Page 78 of Flag On The Play
Colder.
Lonelier.
The second I stepped off the plane, my phone blew up again. More articles. More bullshit headlines. More memes that tore my relationship apart and turned it into a joke.
“From MVP to VIP: Finlay Reed Caught With His Pants Down.”
“Touchdown or Stripdown?”
“Nighthawks' golden boy caught with Heaven’s Edge’s finest.”
Every word felt like a punch to the gut. Not because they were about me. I don’t give a damn about what they said about me. But Nova? They dragged her through the dirt like she wasn’t the best damn thing that ever happened to me. Like she wasn’t everything.
And now she won’t answer.
Not my texts. Not my calls.
I’ve tried everything short of smoke signals, and still nothing.
“I expected more from you, Finlay.”
Her words echo constantly in my head like a goddamn loop I can’t break. The tears in her eyes and disappointment in her voice break me.
So I go to the one place I shouldn’t go.
Heaven’s Edge.
The music hits me the second I walk in. I scan the room, not caring about the stares or the gasps of surprise.
I just need to see her.
Roxy steps in front of me like she’s been waiting.
“I don’t think you should be here,” she says, crossing her arms and glaring at me like she’d love to toss me out herself.
“I need to see her.”
“Well, she doesn’t want to see you.” Her voice is sharp, cutting. “You think coming in here is gonna make it better? You want to put her name in the headlines again? Go ahead. Let the world write another article about how Nova Wilde can’t stay away from her quarterback.”
My jaw tightens.
“I’m not here to cause trouble.”
“No, you’re just trouble that showed up uninvited,” she snaps, stepping closer. “I love her, Finlay. And right now, she’s hurting. And unlike you, I’m not going to walk away and let her get crushed twice.”
That lands hard. I want to argue, I want to yell, but she’s right. And as much as I hate it, I’m not going to cause a scene. Not here. Not at Nova’s work.
“Tell her I stopped by,” I say quietly, turning and walking back out before I do something stupid.
The second the door shuts behind me, the silence is louder than the music ever was.
When I get back to my penthouse, I crack open a beer, barely tasting it. My phone is still in my hand, and I’m one second away from calling her again when there’s a knock on the door.
I jump up, a tiny bit of hope washing over me until I open the door.
Jace and Theo walk in, both of them eyeing me like I’ve grown a second head.
“Dude,” Jace mutters, dropping onto the couch. “What the hell happened?”
