Page 47 of I’d Be Honored

Alone with her thoughts, Maddie pictured her dad, probably at home in his yellow jersey, sitting in front of the TV, counting down the minutes until tip-off. She couldn’t wait to tell him about how she’d ended up cheering against the Lakers—the team they’d spent their whole lives rooting for—all because she wanted to get the girl. She could already hear his laughter.

“Here you go.” Hayley’s voice snapped Maddie from her daydream as she placed a dirty martini and a tray full of snacks in front of her. “I wasn’t sure what you’d want, so I got… well, everything.”

Sliders, mac and cheese, pizza, chicken fingers, and French fries overflowed two plates atop the tray.

Unsure of what to make of the gesture, Maddie smiled and patted the seat next to her, beckoning Hayley to sit. “Thank you.”

After they ate, Cheryl escorted them down through the building’s loading dock and out through a tunnel that deposited them directly to their courtside seats.

Maddie didn’t know how Hayley managed it, but there they were, sitting in celebrity row at Madison Square Garden, front and center to watch the New York Knicks. It was a dream come true for anyone who had grown up loving the NBA, but especially for Maddie.

She sank into her seat, her feet planted on a strip of royal-blue maple hardwood floor. Maddie closed her eyes as the lights went dark and felt the vibrations travel through her body as twenty thousand fans began to roar. When she opened her eyes as the arena brightened again, the teams were already lining up on both sides of the court for the national anthem.

Hayley’s thigh bumped against Maddie’s as she draped her arm across the back of Maddie’s chair and leaned toward her. “Now remember, you’re not allowed to clap when LeBron scores.” A mischievous smile pinned Maddie to her seat.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Maddie batted her eyelashes sweetly. “I only cheer when…” She paused, squinting briefly across the hardwood. “Brunson scores. Obviously.”

Hayley rolled her eyes, but the motion lacked its usual annoyance.

The game started with a jump ball, which was about the only thing Maddie could say with certainty. As for the rest of the first half, she was too preoccupied by the fire spreading from Hayley’s thigh to hers to absorb much of her surroundings at all.

At halftime, Cheryl escorted them back up to the Owner’s Suite.

Spotting a restroom down the long hallway, Maddie squeezed gently on Hayley’s hand. “Do you mind if we stop by the bathroom before we go inside?”

Hayley pushed the restroom door open and stood to the side, holding it for Maddie. But Maddie hadn’t planned on going in alone.

On her way through the door, she grabbed Hayley by the wrist and tugged her inside, sliding the lock into place behind them. She curled her fingers around Hayley’s neck and backed herself up against the wall, pulling Hayley flush against her.

“Fuck me,” Maddie whispered into Hayley’s ear, already unbuttoning her own jeans.

MADDIE WOKE UP ALONE ONCE AGAIN. Peeling her eyes open, she thought about how just one time, she’d like to wake up with Hayley’s naked body wrapped around hers.

Then she remembered how the night before had ended, and her spirits sank. Hayley had flagged down a taxi for them right after the final buzzer, avoiding the majority of the crowd filtering toward the subway. But then she gave the driver Caitlin’s address, and Maddie shrank into the cracked leather seat. She felt foolish for thinking they would spend the night together.

At the brownstone, Hayley had asked the driver to give her a minute as she walked Maddie to the front door, and Maddie’s heart surged with renewed hope.

But Hayley simply guided her up the handful of steps to the threshold before leaning in for a quick platonic kiss on the cheek.

Long after Hayley was gone, Maddie remained, sitting on the concrete stairs and cupping the spot where Hayley’s lips had been. She realized that Caitlin had been right.

She was going to get hurt.

THIRTEEN

HAYLEY WAS DOING HER BEST TO ignore the I know what you did last night smirk that Gemma had been wearing since showing up at her door unannounced ten minutes ago. The two now sat in a silent stalemate across the kitchen table from each other, sipping their morning coffee and daring the other to speak first.

“Just spit it out already.” Hayley released a heavy sigh. She hadn’t had nearly enough sleep or caffeine for this conversation.

Gemma’s eyes crinkled as she grinned at Hayley over the rim of her own mug. “Should I have something to say about the way Maddie waltzed into my kitchen this morning in one of your silk button-ups?”

“There it is.” Hayley slapped her palm against the table a little harder than she’d intended. She ignored the way her chest squeezed at the thought of Maddie wearing her shirt.

“So where was last night’s stop on the convince-Maddie-to-move-to-New-York tour?”

“You have officially lost your mind,” Hayley retorted. “You’re the one who got me into this!”

Gemma waited patiently, tapping her nails against the table.