Page 25 of Fate in Motion
She gives me a sly, knowing look and grins. “Go find a closet or bathroom stall or something. I’ve got it covered in here.”
I smile and nod. God, I love her. She’s one of those friends who always has my back, no matter what. Life pulls people in different directions, and we’ve drifted a bit over the years, but now that I’m in New York, I know we’ll see more of each other again.
I glance toward the stage and catch Nate packing up. I shoot him a quick look, and he meets my eyes with a subtle smile. That small glance is all we need. A moment later, he starts walking toward the back of the venue.
I wait about a minute, then follow.
We meet near the bathrooms, and before I can say anything, Nate looks at me and says, “We arenotfooling around in a bathroom.”
I smirk and nod toward the hallway. “Look over there. That closet? It looks private.”
Nate follows my gaze, then grins. “Let’s go.”
We practically speed-walk to the closet and slip inside, closing the door behind us. The second it clicks shut, our lips crash together.
It’s intense, urgent like we’ve been holding this in all night. Our bodies press against each other, and I feel him harden against my leg, which I’m sure he feels me, too. I want to touch him everywhere, but I know this has to be fast. Just enough to take the edge off.
We keep kissing, deep and breathless, for what feels like five straight minutes before finally pulling apart, foreheads still pressed together.
“I don’t want this to end here,” I whisper. “Are you coming over after the event? ”
Nate looks down for a second, then back up at me with soft eyes. “Do you want to come to my place? We can Uber to Newark. It’s only about forty-five minutes.”
I smile. “Absolutely. I’d love to see your place.”
We kiss one more time, gentle this time but still full of fire, then quietly slip out of the closet.
But the second the door opens, I freeze.
Josh Miller is standing just a few feet away, clearly on his way to the bathroom. His eyes dart from me to Nate, then back to me. And then…he smiles.
A wave of panic shoots through me. My heart pounds. My stomach knots. I feel exposed. I can sense Nate noticing my reaction, and he subtly steps back, giving me space.
“It’s not what it looks like,” I blurt out, even though it obviouslyiswhat it looks like.
Josh raises his eyebrows, still calm, still smiling. “Dude, I don’t care what you were doing in there. But if it’s what I think it was…I want you to know I love you no matter what. We’re not just football friends; we’re real friends. And I care about you.”
He pauses, then adds, “I saw the way you looked at him during his set. I had a feeling something was going on.”
The anxiety in my chest starts to ease. My heart rate slows. My hands stop shaking.
I look at Josh and mumble, “Love you, man.” Not knowing what else to say.
Josh smiles again. “Love you too, dude. Now I’m going to the bathroom, and don’t worry. This isn’t my business. I won’t say a word. But if anyone ever gives you shit? I’ve got your back.”
As Josh disappears into the bathroom, Nate turns to me with gentle eyes and says, “Are you okay? That must’ve been a lot.”
I let out a small breath. “Yeah…I wasn’t expecting that. But honestly? If there’s anyone on the team I’d feel comfortable knowing, it’s him. So, in a weird way, I’m glad he knows now.”
Nate smiles, clearly relieved. “That’s good. Okay, how about this? I’ll head back to Mel, you go rejoin your crew, and then we meet up in about fifteen minutes. Just take a left when you leave and walk a block down. I’ll find you.”
I nod, heart still racing but lighter now. “Perfect.”
When I get back to Becky, she’s already cozied up to Marcus, her hand on his arm, laughing at something he said. I lean in and whisper, “I’m sneaking out to meet Nate; we’re heading back to his place.”
She grins, totally unfazed, and winks. “Go. I have my hands full with Marcus anyway.”
I smirk and say quietly, “Take care of my boy tonight. He deserves a celebration.”
