Page 79 of Goal Line
“He cares about you, and only a fool wouldn’t see it. And I don’t think you’re a fool, so why are you intentionally blind to this?” Her blue eyes look almost lavender in this light as they bore into me.
“I just don’t want to get hurt. I’ve been down that road before twice—once in high school when I thought he had feelings for me, and once with Christopher.”
“Hold up! What do you mean, ‘once with Christopher?’”
Realizing that we didn’t tell her that part of the story when we were in Los Angeles, I fill her in on how I ended up pregnant.
“Oh, shit. No wonder you’re gun shy.” Her gaze flits to her phone, where it lights up on the table next to her empty plate, but she flips it over and glances back at me.
“Last week, when we were having dinner with our parents,” I tell her, “Luke said ‘I’ve been in love with your daughter most of my life.’”
Her jaw drops, and she touches the tip of her tongue against her upper lip as she chuckles. “Oh the honesty in that boy.”
“I’m not sure if he was being honest, or just really trying to sell it.”
“Again with the not talking about shit,” Morgan says and rolls her eyes at me. “It’s so obvious toeveryoneelse but the two of you.”
Her words are consistent with Christopher’s. “Yeah?”
“After that night at the Neon Cactus, Jules and Audrey were convinced you two were secretly together and they haven’t shut up about it since. I haven’t told them about the marriage because, you know, NDA and all. But Luke must’ve told his teammates because Jules had some sort of a bet with Colt, and apparently now she’s the proud owner of his Porsche.”
I let out another laugh, because he told me about his conversation with Zach and Colt, but I have no idea if he knew there was a bet involved. “Wait, he bet her his Porsche that we weren’t together?”
“Uh-huh.”
I laugh, thinking back to the way Colt couldn’t stop looking at Jules at the Neon Cactus. “That man’s obsessed with her. The way his eyes get all gooey when he looks at her...”
Morgan just shakes her head. “That is exactly how Luke is with you.”
I’m about to respond when Morgan’s phone rings, and she snatches it up quickly, swiping the screen and bringing it to her ear. “What’s wrong?” Her words are slightly panicked. She pauses, and then says, “I don’t know, because you never call unless it’s an emergency...Yes, I saw that you texted...No, I’m not ignoring you. I’m at dinner with Eva...” She sighs and moves the phone away from her mouth. “Audrey and Jules want to know if we want to meet up with them. They’re at the Neon Cactus, it’s only a few blocks from here.”
I did tell Luke that I’d be back after dinner, but it’s not like we have plans or anything. He might not even be home. When I was heading out a couple of hours ago and asked himwhat his plans were for tonight, he said he was going to dinner with Preston. So it’s entirely possible that he’s out, and I’d be rushing home to an empty house when I could be out making new friends instead.
Los Angeles already feels like a lifetime ago. It’s time to build a new network of friends here, starting with Morgan.
“I’d love to,” I tell Morgan.
“Great,” she says into the phone, “we’re just going to pay our bill, and we’ll be there in a bit.”
“Icannotbelieveyou guys got married!” Jules says with a bright smile as she holds my hand to get a better look at my ring. “Last time we saw you guys, you were allOh, we’re just friends.And all along, you were secretly together?”
It takes a lot of effort not to glance at Morgan. Instead, I shrug, raise my eyebrows, and take a sip of my soda. “I hear you got a Porsche out of it, so...you’re welcome?”
Jules’s laugh is deep and loud and has the two guys standing nearest our table turning toward us. I’ve noticed them both casting glances her way as we’ve sat here talking, and I’m not surprised. She looks like Barbie, but she’s got a sharp tongue and nice muscles, so my money would be on her in any fight. “I don’t even want his car. I just like that I can remind him it’s mine.”
I bite my lip but can’t hold back a smile. I haven’t quite figured out their relationship, but anyone who follows hockey knows that Mathieu Coltier was the league’s biggest playboy, until about two months ago when he announced his sudden engagement to his best friend’s little sister.
Jules doesn’t seem like the type to put up with some of the shit I’ve heard about Colt getting into, so either she straightened him right out, or there’s more to the story. I can’t help but think of what Morgan said that night at dinner in LA, about how plenty of famous people are in fake relationships. But there’s no way what they have is fake...She’s smitten, and he’s obsessed.
“He’ll probably buy another one so you can have matching cars,” Audrey says and rolls her eyes.
“Nah, he knows I’ll never drive it. I like my truck too much. It would be a waste to buy another one.”
“Well now that he’s sold his condo in the Seaport,” Lauren says, “he’s probably wondering what to do with all that money.”
Jules chuckles. “Between physical therapy and planning the Bali trip, I don’t think he’s even thought about the condo.”
Lauren snorts out a laugh. “So, have you guys decided if you’re going to stay in the brownstone for good?”
