Page 99 of Too Safe

“The process is a great distraction. It’s hypnotic when the needle is buzzing against my skin and the pain on the outside matches the ache on the inside.”

“So no weed until after the season,” she repeats, her voice laced with understanding this time.

I’m reaching for her again when a noise from the doorway snags my attention.

“There you two are,” Kylian declares, plopping down on the other side of Joey.

I huff out a little sigh of frustration. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep her to myself for long. Not this afternoon. Not ever.

“Nicky, can you—”

“Yeah, I got you,” I assure him before he can even finish that thought. I reach for the remote and click on the subtitles.

“Hi, Jo,” he murmurs, his voice so uncharacteristically not Kylian I have to hold back a snicker.

Damn. He’s got it bad. We all do, in our own way, I guess.

I watch the pair of them as they exchange a silent greeting. It’s intimate, but neither of them is trying to hide it from me.

Theoretically, this is bonkers.

But as I sit here with the girl of my dreams wedged between me and my childhood best friend, I’m surprisingly okay with it.

A few more seconds pass before Kylian stops making heart eyes at Joey and finally looks up at the screen.

“Oh,50 First Dates. Good movie,” he notes, placing his hand on Joey’s thigh. “It’s light-years behindForgetting Sarah Marshallin terms of satire and campiness, of course, but not bad, as far as Hawaii-based stoner films go.”

Joey stifles a laugh but reaches out to squeeze my hand. She doesn’t pull away when I interlace our fingers and rest our joined hands on her other thigh.

Chapter 41

Josephine

Ineverexpectedtospend a Thursday afternoon surrounded by a sea of red and white in the middle of an athletic shoe store, but here we are.

When Decker asked me to accompany him to this event, I didn’t hesitate. He’s been a surprisingly compliant patient over the last few days.

He talked to his coach on Tuesday, and he’ll have to pass a series of tests to work through the NCAA’s concussion protocol starting tomorrow. He still has more than a week to fully recover since the Crusaders don’t have a game this weekend.

Since it’s a bye week, the guys have more NIL obligations than usual. Decker is the only one required to attend this one. It’s some sort of exclusive VIP experience aimed at preteens who are eager to talk to him and have him sign everything from footballs to T-shirts to shoes.

Misty is here, flitting around with a clipboard and scolding kids who hold up the line with too many pictures. I guess that’s part of her job, but she could stand to be a bit kinder to the kids whose parents no doubt shelled out big bucks to meet Decker Crusade.

Decker is on in a way he usually reserves for the field. He’s charming and warm, taking time to ask each person’s name. He always asks the kids what they like to do for fun. Not what sports they participate in or what position they play. There’s blatant disregard for how into football a kid might be. If anything, he seems to give more attention to the shy, reserved kids who approach his table.

He’s so good with all of them. It’s surprising and legitimately heartwarming to watch.

I’m leaning against a display of toe shoes—so creepy—trying to fade into the background as I take it all in. The store is a madhouse, with a checkout line half as long as the queue to meet the man of the hour. Despite the chaotic energy and sheer volume of hundreds of parents and kids waiting for their turn, my attention is drawn back to Decker over and over again.

He’s enigmatically good looking. It should be a crime to be that talented, wealthy, and naturally handsome. I’d almost describe him as pretty, if not for the hard set of his jaw. I could watch him for hours. His movements are fluid, and his smile, something it took weeks for me to get a glimpse of, now comes so easily. He’s quick to laugh when interacting with the kids and totally at ease as he jokes around and slings a huge arm over their shoulders for the photo op.

I watch him for far longer than I should, captivated by the same magic that’s put every other person here under his spell.

But as time goes on, he deflates. It’s subtle at first. Just a hint of tension in his shoulders. Between groups, he stretches his neck from side to side. Eventually, his jaw ticks in an erratic rhythm, almost as if he can’t control it.

It’s loud in here. Loud and exceptionally bright thanks to the ring lights set up for the photo op. Concerned, I scan the store and take stock. The line is still out the door. But Decker looks like he could use a break.

Of course, Misty doesn’t notice the change in his demeanor. As long as he’s still sitting upright and forcing a smile, she likely doesn’t care about how he feels.

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