Page 85 of Seal the Deal

Her hand lingers, fingers moving to my face as she looks me over, searching for any signs of injury. The casual intimacy makes my heart surge.I love you.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming,” I murmur, keeping a hand on her hip.

“I wanted to surprise you. Noah’s been begging to watch you play.”

“I’m glad you’re here.” My hand squeezes her slightly.

For a moment, her eyes lock on mine and she leans in like she’s going to kiss me, but then they flicker with awareness. She pulls back, cheeks flushing as she glances toward the kids.

Meadow’s wide, curious eyes are fixed on us, and Noah watches too, his expression thoughtful. It hits me that this might be the first time they’ve seen us being so openly affectionate. We’ve been careful, keeping things light and easy, but I wonder if they’re piecing it together.

“Jake okay, Mama?” Meadow asks, clutching Charlotte’s leg.

Charlotte forces a smile, bending down to pick her up. “Yes, honey bee, Jake’s just fine. See? He’s right here.”

Meadow surveys me, her bright eyes taking in every detail. Damn, if it doesn’t nearly break my heart. I lean in to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek. “I’m fine, Princess. Your unicorn picture kept me safe.”

She beams, while Noah, who’s been quiet until now, looks up at me with a serious expression. “You were really good out there, Jake,” he says, his tone almost adult-like in its sincerity. “But you got hit. Did it hurt?”

I crouch to his level, giving him a reassuring smile. “Thanks, buddy. And yeah, it hurt a little, but it’s part of the game. I’m okay, though.”

Noah nods, accepting that. Then he glances between Charlie and me, brow furrowing. “Are you and my Mum… together?”

Before I can answer, Charlotte jumps in, her voice slightly strained. “We’re… friends, Noah.”

What. The fuck.

But Meadow’s not satisfied with that. She tugs on Charlotte’s sleeve, her brow furrowed. “Is Jake a boyfriend?”

Her innocent question makes my heart ache with a fierce need to tell her yes, I’m here and I'm not going anywhere. That I want to be the man they can rely on.

But before I can respond, Charlie cuts in again, her voice a little higher than usual. “We’re, um, friends. Really good friends.”

She stumbles over the words, and I can see the conflict in her eyes. She’s trying to protect them, to keep things simple for them, but it stings that she didn’t just say yes.

Noah, still observing, suddenly pipes up. “Are you guys in love?”

I hear a laugh that turns into a cough and glance over to see Zoe and Tamara suddenly very engrossed in their phones, both trying not to smirk. My eyes narrow at them.

Charlotte’s eyes widen, and she glances at me, searching for words. But before she can respond, I kneel in front of him, wanting to be on his level for this. This moment could shape everything, and I need to get it right.

“Your mom and I care about each other a lot.” My eyes flick to Charlotte’s, hoping she hears what I can’t say, then I look back at Noah. “We’re still figuring out what that means, but we’re very close. And I want you to know that you guys are really important to me.”

Charlie exhales slowly, clearly relieved that I didn’t dive in too deeply. But Noah watches us both, his expression still serious.

“So, you’renotin love?” His tone is skeptical, like he’s not buying it.

I hesitate, glancing at Charlotte, who’s chewing her lip like she’s about to draw blood. “We’re… really good friends,” she says yet again, her voice wavering slightly.

The fuck we are.I’m not in love with my friends, Charlotte.

Noah considers this, his eyes narrowing, but he eventually seems satisfied. Meadow, who’s been trying to follow along, looks up at Charlotte with a frown. “Bestfriends?”

Charlie nods quickly, trying to keep her tone light. “Yeah! Best friends.”

Frustration twists in my gut. This conversation is slipping away from what I wanted. She’s holding us at arm’s length when all I want is to pull her and the kids closer. I know she's trying to keep things simple for them, but every time she saysfriends, it intensifies my need to show her just how much I’mnother fucking friend.

I especially don’t want Noah to be confused. It’s important to me that he understands that I’m committed to this, that he can rely on me. Something I never had.

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