Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 86515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
My chest tightens, pulling inward to center around a hearth of warmth I feel for this woman.
I cross the room, aware of the way heads turn, the way a few conversations trail off as the visual clicks into place.
Neo and Trinity.
Together.
Juno looks up and her face softens immediately. “There you are,” she says.
“Here I am.” I cup her jaw and kiss her softly on the lips, eating up her quick, surprised inhale. We had not discussed how we’d behave tonight, but I’ve staked my position now.
I feel the awareness in the room, feel the eyes on us. When I pull back, her smile is steady, certain. She’s not afraid.
Somewhere behind us, someone whistles, and I slip my arm around her waist.
“And we’re off,” she murmurs.
♦
The party swells as the night settles in. Admittedly, Cherry has put on an excellent shindig, and everyone is having a blast. The music pulses from the DJ, laughter rises and falls in pockets, and the living room has been converted into a dance floor.
I lose track of time somewhere between refilling a drink and fielding a dozen variations of Nice costume, man. Juno and Evan have been mostly working, so I’ve been on my own, randomly drifting among groups. Birdie is currently in a dance-off with Arch.
And that’s when Miller finds me. “Hey,” he says, voice tight. “Can we talk?”
There’s a bite to his tone that sets my teeth on edge—not aggressive but coiled. I glance toward Juno, who’s talking to Dutton Black, one of our third-line wingers, while Evan films.
“Sure,” I reply on a long exhale.
He leads me down a short hallway toward the back of the house, past a guest bath and a coat closet, stopping before the sliding doors that open onto the patio. The music dulls here, replaced by the muted sound of voices through glass.
Miller turns to face me. “I need you to back off,” he says.
I blink. Once. “Back off… what?”
“My wife.”
The words are biting, both heavy and accusatory, and my anger surges without restraint.
“I don’t know what you think you’re talking about,” I say slowly, forcing my voice to stay calm, “but I haven’t crossed a single line with Cherry.”
His jaw tightens. “That’s not what she says.”
I stare at him blankly, shocked beyond speech for a moment. “I broke things off with her clean over three years ago. That was my choice and not up for interpretation.”
“And now you can’t stand to see her with me,” he snaps.
That does it. “Where is this coming from?” I ask, my voice hard despite my effort to keep it level. “Because it’s not coming from reality.”
“She told me you’ve been weird,” he says. “Cold and distant one moment, acting friendly the next. She thinks you’re jealous of me.”
I laugh once, short and incredulous. “I’ve barely spoken to her and when I have, it’s because she approaches me.”
“She said you told her it was strange seeing her married,” Miller presses. “That it took some getting used to and that you want her back.”
I freeze. “That’s a fucking lie.”
Miller jolts, eyebrows shooting straight up in shock over my vehemence, but then smoothing out. “I think I’ll believe my wife.”
I step closer, anger flaring now, contained but hot. “Let me be crystal clear. I am not interested in Cherry, and I sure as hell am not jealous of your marriage.”
He bristles. “You expect me to ignore what my wife tells me?”
“I expect you to recognize crazy when it’s staring you in the face,” I say flatly. “This—this right here—is exactly why I dumped her. And I suggest you figure out how to manage it, because we cannot have this bleeding into the locker room.”
His eyes flash. “I’ll choose to believe my wife.”
“That’s your call,” I say. “But don’t project her shit onto me.”
For a moment, I think he might say more. Instead, he steps back, jaw clenched. “Stay out of our lives,” he says.
I don’t respond. I watch him walk away and let out a long breath of frustration when he’s gone.
My hands curl into fists at my sides. What a fucking nightmare.
I could cheerfully strangle Cherry for doing this. She has now gone and put the entire team at risk because one fracture like that can poison a room fast.
“Hey.” Juno’s voice cuts through the spiral, and I turn to find her out on the deck with me, concern already written across her face. “What’s wrong? I saw you and Miller out here talking but didn’t want to intrude.”
I hesitate for half a second and consider brushing it off. But that’s not how this works.
Not with Juno.
“Miller cornered me,” I say, throwing a hand toward the house where he’s probably holding on to Cherry’s skirts. “Accused me of still being interested in Cherry.”
Her brows knit together instantly. “Why would he do that? It’s ridiculous.”