Page 26 of Your Biggest Downfall
I let go of her chin and then held my heart. “After a big loss...”
She giggled and playfully slapped me across my chest. “You’re such a baby. Fine. Where are we going?”
I told her the plan, and she took a step back. “How are you getting into a bar?”
“Shhh. That’s a little secret.”
“Austin,” she huffed. I loved the way her lips were full and pouty right now as she crossed her arms across her chest. “I can’t do something illegal with you and be a part of this. It could be on the news. Anyone could see you.”
I tapped her temple with my finger. “Always thinking about work, Supernova. Where’s the fun in that?”
“Nova?” someone shouted from the direction of the press box.
Nova quickly moved to stand in front of me.
“Y—Yes?” She hesitated.
I turned to see what had made her so nervous all of a sudden and saw Iris, the head of PR and media, standing by the door.
“Stop bothering the players. Are you getting the coffee I asked for?”
What a fucking bitch. How dare she talk to Nova like that. Fuck her.
I walked forward, and when Nova realized what I was doing, she quickly turned around. “Don’t,” she pleaded.
“She can’t talk to you like that.” I shifted closer so that I could step out in front of her.
“It’s fine,” she said quickly. Her desperate eyes met mine. “I’ll meet you tonight. You win. Okay?”
A smirk lifted my cheeks. “Okay, but I still don’t like the way she’s speaking to you.”
Nova hung her head low. “Neither do I. Please go.”
I couldn’t say no to her. For some reason, I couldn’t stay away from Nova Thatcher.
11
nova
“Two nights in one week? Is the world ending? Do we need to get our anti-zombie gear on because the apocalypse is upon us?” Luna joked when I finally came home and told her to quickly get dressed.
“Iris ran me dry today, and I had no chance to visit Mami, and Austin told me they were getting there at nine.” I paused my frantic pacing around my “bedroom” and glanced up at the clock on the oven. “I’m going to be late. I don’t have anything to wear. It’s freaking ten thirty, and the bar is at least half an hour away.”
“Babe.” Luna came over and wrapped me in a hug. “It’s a bar. It doesn’t close until two. Is this about going out or the fact that you weren’t able to see your mom tonight?”
I let out a deep sigh. My jaw hurt from how hard I’d been clenching it. I wasn’t going to tell Luna that not only was all that happening, but going out tonight and spending money on drinks meant that I might not have enough to make rent. It meant that I was going to have to eat ramen for a few days or maybe skip a couple meals. I was so much more than just an intern. I was doing the job of three people but was paid the absolute minimum. But now that the season was over, I’d need to find a temporary job in hopes that I could get through the summer.
I also wasn’t going to tell Luna that I was kind of relieved and happy there’d been no time to visit Mami. I loved my mother, but being there and watching her get treatments every day made me fucking sad, and I was already selfishly sad in my own way. I needed that little taste of freedom that Austin provided. An escape. Going tonight meant I could find that.
“You’re right. The bar will be there,” I said as I sighed and plopped on the bed in the corner of the room.
Luna stared at me. “That didn’t answer my question. I asked if this has anything to do with Mami?”
I wished I could tell her. I wished I could tell her it had everything to do with it without sounding selfish. “No. I wanna go out with the team. They lost. They deserve someone to build up morale.”
A grin formed on Luna’s face as she walked toward her bedroom. “Okay, bitch. I guess this has absolutely nothing to do with that hottie Austin Hart, whose bed you slept in last week. Hmmmm.” Shetsked, and I chucked an empty bottle of water in her direction as she chuckled. “Let me pick your outfit out.”
“Fine,” I said. So, sue me for wanting to look good tonight.
