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Dropping him off at the rehab center for his medical detox was not easy. There were lots of tears on his part and he changed his mind a time or two before he signed the paperwork. I didn’t tell Lilly any of that and in fact, I lied to her. I told her it was easy and her dad was in a good place. He wasn’t, but she doesn’t need to know that and he’s not allowed to have external communication while he’s detoxing. The only exception is if there’s an emergency with Aiden, but otherwise he’s on his own getting through the withdrawal process with a team of capable medical professionals.
Lilly bombards me with questions about the game as we drive the short distance to Mario’s and I’m impressed by the leaps her brain takes, given she’s new to the sport. She asked if chemistry plays a part in how well a line plays together, can a penalty be a strategic psychological element to the game, and how we manage the line changes which look like utter chaos.
As we walk toward Mario’s, I realize I hadn’t thought to prepare Lilly about what to expect. She’s caught slightly off guard by the throng of fans waiting outside the doors, wanting pictures and autographs as the players walk in. Sometimes I oblige while other times I wait until I get inside so I can have a bit of a breather first.
With fans screaming and reaching out with their hands, without thought, I draw Lilly in close and put my arm around her shoulders as we enter the restaurant. I assure fans I’ll catch them later and as I glance down at Lilly, she looks a bit pale.
“Sorry,” I murmur low to her.
She shakes her head and laughs. “It’s fine. I think I just never realized you’re actually famous.”
Chuckling, I give her a squeeze and keep my arm around her shoulders as we wind to the back where a private area is blocked off for the team. I think nothing of keeping Lilly close to me and she appears comfortable with it, but I don’t miss the way a few of my teammates—Liam, Foster and Kirill, to be exact—pointedly stare at how she’s pulled into my side as we approach, most with looks of amusement.
My arm falls away and I wonder if I did something wrong. I’m a naturally affectionate guy and I feel protective of Lilly. I’ve become so immersed in deep issues with her, it didn’t feel wrong for me to put her hand in the crook of my elbow, or my arm around her shoulders or for me to grab her hand when she told me that Aiden’s transplant had taken.
“What’s up?” I say to the guys as we enter the roped-off area. I can’t help myself—my hand goes to Lilly’s back in case she’s nervous.
I introduce Lilly, and because my teammates are all good dudes, they immediately make her feel welcome. A waitress appears and we order beers. Foster pulls out a high-top stool for her to sit on and I move in next to her at the table.
“Was this your first game, Lilly?” Kirill asks as he steps to her other side.
“It was,” she says, turning toward him. “It was so much fun.”
“What did you like best?” he asks, leveling a charming smile and my hackles rise. Kirill’s the biggest player on our team and can charm ladies right out of their panties.
Not that Lilly would fall for that but still… I should watch over her.
Like a big brother-type thing.
“Hey,” I say, nudging her in the arm when I see Tillie and Coen walk in. They make a beeline over to a table with Hendrix, Bain and Camden sitting with their girlfriends, Stevie, Kiera and Danica. “Let me introduce you to more of the Titans women.”
Kirill looks slightly disappointed but Lilly gives me a bright smile. “Okay.”
“Let the waitress know we’re over there.” I nod toward the other table.
Foster gives me a chin lift in acknowledgment and sticks his hand out to Lilly. “It was nice meeting you.”
“You too,” Lilly chirps, and my hand again goes to her back as I lead her over to the other group.
As expected, the women immediately pull Lilly into conversation after I make introductions. They stand together chatting away while we guys sip on beers and talk about the game. I engage in the conversation with my dudes but I keep one eye on Lilly to make sure she’s enjoying herself. By all accounts, her smiles and laughs tell me she’s having a blast.
“Lilly seems nice,” Camden says, abruptly changing the subject from a questionable penalty call against Bain.
“She is,” I reply, my gaze cutting over to her.
“Really pretty too,” Hendrix points out.
“Yup.”
“What the other two are driving at,” Bain drawls as he leans in a bit, “you should ask her out on an official date.”
“No way, dude.” My denial is steadfast. A date hasn’t even crossed my mind and there’s a reason why. “She’s got so much on her plate right now, the last thing she needs is me hitting her up for a date.”
“Or maybe that’s the best thing she needs,” Bain argues. “She clearly needed this night out.”
I turn to look at her again and can see how relaxed she is. It makes me realize that the times I’ve seen her before, she’s always somewhat stiff, a perpetual worry crease between her eyebrows. She always holds herself taut because she has the weight of the world on her shoulders and can’t afford to drop any of it.
Still, I can’t see asking her out on a date. Lilly is my friend and that’s what she needs the most. Besides, I can’t mess up my friendship with Aiden and I want Lilly to rely on me for help without any blurred lines.
