Page 68 of Delay of Game

She looks like she belongs.

Alice moves closer and rests her forehead on my shoulder. “Is this okay?” she asks.

“Yes,” I say, but it’s an understatement.

It’s better than okay.

It’s perfect.

CHAPTER 25

November

Jordan

I wake up rested,the pain having subsided after Alice brought me my medication. The room is still shrouded in darkness, and I reach for my phone that’s face down on the nightstand.

I have a lot of missed calls and texts from work, and I quickly type out a message that I’m feeling better and that I’ll be able to be in attendance at tonight’s game. Alice stirs next to me and when I turn my head, I find her watching me with a soft expression. I’m still worried that she’s only here because she feels bad for me.

“How are you feeling?” she asks, giving me a small smile, her bangs falling in her eyes. I reach out without thinking and brush the dark blond strands away, my fingertips lingering on her forehead, my thumb brushing back and forth on her cheek.

Alice’s eyes fall closed, and she gives me a content sigh. I fight the urge to kiss her and pull my hand back, pulling the blanket off me.

“Much better. Thank you,” I swallow hard, pushing myself off the bed and trying to stretch. There’s some lingering pain, but not enough to incapacitate me the rest of the day.

“Shouldn’t you rest more?” she asks, sitting up in my bed, looking adorably rumpled.

I shake my head, twisting my body in another stretch. “I have a game to coach tonight.”

“Are you still in pain?”

The concern in her face stops me in my tracks and pulls at my heartstrings. “I’m always in pain, but this is a manageable level.” Her face falls and her eyes shine with tears. Fuck.

“J, I’m so sorry,” she says, a tear falling down her cheek and landing on the comforter. I swallow hard and reach out a hand. When she takes it, I pull her to the edge of the bed and give her a hug.

“I’ll be okay, I promise,” I say, trying to put her at ease.

“I just wish you’d told me sooner. I wish I could help more,” Alice says helplessly, hugging me harder.

“There’s one thing you can help me with …” I trail off, not sure if it’s the best idea to have her this close, but she wants me to let her in, to let her help me, so I have to try.

“Anything,” she says, pulling back and wiping her face.

“I need help with my stretches,” I say, blushing at the request. I almost expect her to laugh it off, but she takes the task very seriously, jumping off the bed.

“Do you have a yoga mat?” she asks, looking around the room, peeking in my closet, like she might find some hidden equipment there.

I smile. There’s the Alice I know. “No. I just lay on the floor usually.”

She whips back around to stare at me. “Are you crazy? You need to use a mat. It will help with your joints, not to mention it’s more comfortable.”

I raise an eyebrow at her. “Okay, missexpert. I’ll get one.”

“Let’s go to my place, I have one there,” she says, grabbing my hand and dragging me with her across the hall.

“How did you get into my place, again?” I ask, trying to remember if she’s mentioned it already. Alice unlocks her door and we enter her much brighter apartment, and—wow. This is the first time I’m seeing it since she moved in, and it’s so overwhelminglyher. The furniture is mostly white, from the coffee table to the TV stand to the bookshelves along the living room wall. There are plants and flowers everywhere, some real, some not, and a giant plush chair by the window, getting plenty of natural light.

“I mentioned it earlier, I used the spare key I have for emergencies,” she says, peeking at my face for a reaction. I don’t let her see how glad I am that she even cared enough to use it.

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