Page 38 of Power Move
Fuck it. I lay my hand on his forearm. “I’m having dinner with my parents. Do you want to join us?”
Alarm fills his blue eyes. “Tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Did they ask… I mean,” he leans in, lowering his voice, “did you tell them about me?”
“Well, they know you’re my teammate. And that we spend a lot of time together.” Nerves hit me in the gut. Swallowing hard, I lean in too. “I’d like to tell them that you’re more.”
He glances around us, at our teammates filing into aisles, readying to exit the plane. “Tell them, or tell everyone?”
That wasn’t ano. Some of my tension eases, but not enough for me to breathe unfettered. We need to have this conversation somewhere else. “Whatever you want. We can talk more at the hotel.”
Biting his lip, eyes wide, he nods and then picks up his bag. The ear buds he just put away come back out. He slips them on and navigates to one of his many playlists. A comfort listen one, filled with calming tunes.
Knowing he’s stressed makes me stressed. I rub the back of my neck. If only I could reverse time and take back the question, everything would be fine.
Quinn gives me a questioning look when we stand. “You okay?”
“Sure.”
And I pretend that I am, all the way to my hotel room. I text my parents that I might be bringing a guest, then change into jeans and the fisherman’s sweater Sage likes so much.
Sage arrives with a quick knock at my door. He’s dressed in a black Henley and jeans, and twisting the hell out of his fidget toy.
Concern for him pushes my nerves to the side. Taking his hand in mine, I draw him deeper into the room, to the bed, and sit down beside him at the foot. “I didn’t mean to stress you out.”
“I know.” He stares at the rug for a moment before lifting that worried gaze to mine. “What if your parents don’t like me?”
That’s his first question, his biggest worry? I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning like a fool from the relief surging through me, and squeeze his hand. “They’ll love you. My mom will want to feed you, and talk about the animals she rescues, and my dad will want to talk hockey. They already think you’re great because of what you did for me for my birthday. They’re really good people. I’d never put you in a bad situation.”
He squeezes my hand. “I know you wouldn’t. I just want to make a good impression.” A look of horror overtakes his face. “What if I spill something at dinner, and it’s the fisherman’s sweater fiasco all over again?”
Chuckling, I bring his hand to my lips and press a kiss to his knuckles. “Fiasco? The last time you brought that up, it was a situation.”
He smiles too. “I’m trying out fiasco. I like it.”
“Well, I like you.” I kiss his shy smile. “And so will my parents.”
“I would like to meet them.” His voice is soft. “What about everyone else?”
“Of the team, the people who matter, our friends, already know. I don’t think other teammates will care, some of them probably suspect it already. We can tell Coach Grant first. I’m comfortable telling people. But if you want to wait, that’s fine too.”
“I don’t want to take anyone’s focus off the games, or be a distraction.” His fingers manipulate the toy, twisting it then stretching it out. “There’s only two weeks left, then the playoffs begin.”
I thread my fingers into his hair, sliding through the strands, hoping to soothe him, then move down to massage his neck. “We can wait until after the season. I’m really okay with that.”
“But I also worry I’m going to forget to be discrete and end up kissing you after a goal or a win when we’re all congratulating each other.”
“If that happens, then it breaks the news for us.”
He blows out a sigh, heavy with the weight of all his worries. “I wish I knew the right thing to do.”
“There is no one right way or time.” I brush his hair off his face, and it falls right back, flopping over his forehead. “We don’t have to make a decision tonight. Let’s have dinner with my parents. Are you okay with us telling them?”
“Yeah, I am. You’re close with them, and shouldn’t have to hide. Do you really think they’ll like me?”
“You are a massive upgrade over every boyfriend I’ve ever had.” I stand, pulling him up with me. “Ready to go?”
