I chuckle. “Well, thank you.”
Layla snorts. “I meant temperature, you goofball.”
“I know. But it’s good to hear you laugh a little.”
She squeezes my waist, then drops her arms to step away. I wait until she’s picked which side of the bed she wants, and I’m thankful she’s chosen the side furthest from the door. I’ll sleep better knowing I’m between her and the door. “I’m going to grab my phone and charger, then I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
Jogging into my room, I grab my stuff, ensure the exterior door is locked tightly, then check Layla’s as well. Satisfied, I approach the bed, momentarily taken aback at how beautiful she looks. I shouldn’t feel like this. I need to stop thinking of Layla as more than just a friend or employee of the team. Even if I know there’s more to us than just chemistry, she doesn’t want it, so I have to accept that.
After plugging in my phone and turning off the light, I slide in next to Layla. She immediately cuddles into my side, resting her head on my chest again, and I slide one arm around her securely. “You comfortable?”
“Uh-huh,” she murmurs. We’re quiet for a few moments, bothlost to our own thoughts. Suddenly, she speaks. “Max?”
“Yeah.”
“I really wanted you to kiss me tonight,” she whispers.
Fuck. “I really wanted to kiss you, too.”
“But I don’t think I’m in a place where I can handle what kissing you might mean.”
I nod and kiss the top of her head. I feel like it’s the only kiss I can give, and I hope it brings her a sliver of peace. “I know. It’s okay, Peaches. I can be your friend. I think we might both need that now more than any kissing.”
“Thank you,” she says with a yawn. “You’re a really good guy. Much as it pains me to admit.”
I chuckle against her hair, loving the sweet scent that fills my nostrils. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
“It’s okay,” she murmurs. “I like this version of you better than the one I met months ago. I only want to poison you with laxatives once or twice a week now.”
“Good to know.” Smiling, I think back to when we first met before Christmas, and how it was clear from the beginning that Layla was going to change my life, whether I liked it or not. And when I feel her body relax, and her breathing deepen, I admit my greatest secret. “I’d let you poison me, sweet girl, if it meant I could still fall in love with you.”
“Yo,” Holloway calls as I trudge into the locker room. “Where the fuck were you last night? How did you miss the chaos in the hallway, and why didn’t you come down for breakfast this morning?”
Yawning, I look at Jake. “I heard everything in the hallway, but didn’t open my door because you’d have all witnessed me murder that asshole, and then you’d have been complicit in the crime. And I slept like shit, so Ididn’t eat breakfast.”
I wait for the kid to ask more questions, but he silently studies me.
“Dude, you’re freaking me out,” I finally admit, laughing when Jake doesn’t even smile. “What’s with the attitude?”
He leans in close, then hisses, “Are you and Layla together? Is that why you didn’t go into the hallway?”
“Jesus, man, no!” Grabbing him by the shirt, I pull him deeper into the room, where no one else can hear. For a young guy, Jake is oddly perceptive, and clearly he’s reading some of my nonverbal cues to recognize how I feel about Layla. “I’m not with her. But I knew something happened with Morales, and I caught him before the game yesterday pinning her against the wall. So yeah, if I’d gone out into the hallway last night, I’d have murdered him, and I wouldn’t have been remorseful at all.”
“What happened with him?” Jake asks.
“Not my story to tell. But I believe what she told me. He’s an asshole.”
“Why isn’t she here?” he asks.
“Coach felt it was best to have her stay back at the hotel.”
“So he knows everything?” he asks, and I nod. “Good. At least she’s got support. Did they date or something? I’ll admit, I looked up if there was an overlap, and I saw they were both with Atlanta for a year.”
I sigh, thinking what I can safely say without damaging Layla’s trust. “They did not date. Please trust me. He’s a complete jackass.”
Suddenly, Jake’s eyes widen. “Holy shit. You fuckingaimedfor him last night! Dude. That is fucking awesome.”
