Page 85 of Keep Me Close

Well, fuck.

Maybe that came out a little too fast and a bit too honest. And judging by their expressions, my teammates realize it too.

Laiken, who’s been lacing up his shoes in the corner, finally glances up. “And she does?”

I should probably shut down this convo or laugh it off. Instead, I say, “Yeah. She does.”

The silence that follows that admittance is deafening. What’s worse is that hearing the words out loud shifts something inside me because I actually mean them.

River shakes his head. “Holy shit. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“And there you have it, folks, McNichols is officially off the market,” Oliver says with a laugh.

“Hardly,” I mutter, slinging my bag over my shoulder. “Wedding bells aren’t ringing just yet, okay? Take it down a notch. A few of you get wifed up and suddenly everybody else has to follow suit.”

Jax grins. “So, what you’re saying is she’ll be gone by next month?”

My lips press into a flat line. That’s exactly what all of them expect. And if this were anyone else, they’d be right.

“We’re not serious,” I say, even though the words feel like a lie the second they leave my mouth. “We’re just taking everything slowly.”

It’s a ridiculous thing to say about a relationship that was never supposed to be real.

Laiken folds his arms. “Famous last words.”

“Another one bites the dust,” Steele adds.

“Please,” I mutter, heading for the door before this turns into even more of an inquisition. But as I leave the room, Jax’s words stick with me.

She’ll be gone by next month.

Everything inside me pushes back hard enough to be almost physical. And I don’t know what the hell to do with that.

By the time I hit the hallway, my grip on my bag has tightened. The truth is that I don’t know how to explain this situation to myself, let alone anyone else. All I know is I want to get home. That thought hits me halfway down the corridor, and I slow for a second before frowning.

Home.

Not back to my place.

But to her and the space we’re sharing.

That’s new.

I scrub a hand along my jaw and keep walking. Instead of heading for the exit, I turn toward the front offices, stopping outside Evelyn’s door before knocking.

Her voice rings out a second later. “Come in.”

After stepping inside the bright space, I close the door. The team owner sits behind her desk, glasses perched low on the bridge of her nose, looking over something on her tablet. She glances up and smiles when she sees me.

“Well, this is certainly a surprise,” she says, removing the glasses. “Should I be concerned? You only come looking for me when you’re in trouble.”

A lopsided smile tugs at my mouth as I drop into the chair across from her desk. “That only happened a few times during my first season. I’ve matured since then.”

“Debatable.”

I huff out a laugh and rub the back of my neck. “So… I have a question.”

Her brows lift. “All right. Sounds serious.”