Page 18 of Boards & Betrayal

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, feeling the awkwardness settle between us like a thick fog. Ally forced a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Congratulations," she said, her voice strained.

"Thanks," I replied, equally stiff.

We both started talking at the same time, then stopped abruptly. Ally blushed furiously, the color spreading down her neck and disappearing under her collar. I remembered those blushes, how far they went, and I had to stop myself from thinking about it.

"Go ahead," I said, trying to break the tension.

"No, you first," she insisted, lowering her gaze.

I cleared my throat. "How've you been?"

Her eyes flickered up to meet mine for a moment before dropping again. "I've been... okay," she said softly. "Busy with work."

"Yeah, me too," I replied lamely, cursing myself for not coming up with something better to say.

The silence stretched on, uncomfortable and heavy with unspoken words. I wanted to ask her about everything—about the time we spent together, about how she'd been coping—but now wasn't the time.

Ally's fingers fidgeted with the strap of her camera. "I didn't expect to see you here tonight," she admitted quietly. "Wait, no. I mean, of course you'd be here. More like, I didn't expect to…" She let her voice trail off.

"Same here," I said, smirking. She looked so fucking cute when she babbled. "But it's good to see you."

She looked up then, her blue eyes searching mine as if trying to read what lay beneath my guarded exterior. For a moment, it felt like we were back in my room, her room, didn’t matter; where everything had been raw and real and uncomplicated by the world outside.

"Are you..." Ally bit her lip, shaking her head. "Sorry. It's none of my business."

"What?" I asked softly, leaning in just a fraction, drawn to the vulnerability in her eyes.

"I just... I hope you're celebrating with someone," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

I chuckled, the sound coming out more bitter than I'd intended. "I don't mind being alone," I said. "I fucking prefer it."

She smiled, and my heart stuttered. Damn, she was beautiful.

"I remember," she said softly, a hint of sadness in her eyes.

God, I missed her. The urge to reach out and touch her was almost overwhelming, but I kept my hands firmly at my sides. It was like a knife twisting in my chest.

Before I could say anything more, the door swung open with a bang. Nick stood there, his presence filling the room like a storm cloud. My kid looked like he’d just stepped off the set of a gritty drama—tall and broad-shouldered, with tousled hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through me. His jawwas set in that familiar stubborn line that reminded me so much of myself at his age.

"Ally," he said, his voice hardening as he took in the scene before him. "I need to talk to you." His gaze flicked between us suspiciously, narrowing as if trying to piece together an unsolved puzzle. "Unless I'm interrupting something?"

Ally stepped back instinctively, creating more space between us. Her face flushed as she fumbled with the camera strap hanging around her neck.

I stepped in front of Ally, blocking Nick’s path. “What the fuck do you need her for?”

Nick’s eyes blazed with anger. “It’s none of your goddamn business. What is this?” His gaze shifted between Ally and me, suspicion etched into every line of his face.

“Nick,” Ally said, trying to diffuse the tension. “Your father just won an award?—”

“I don’t care,” Nick snapped. “I need a favor.”

“A favor?” Ally echoed, her voice tinged with confusion.

I clenched my fists at my sides, every instinct screaming to step in, to protect her from whatever my son had planned. But I held back. The last time I intervened, things went south fast. I overdid it, lost control, and ended up arrested. Nick had a black eye, and I hadn’t seen Ally since that night. I couldn’t make the same mistake again.

Ally’s eyes flickered between us, searching for answers. “What kind of favor?”

Nick took a step closer, his expression softening just a fraction as he looked at her. “I need some photos taken for a project,” he said, his voice losing some of its edge. “It’s important. You owe me."

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