Page 50 of Almost Ours
I handed them over. “No problem.” I hesitated, then added. “Last night was fun.”
Her lips curved, soft and genuine. “It was. You make some excellent popcorn. Kernel to M&M ratio was perfect.”
“Highly underrated skill. Not as good as Nina’s margarita’s though.”
That earned a real laugh from her, and I soaked it in.
“Harper!” Nina’s voice called from outside. “Unless you’re planning on walking, I’d get your butt in gear.”
Harper hesitated just a second longer, then gave me one last look before rolling her eyes and giving me a playful salute. “Duty calls.”
“See you later.”
As she was walking away, I heard her mutter under her breath, her voice barely audible, “Get it together, Harper. He’s your kid’s coach.”
A laugh bubbled up, surprising me with its lightness.
At least now I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling this.
I caught Shane, standing just a few feet away, watching Nina. His expression was unreadable, but the way he stood–shoulders tense, eyes locked on her–told me everything I needed to know.
Something had happened this morning. I didn’t know what, but Shane sure as hell did.
The second Nina and Harper were out of earshot, Shane shot me a look, brows lifted. “Really?”
I smirked, not bothering to humour him with a response. Instead, I crossed my arms and nodded toward the clipboard in his hands. “You checking game notes or just pretending to look busy?”
He exhaled through his nose, flipping a page without actually reading it. I gave it a beat before cutting to the chase.
“So… you want to tell me what the hell was going on outside Nina’s this morning?”
His hand stilled on the page–just for a second–before he turned it like I hadn’t said anything at all.
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
I tilted my head, unimpressed. “Come on, man. You and I both know it wasn’t nothing.”
Shane let out a slow breath, finally lowering the clipboard and rubbing the back of his neck. He didn’t look at me when he said, “Lily.”
The name sat heavy between us. It didn’t take much to piece it together–Nina’s sister.
“She’s been trouble her whole damn life,” Shane muttered, his voice rough with something that sounded a lot like frustration. “Lying, manipulating–she’s always been like that. Same way in high school. Didn’t matter who she hurt, as long as she got what she wanted.” He shook his head, his jaw tight. “She had no business becoming a mom.”
There was no malice in his words, just blunt honesty.
“Liam’s lucky to have Nina,” he added after a beat, his voice quieter. “She’s basically raised him on her own. He’s a good kid because ofher, not Lily.”
I watched him carefully–the way his shoulders tensed, the way he said Nina’s name like it meant something more. I’d known Shane a long time, and I’d never heard him talk about anyone like this before.
“Nina’s lucky to have you in her corner too, you know,” I said, keeping my tone easy.
He glanced at me, his expression unreadable. “Don’t make this a thing, Barzal.”
I held up my hands, grinning. “Not making it a thing. Just calling it like I see it. You’ve got her back, and that’s solid.”
He grumbled something under his breath, shaking his head as he flipped the clipboard shut. “Yeah, well, Nina’s not just anyone. She’s had to put up with more shit than most people, and Lily’s the worst of it.”
His tone had shifted–not just frustrated, but protective. Like he’d been in the trenches with Nina for a long time. And just like that, a puzzle piece clicked into place.
