWENTY-EIGHT
LACEY
“Please don’t tellme we’re playing charades again tonight,” I say to Maggie. I pour a glass of wine and slide it her way. “If I have to act out racquetball or tennis one more time, I’m going to scream.”
“No charades, I promise.” Maggie laughs and takes a sip of her drink. “It’s a game Aiden found online.”
“A game he found online? Lovely. What could go wrong?” I lean over and turn up the Christmas music playing from my phone. Bing Crosby croons about a white Christmas and I smile, secretly hoping a massive snowstorm blows through the Mid-Atlantic just in time for the holidays. “Are we still celebrating Christmas together on the 30th?”
“Yeah, we’ll be back home by then. Aiden mentioned Shawn is leaving for an away game on New Year’s Eve—that’s the night you all are going to stop pretending you’re dating, right?”
“Yeah.” I grab the bottle of wine and pour myself a glass. Hearing about the approaching end date of our agreement makes my stomach twist with disappointment. “We’re heading back from his parents’ house on the 26th, and that will be that.”
“I can’t believe how fast the month is going. We have the gala in two days, and then it’s basically Christmas. Everything is flying by.” Maggie jumps off her barstool and heads for the oven. She slips an apron decorated with candy canes and snowflakes over her head and grabs two oven mitts. “Are you doing okay?”
“With what?”
“Your fake relationship with Shawn. I know you were panicking when the video first circulated. Everything’s been alright since then?”
“Yeah.” I nod and cross my legs. “I’m fine. The buzz has started to die down, and I don’t get eight thousand comments on my social media photos when the Titans make a dumb play anymore. It’s been a whirlwind, but a good whirlwind. I’ve liked getting to know the guys on the team, and I feel lighter these days.”
She glances at me, and her face softens. “You’re allowed to be sad about it, Lace. You and Shawn have been spending a lot of time together. It makes sense that you might get attached.”
“I’m not getting attached,” I say, and I can hear the aggression in my voice. Like I have to defend how I’m feeling toward Shawn when I’m not even surehowI’m feeling toward him.
