“We only have two on the team.”
Lola chuckles. “True. But I mean in the league. So don’t act all offended. Besides, even if you’re not my all-time favorite player, you are someone else’s.”
Indie’s cheeks flush the prettiest pink when Lola elbows her in the ribs. Rolling her eyes, she shrugs. “You’re okay.”
I clutch my chest. “Damn, Rosebud. That hurts.”
“Rosebud?” Lola’s eyebrows wing up at that. Her expression is practically gleeful.
“Goddamn it, Sebastian,” Indie grumbles.
“Oh fuck, that’s cute,” Griffin says. He turns to his wife, Mira. “Isn’t that adorable, sunshine?”
“Absolutely,” Mira says, giving Indie a friendly and commiserating smile. “But don’t worry, we won’t call you that, will we, babe?”
I chuckle at the way she says that last part. More of a threat than a question.
“Of course not.” Griffin winks at Indie, and that breaks her frown.
“So we were thinking of going to Chasers to celebrate. It’s a local sports bar, and it’s our regular place after a home game. But we can also hang out at Griffin and Mira’s.” I study Indie’s face to gauge her reactions. “People are usually pretty cool there, and I doubt anyone will bother us, but I know how you feel about public attention.”
I say the last part quietly, so only she and Lola can hear. The last thing I want to do is embarrass Indie. There’s no way any of my friends will give her shit for not wanting to be the center of public attention, but she doesn’t know them the way I do. And I won’t give Indigo Bloom a single reason to run.
She sucks her lower lip between her teeth, those pretty hazel eyes of her bouncing over my face as she considers. I want to pull her into a hug and tell her it’ll be okay, whatever she chooses, but we’re not there yet.
“I don’t want you to change your plans for me.”
“No one will mind,” I reassure her quietly. “They know the gist of things.”
Indie keeps abusing her lower lip, and I want to make her stop. But dragging my thumb over her lip in the middle of a crowded room is a surefire way to make her retreat, so I clench my hands into fists and hold myself back.
“We can go to the bar. It’ll be fine. No one has recognized me here, and I doubt anyone will tonight, either.”
“You sure?”
She nods. “Yeah. I’m sure. Let’s go celebrate your win with your friends.”
“That’s my girl,” Lola says, bumping her hip against Indie’s.
No, I want to say.That’s my girl. But I don’t. I simply offer Indie an encouraging smile and fall in line as our group leaves the family room and the arena. It’s not a long walk to Chasers, and the weather is warming up, so we spill out onto the sidewalk in a big, excited group.
People nod and congratulate us as we walk, but our fans are generally respectful of our space and privacy, so no one is weird about it. Still, I make sure to stay between Indie and everyone else. After a few blocks and chill interactions, she finally starts to relax beside me. She’s quiet, taking it all in, but she’s also smiling and giggling along with Lola’s jokes and the ridiculous things Griffin says.
Indie stiffens momentarily when a cheer goes up as we file into Chasers, but when it becomes clear no fans or photographers are going to mob us, she relaxes again and looks around. “This place seems fun.”
My heart stalls when she looks up at me with a bright smile. “Yeah, it’s our favorite.” I wave her into the big corner booth they always save for us after a game. She scoots along the seat, while Blair, Logan’s girlfriend, and her brother, Reed, slide in from the other side. It leaves Indie sandwiched between me and Blair. Lola sits on my other side next to Mira, with a very amused Griffin beside his wife, and everyone else fills in around us.
“This okay?” I ask Indie quietly enough that no one else will hear.
“Yeah. I’m good, I promise.”
“Tell me if you get overwhelmed and want to go, okay?” When Indie lets herself go, she can be the life of the party. But if she’s uncomfortable, she draws in on herself, and I don’t want that. It’s too important that she be comfortable with me. Withus. That she wants to spend time with me and my friends. If that means I ditch them and take her somewhere else tonight, I’m more than willing to do that. “Shit, I didn’t even introduce you to everyone, did I?” I wince.
“The ladies introduced themselves,” Indie says with a grin. “And I know who the rest of these guys are.”
“Still. That was shitty of me. I’m sorry.” Clearing my throat, I get everyone’s attention. “Guys, this is Indie and her friend Lola. Ladies, these idiots are Maddox, Ryder, Griffin, and Logan.”
The guys wave when I point them out, and none of them object to being called idiots, because they know they are.
