Page 29 of Lucky 22

It’s his turn to nod. “I was.”

“You may not believe this, but I really wanted to keeptalking to you. After I told you about, you know, the exsitting in front of us, I got the feeling that you thought I was alittle weird and weren’t the least bit interested in continuing ourconversation.”

His face scrunches up a bit. “You’re not completely wrong.”

“Oh, man, I knew it,” I murmur.

“But I was also exhausted. My schedule had been very hectic,and then after I had to run across the airport to avoid missing the flight, Ijust wanted to close my eyes and rest. Your note about the exjust forced me to nap.”

I can’t help but laugh. Luckily, he does, too.

The walk back to his car feels like miles, but that’sbecause I’m getting tired. He offers to get us a cab so I won’t have to keepwalking in heels, but I power through.

Now, we’re parked in front of my apartment building, and I’mdebating whether to ask him in.

The vehicle’s interior is dim and a little warm. Christian’sholding my hand, and I know I’m going to miss it when it’s time for him to go.

“Do you have a game tomorrow?” I ask.

A soft laugh is his first response. “Today was a rare dayoff for me, so yeah, I have a game tomorrow. We have games almost every dayduring the season, but Sunday is our last game for the year.”

“Then the season is over?”

He nods. “It is, but not really. Not for me.” Pausing, heruns his thumb lightly over my palm. “I’m very disciplined. I’m the guy whopractices even when there isn’t a formal practice. It’s just the way I’vealways been. I live by a very strict routine. I have to. This season was alittle rough, and I’m dealing with an injury that I need to get resolved beforenext season begins.”

“Oh, wow. You’d never know anything was wrong,” I say,trying to think if I’ve noticed a limp or if he winced at any point, but hedidn’t. “May I ask what kind of injury it is?”

“They think I pulled my piriformis muscle,” he says, likethat explains everything.

“So, what do you have to do for that? Do you go to physicaltherapy?”

“Yup,” he says solemnly. He’s studying our hands, and I cantell he’s got something else to say, but he’s trying not to say it.

“Christian?”

He looks up at me.

“I feel like there’s more to this than you’re telling me,” Iadd.

He’s quiet for a moment before letting out a long breath.“When I heard about you and the premiere, I wasn’t only hesitant because of thewhole, you know, Hollywood aspect of it.”

I know he’s referring to my people calling his people, andhe’s not being derogatory.

“I guess I wasn’t thinking of anything beyond…this.”

When he pauses again, it hits me that I could be reading thesituation wrong. Am I the only one catching feelings? Maybe he’s just a niceguy who gets along with everyone, and I misinterpreted the whole thing. I’venever been the type of person who romanticizes relationships, because I knowright away if I have those feelings for someone or not.

And I have them for Christian.

But it seems it might be one-sided.

“Oh,” I force myself to say. Now, I’m studying our hands andthe way he’s still caressing my palm. The tenderness of it makes no sense. Howcan his touch be so gentle if he’s already pulling away? I want to pull backand break the connection, but I can’t.

With his other hand, he reaches out and touches my cheek.Now, I have to look at him.

“I didn’t realize I was going to meet a woman who would turnmy carefully disciplined world upside down.”

I gasp softly, and my heart starts to race. Is he sayingwhat I think he’s saying?