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“Thanks.” I scanned the room but couldn’t find Aurora anywhere.
I did, however, see Aiden striding toward me.
“Where the fuck did you get to?” I asked as he leaned against the bar beside me. He’d stayed behind when we all piled out of the arena to head to The Penalty Box.
“I needed a minute.”
“I bet you did.” I smirked, glancing over to where Dayna had joined the other girls.
He was so fucking obvious.
“Beer?”
“Thanks.” He accepted the bottle of Heineken Stu pushed toward him, taking a long pull. “My old man got arrested tonight,” he murmured.
“Shit, man. I’m sorry.” We all knew that Aiden’s old man, Dawson Dumfries, liked to play on the wrong side of the law, but he rarely talked about him. I got it. I knew a thing or two about shitty fathers, after all.
“Don’t be,” Aiden said. “It’s the least he deserves. You played a good game tonight.”
“Thanks.” I worked out a kink in my neck. “It felt good to be back out there.”
“No feeling like it.”
“Damn right.”
We clinked our bottles together, watching the rest of the team celebrate our first win of the season. But a flash of blonde over by their booth caught my eye, and then she appeared again.
Aurora.
Fuck, seeing her laugh at something Harper said was like a knife to my fucking stomach.
She looked happy.
She looked fine without me. When I was barely functioning.
Aiden drilled holes into the side of my head as he said, “Want to talk about it?”
“Nope.” I drained my beer and slammed it on the bar. “I’m going to head out.”
“You should stay. Celebrate.”
“I can’t be here. But have another drink or three for me.” Clapping him on the shoulder, I took one last look at Aurora before melting into the crowd and heading for the exit.
But I hadn’t even made it down the sidewalk when a voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Noah.”
“Go back inside, shortcake,” I said, turning slowly, wincing at the way her nickname rolled off my tongue.
As easy as breathing.
“Not until you talk to me.” Defiance shone in her green eyes like flecks of lightning. “You owe me that much, at least.”
A beat passed, her accusation heavy in the air.
Except, it wasn’t an accusation. It was the cold hard truth—I did owe her an explanation.
“You didn’t come and find me,” she whispered, the fire in her eyes guttering out.
