“I didn’t like seeing you in his jersey.”
She cocks her head, surprised.“What was I supposed to wear?”
I take her chin in my fingers, lifting it so she’s forced to look me dead in the eyes.
“Wear mine,” I murmur.“Next time you wear a jersey to a game, you fucking wear mine.”
Her eyes widen.
I can’t give her what she deserves because my career comes first, but for a second, I imagine being the man who could.
We stand there staring at each other until music rings out in the yard below.
“Nova!”A woman’s voice calls from somewhere in the house.
Nova jumps.“We should get back out there.”
I want to lock the door and lose myself in this girl.
I want to let myself imagine there’s a world where someone sees me as I am, as I could be, and neither of those have anything to do with my busted knee or how many points I score.
I step back to let her past, and she starts toward the door.“Clay?”
The way she says my name makes me want to drag her back and slam the door behind us.
“Yeah?”
Her lips curve.“Thank you.”
I’m so fucked.
16
NOVA
“That was some barbeque.”Mari sighs as she sinks into an overstuffed chair in front of the fireplace later that night.“Do you think the mayor had a good time?”
“How could he not?”Harlan offers with a smile.
“I wanted Clay to charm some of them,” she says, and my attention perks up.“He wasn’t very accommodating.Maybe he’s incapable of charm.”
“Or maybe it’s not his job.”
Two sets of eyes land on me.
I say, “You don’t need to pimp him out.Or any of them.”
“Harlan has all kinds of pressures on him running this team.It’s the least they can do.”
“Yeah, but Harlan doesn’t actually have to play basketball and have a camera in his face every second of the workday.No offense.”
Mari frowns at me.“What the hell has got into you?”
“Nothing.”I flash a smile and head toward the backyard, where staff are still cleaning up from the event.
After today, I have energy to burn.
I started out feeling intimidated and out of place, but now I’m energized.
