Page 74 of Power Play
“Really, Murphy?” she says when she sees me limping, clearly unimpressed. “What part of ‘I told you so’ do you want me to start with?”
“I’m not listening to you right now,” I mutter, trying to grin through the pain. “But thanks for the support, babe.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Support? Please. The only support I’m offering right now is making sure you don’t collapse before we get to your house.”
“I can walk, you know,” I say, my voice getting more defensive than I mean it to.
“I’m sure you can,” she says, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “But since your car’s probably too far for you to make it, how about you let me drive you home instead?”
I don’t even have the energy to argue. I’m too tired, too sore, and honestly, too lazy to care. “Fine, but you’re driving my car. I’m not getting in that thing of yours.”
Her face lights up at that. “Your car? Are you serious?”
I nod, wincing as I adjust my weight. “Yeah. You’ve been making fun of me for ages about it. Now you get to drive it.”
She blinks a few times, clearly processing what I said. “Wait. Youwant me to drive your brand new Range Rover? The one that I could never afford in my wildest dreams? Oh, this is going to be fun.”
She’s practically bouncing now, looking like a kid on Christmas morning. Honestly, it’s hard not to laugh. Sophie doesn’t do well with anything fancy, so seeing her excited over a car is hilarious to me.
I hand her the keys, trying to suppress my grin. “Don’t crash it, alright?”
Her eyes widen dramatically as she takes the keys from me. “Me? Crash it? I’m a professional. You’re the one who can’t even walk right now.”
“I’m just saying,” I reply, trying to be serious. “I won’t be happy if you accidentally dent it or spill something on the leather seats.”
“Oh, trust me,” she says with a wink. “I’ll be careful. And I’ll make sure to admire every inch of this gorgeous thing while I’m driving it.”
I chuckle, despite the sharp pang in my ankle. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”
She grins at me as she starts the car, her fingers wrapped around the wheel. “Maybe, but this car is so smooth it practically drives itself. If you think I’m not going to enjoy every second of this, you’re out of your mind.”
The drive to my house is short, but Sophie’s got this whole thing going where she’s acting like she’s piloting a jet or something. Her enthusiasm for the car is borderline contagious. She keeps muttering things under her breath like, “I can’t believe I’m driving this,” and “This car is hotter than half the players on the team.”
It’s nice. It’s easy. And for a moment, the pain in my ankle doesn’t seem so bad.
As we pull into my driveway, I wince slightly when I step out of the car, but Sophie’s already there, waiting for me. “You’re getting spoiled, Murphy. I can tell you’ve never driven anything this fancy in your life.”
“Can’t help it,” I grunt. “It’s a nice car. Sue me.”
She just laughs, her eyes glinting. “I’m not judging. But you’ve got to admit, you’re the only guy on the team who drives a car like this and still looks like a total mess most of the time.”
I raise my eyebrows at her. “Oh, really?”
“Oh yeah,” she says, her voice sweet with mock innocence. “You’re a walking contradiction. Expensive car, terrible taste in clothes, but somehow, you make it work.”
“Guess I’ve got it figured out, then,” I say, unlocking the front door and stepping inside.
The moment the door closes behind us, Sophie’s smile falters a little. She looks at me, a little more serious now. “So, really. How bad is the ankle?”
I shrug, trying to play it cool. “It’s sore, but I’ll survive. Nothing to cry about.”
She looks me up and down, her gaze lingering on my injury. “Don’t be an idiot. You should be icing it. Mia gave me strict instructions to make sure you elevate and ice it.”
“I’ll get to it.” I start to head for the kitchen, but Sophie’s right on my heels, following me like a hawk.
“You’re not going anywhere until I take care of that ankle.”
She’s bossy, but I love it. I roll my eyes but let her push me back toward the couch. “Alright, alright, but I swear I’ll be fine.”
