“I think you look beautiful,” Owen said.
I glanced at him and smiled. “Thanks,” I mouthed.
The secret smile was there, lingering, and when I looked around, I noticed—so was Simon’s gaze.
Walter only seemed interested when Nicole and my mom started grilling Owen about his injury, surgery, and physio. Owen, being Owen, gave them the perfect mix of banter and just the necessary details. When my mom pressed for an actual date for his full recovery—which I took tomean his departure date—he responded, “My body’s on beach time now, not Wembley time.”
Throughout it all, I was only half there. Because as much as I wanted to believe this was simple, that it was just fun, I couldn’t ignore the feeling thudding against my ribs.
I didn’t know how long Owen was staying. I didn’t know what he was thinking.
But a soccer ball with a heartbeat line running through it was etched on his chest and an added proof was inked on his arm.Goal is love. Love is goal.
I definitely knew what that meant.
26
Owen
I MISSED THIS.
The laughter. The food. How easy and natural it all was.
How easy and naturalIwas.
Everyone I loved was here.
Loved.
I tried not to think too hard about the word, but it dug its way in.
All of them. Includingher.
Always have. All of them. Her, too.
Just not like that. Not like now.
Though maybe I always had, just without giving it a name.
Tonight should’ve been perfect. Itwasperfect.
Except for the part where we were right to keep this thing between Rio and me a secret.
And the part where hiding it didn’t feel right at all.
No one had noticed. And if they had, they probably would’ve been happy. That should’ve been a relief.
But it wasn’t.
Because when Simon’s eyes locked onto mine across the table, I knewhesaw it. He knew. And he wasn’t happy.
No surprises there. Simon knew me better than anyone. He loved me like a brother, but he also knew exactly what I was like when it came to relationships. And I knew it too. He didn’t trust me.Iwouldn’t trust me.
And the way everyone looked at me, it was obvious—no one thought I was here to stay.
Up until a few days ago, it had been obvious to me, too.
But no one had ever made me feel the way Rio did.
