Every scroll was a punch to the gut.
I leaned against the counter, pressing my palm to the cool marble and forcing a breath into my lungs. I needed to think. I needed to calm down.
But all I could hear were Gary’s words, looping like poison.
There had to be a way to stop this. To end it without dragging Nick into the fire. I just didn’t know what that was yet—or if I even had that kind of control anymore.
Nick padded into the kitchen, barefoot and shirtless, dressed in nothing but low-slung grey sweatpants that hung just right on his hips—taunting gravity with every step. His muscles flexed as he raked a hand through his messy blond hair, sleep still clinging to the corners of his eyes. The deep scar along his side peeked out with every breath, a brutal reminder of the game that built him and nearly broke him.
He was a living warning sign—broad chest, sharp jaw, and that ever-present scowl like the world had already pissed him off and he hadn’t even had coffee yet. A bomb in real life. Explosive. Intense. Raw power in human form, barely leashed beneath golden skin and clenched fists.
And he was mine.
He paused in the doorway, arms crossed, silently taking in the sight of me at the stove. I flipped the eggs just in time, not a single burned edge in sight. A miracle. I placed his plate on the counter with a small, proud smile.
“Look at that,” I said, aiming for lighthearted. “No smoke alarms this time.”
He grunted in approval, walking over and brushing his knuckles against my hip as he passed—barely a touch, but enough to send a ripple down my spine. He snagged a fork and started eating, still watching me.
But I could feel it—the way his gaze lingered a second too long, how his jaw tightened between bites. He was reading me, like always.
“What’s wrong?” he asked finally, voice rough from sleep and laced with concern.
I shook my head, reaching for the pan so I wouldn’t have to meet his eyes. “Nothing. Just tired.”
His silence said he didn’t believe me for a second. But he didn’t push—just set down the fork and came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder.
“Bullshit,” he said gruffly.
And God, it would’ve been so easy to fall into that comfort—to turn around and let the truth spill out. But not yet. Not when I was still figuring out how to protect him from it.
I leaned back into Nick’s chest, letting his arms settle around me like armor. He smelled like sleep and skin and something faintly smoky—home, in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time. But even in his hold, I could sense the shift—the slight tension in his muscles, the unspoken questions behind his silence.
I turned around slowly, slipping out of his embrace just enough to meet his eyes. “I’m going to run out and grab some croissants,” I said, keeping my tone easy.
His brow ticked. “I’ll come with you.”
Of course he would. Always ready to be by my side, to guard me even when I didn’t ask for it. I smiled and smoothed my hand down the length of his forearm. “You’ve got an away game tomorrow. You should rest.”
He huffed—a sound somewhere between a laugh and a scoff. “Rest? Practice is in two hours.”
“I’ll be back long before then,” I said, reaching for my jacket. “It’s just a quick trip.”
His jaw tightened. He didn’t like it. I could see the argument forming in his eyes even if he didn’t voice it. But instead of pushing, he gave me a slow nod, jaw still flexed. “Straight there and back?”
“Promise,” I said softly, brushing a kiss against his cheek. The way his eyes lingered on me, like he could anchor me in place with a single look, nearly broke me.
He followed me to the door, barefoot and still shirtless. “Text me if anything feels off.”
“It won’t,” I said gently.
He didn’t answer right away—just stood in the doorway, watching like the world might try to rip me from him the moment I stepped outside. “Just be careful.”
I gave him one last smile and pulled the door closed behind me. The morning air bit at my cheeks, sharp and cold. But inside, I carried the heat of his worry, his touch, his presence.
It felt like armor.
And I was going to need it.
