Make Your Move (Aston Archers Hockey #1)

14. Lincoln

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

LINCOLN

I stare down at my phone, my finger hovering above her name on the screen. It’s been four days since I’ve seen or talked to Nova. I’ve resisted reaching out to her this long, but it’s beginning to feel like I’m going insane. Even though I’ve been trying not to think about her, it’s like my mind has different ideas. If I’m not on the ice or distracted with hockey, that’s exactly where my thoughts go.

Back to the woman who’s been slowly driving me mad.

We finished our game a few hours ago, and we’ve all been sitting around at the hotel bar since we got back. We fly out tomorrow morning to our next city and then have a game in two days, and then we’ll be heading back to Aston. I’m beyond ready to be back. I hate when we have long stints on the road like this. I prefer the normalcy of being home.

“Did you want another drink?” Ford asks me from where he’s sitting next to me.

Rowan peers over my shoulder from my other side. “What are you doing?”

Quickly locking my phone screen, I flip it upside down and set it on the bar. “Nothing,” I mutter, quickly looking at him before I look at Ford. “I think I’m good. I might head up to my room soon.”

Nash looks over from down the bar and stifles a yawn. “I’m about ready to call it a night too. I’m beyond exhausted.”

I nod, glancing past him at Caleb sitting on his other side. He’s come out a few times now, but he tends to keep to himself. No one has really questioned him on it and according to the other guys, this is completely normal for him. Sometimes he prefers the company of others, and other times he prefers to be alone.

I end up paying my tab at the same time Caleb finishes paying his. Nash is finishing his drink, sitting and talking to Ford and Rowan when I say good night to the rest of the guys. Leaving them in the bar, I make my way into the lobby, and I catch sight of Caleb just as he’s stepping through the open doors of the elevator.

Just as I’m about to reach it, the doors begin to close. Caleb sees me through the small space and shoves his foot in between the sliding metal doors, causing it to stop. They slide back open, and I let out a breath, quickly stepping inside. “Thanks, man,” I tell him, nodding in appreciation.

“No problem,” Caleb replies gruffly as he shifts his weight on his feet where he’s standing in the opposite corner. All our rooms are on the same floor, and I see the button for floor number 18 is already lit up. The doors shut again, and we’re on our way.

The silence stretches between us, and I look up at the small box, watching the numbers slowly going up as the elevator begins its ascent toward our floor. I pull out my phone and unlock the screen. Nova’s name is still there, and I tap on the small message button, watching the screen shift to a new texting thread.

Nash gave me Nova’s number when I moved back to Aston. He gave me a list of different numbers for emergencies and hers was the first I put into my phone. It was a different one from when we were in high school, and that’s to be expected. I don’t have the same number I had back then either.

“What are you waiting for?”

Caleb’s question catches me off guard. I quickly look over at him, my head whipping to the side. “What?”

He nods his head toward the phone in my hand. “You’ve been staring at that open text, but there’s nothing there. What are you waiting for?”

Shit. I shift my weight, clearing my throat as I let out a deep sigh. “I don’t know. I haven’t decided if I want to text her or not yet.”

“Send the text.”

I stare at him for a moment, my head tilting to the side. “Why?”

There’s nothing playful about Caleb’s expression. His gaze is unwavering, and his jaw is set. He’s as serious as a person can get. “You never know when it might be too late.” He pauses for a second, tucking his hands into the front pockets of his trousers. “You don’t want to live with the regret of not saying something.”

My eyebrows pull together. “Isn’t that a bit morbid?” I instantly regret it when I remember his late wife.

“Nope,” he says, popping the P as the elevator reaches our floor. The doors slide open, and he begins to walk out before me. He pauses, glancing back at me as I’m still staring at him. “It’s reality.”

Caleb turns back around and heads down the hall. I step off the elevator, watching him as he stops at his room and lets himself in. He doesn’t say another word and doesn’t look at me as he disappears inside.

The way he looked at me when he said that left my stomach in knots. He knows from experience.

I head down the hall to my own room and flip the light on as I step inside. After kicking off my shoes and changing, I lay down in the plush bed in the center of the room and turn on the TV. My phone is laying on the mattress beside me, and I find myself looking at it over and over, almost as if I’m waiting to hear from her.

Send the text.

Fifteen minutes pass of hearing Caleb’s comment ringing in my head before I let out an exasperated sigh. Picking up my phone, I hold it in front of my face as I roll onto my back. The Face ID unlocks it, and the blank message thread is right there. All I have to do is type out one sentence. One little text to get the conversation started.

One text, and that’s it.

Lincoln: Hey you.

After typing out the two words, I hit Send before I give myself the opportunity to overthink it. I lock the screen and toss it back onto the comforter as I take a deep breath. I stare at the TV, seeing the time flashing in the corner, when I realize how late it is. I didn’t consider the time difference, and we’re currently two hours behind Nova. There’s a part of me that regrets texting her right now, hoping I didn’t wake her up since it’s close to midnight there.

It surprises me when my phone dings two minutes later. Without any hesitation, I pick my phone back up and unlock it to read her message.

Nova: Who is this?

Shit. I have her number, but I never gave her mine.

Lincoln: It’s your new favorite hockey player.

Nova: Rowan? Did you get a new number?

Lincoln: Ha ha, nice try. You know who this really is.

Nova: The infamous Lincoln Matthews.

Lincoln: How are you? How is Poe?

Nova: We’re both good, just staying busy. It’s been pretty quiet here in the house. I think she misses you and Nash.

Lincoln: Is she the only one who misses us?

Nova: Maybe not.

Lincoln: Who else would there be?

Nova: Why don’t you go ahead and guess?

Lincoln: Riley?

Nova: Definitely not.

Lincoln: Hmmm… I don’t know. Maybe you can help me out here.

Nova: Do you want some hints?

Lincoln: That would be very helpful.

Nova: Well, she’s your roommate. She makes a mean chicken piccata. She loves astronomy.

Lincoln: She smells like flowers and has the softest lips.

Nova: She can’t stop thinking about you.

Lincoln: She sounds pretty fucking amazing.

Lincoln: Correction: she is fucking amazing.

Nova: Okay, you must be drunk or something.

Lincoln: Nope. Not at all, actually.

Nova: When will you be back?

Lincoln: Four days.

Nova: That feels so long. How have things been going?

Lincoln: Good. We only lost one game.

Lincoln: I’m ready to come home, though.

Nova: We’re ready for you to come back.

Nova: I know Poe is getting tired of only having me for her tea parties.

Lincoln: Tell her that when I get home we have a date.

Nova: She’ll be so excited.

Lincoln: What about you?

Nova: What about me?

Lincoln: Do I get to take you on a date too?

Nova: You don’t have to pretend like that’s what you want.

Lincoln: It’s a date, Nova, not a marriage proposal.

Nova: Posey woke up, so I will talk to you tomorrow.

Nova: Ask me in person, not through texts.

Lincoln: Does that increase my chances of you saying yes?

Nova: Probably not, but you can try anyway.

Lincoln: Sweet dreams, supernova.

Nova: Goodnight, Lincoln.

I didn’t realize how much I actually missed her until this moment.

And now I’m counting down the seconds until I get to see her again.