Make Your Move (Aston Archers Hockey #1)

25. Nova

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

NOVA

R iley walks in front of me, following after Posey who runs over to the massive aquarium, putting her hands against the glass as she watches the sea creatures swim past. We stop behind Posey, and I watch the amazement washing over her expression as a large sea turtle drifts by.

“Mommy, turtle!” she says with excitement, hopping up and down as she points at it. I would say turtles are Poe’s favorite animals, but that’s a lie. She’s an animal lover, through and through. She doesn’t have a favorite, as she loves them all equally.

“I see it, baby,” I tell her, smiling as she turns her attention back to the glass. This is the first time she’s been to the aquarium, and so far, it seems like a successful day trip.

“Poe, come look at this,” Riley calls to her, waving her over to where she moved farther away. She stands by a doorway, and as Posey and I walk over to her, we see it’s a tunnel that goes beneath the aquarium that you walk through to get to the next section.

Posey’s little eyes light up, and she goes gallivanting into the tunnel, looking at the glass above and the glass walls surrounding her. New experiences with her are my favorite. I love watching the amazement transform her expression.

“I think everyone needs to be a little less uptight and a little more like Poe,” Riley muses out loud as we walk into the tunnel, following behind my daughter. “She’s the best,” she says as we watch Posey’s eyes grow while she sees a shark come swimming past.

“You’re lucky today is a good day,” I admit with a soft laugh. “Don’t get me wrong, I think she’s the best too. It’s easy to forget that when she starts throwing her temper tantrums.”

“The negatives always drown out the positives,” Riley informs me, matter-of-factly. “I think as a parent, that it’s normal to feel that way. Honestly, I’d be more alarmed if you didn’t feel that way or if she wasn’t throwing temper tantrums.”

I stare at my best friend for a moment, letting her words soak in as she walks over to Posey and scoops her up. “Are we ready to get lunch?” I ask them as I head in their direction. I pull the map out from my pocket, and my eyes scan the paper. “The café should be just around the next turn.”

Posey’s stomach growls as if on command, and Riley and I laugh. “I think that’s a yes.” Riley smiles, poking Posey in the belly, earning a giggle from her.

We walk through the aquarium, stopping when we get to the café that is surrounded by glass and sea life floating around. Posey looks around in amazement as we order our food at the counter and head over to a table along the clear surface. Riley grabs a highchair for Posey, and we get her situated before we both sit down to wait for our number to be called.

A woman who works at the café walks over with a small container of crayons and a coloring page for Posey. She eagerly picks a pink crayon and starts to scribble on the paper. Riley rests her elbows on the table and rests her chin on her hands as she stares at me for a moment.

“So, how are things?”

I raise an eyebrow at her, knowing exactly what she’s getting at. “Things have been…good.”

“Okay, we like this.” She nods, a smirk pulling on her lips as she takes a sip of her water. “What have been the most recent developments?”

My mind instantly drifts back to two nights ago when I accidentally slept in his bed. I was emotional after running into Dane, but Lincoln chased away the negative thoughts. He chased away the bad feelings and replaced them with good.

“He watched her for me a few days ago,” I tell her, motioning to Posey, but keeping my voice low so I don’t gain her attention. “The day care had to close for a day, and he offered to keep her.”

Riley’s eyes widen, and her grin stretches. “Man, he is just racking up the brownie points.” She lets out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “And that went well? He seems really good with her.”

“From what I’ve gathered, they had a great day together. He didn’t tell me he had practice, and he took her with him anyway.”

“Nova, stop,” Riley says as a dreamy look grows within her eyes. “This man is going to end up stealing all of our hearts.”

“I know,” I admit, my voice barely audible as my stomach does a somersault. “It’s bad, Ry.”

She tilts her head to the side, her eyebrows pulling together. “What is?”

Our number is called, and Riley quickly gets up and gathers our food from the counter before reappearing at the table. I get Posey settled with hers before pushing the lettuce around on my plate. “I don’t know what to do about him.”

“You’re speaking in riddles again, Nova. What are you talking about?”

I swallow roughly, my throat constricting at the thought of speaking the words out loud. She knows my entire history with Lincoln. She knows every detail about the crush I had on him when we were younger. What I haven’t been honest about are my ever-growing feelings for him now.

“He made it clear from the start that he’s not the relationship type, which is common knowledge. I don’t know what I was thinking, getting involved with him and thinking my feelings for him wouldn’t grow.”

Riley stares at me for a moment, sympathy washing over her gaze. “You’re falling for him.”

“Correction,” I tell her, forcing out a harsh laugh as I feel a twinge of embarrassment mixing with regret inside my chest. “I’ve already fallen.”

My best friend rolls her lips between her teeth, biting down for a moment, before releasing them. “Can I be honest with you for a moment?”

My nose scrunches. “Of course. You know you always can be.”

She lets out a deep breath. “I think Lincoln was being honest with you at the beginning. He’s clearly allergic to relationships, as his past supports that. I think things have changed for him.” She pauses, the corners of her lips twitching. “From an outsider’s perspective, he’s obsessed with you, Nova. That man hangs on to every last word that falls from your lips. He watches you like there’s no one else in the room. He loves your daughter.”

Her words seep into my heart, igniting a spark of hope inside my soul. I know better than to get my hopes up, but I can’t help myself when it comes to him. I knew the risk I was taking by sneaking around with him. I knew what could happen if my heart got involved.

“What you observe and what he feels might be two different things,” I remind her, letting reality come crashing down around me. “I can’t live my life hoping he might feel the same way as me. You know I want more than fleeting moments with someone.”

Especially him.

“As you should,” she says with a nod. “You deserve more than being someone’s fuck buddy.” She winces as she glances at Posey and back to me. Poe doesn’t notice, so Riley continues. “Have you said anything to him about it?”

I raise an eyebrow at her. “About what? My feelings?”

“Yes, that is what people do,” she says, rolling her eyes before giving me a knowing look. “When adults have feelings, they discuss them.”

“Ew.” The thought of admitting my feelings to him and possibly facing that rejection makes me want to throw up.

“I know, it’s a stupid concept really,” she says with a soft laugh, shaking her head. “But seriously, I think it’s worth bringing up to him. Either you lay it all out, or you avoid it and potentially have it blow up in your face after your feelings are too deep.”

I swallow roughly, weighing my options. “What if it’s too late already?”

“Well, then you’re fucked.”

I stare at my best friend, resisting the urge to kick her beneath the table. “You’re not helpful.”

“I never said I would be.” She laughs. “Just don’t lose hope before you know for sure. I have faith in Lincoln, and I don’t think you should give up on him just yet. He might surprise us all.”

The weight of her words rests heavily against my chest. I hope she’s right—I hope he does surprise me with his own feelings. That doesn’t mean he will. That doesn’t mean that our wants will truly align. I understand Lincoln’s qualms and hesitations about getting involved with someone on that level. There was a point where I decided Lincoln Matthews was worth the risk. The consequences to my heart are worth the moments we’ve shared.

Regardless of that risk, I have to think about my future, and that means figuring out whether or not Lincoln sees one for us.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out, my heart skipping a beat when I see his name across the screen. I look up at Riley, and she lifts her eyebrows when she sees my expression. “That’s him, isn’t it?”

The butterflies flutter inside my stomach as I unlock my phone and read the message from him.

Lincoln: I’ve been trying to find the right time to ask you, but you’ve been quite distracting whenever we’re alone.

Lincoln: Is now a good time?

Nova: A good time for what?

Lincoln: To ask you out on that date.

My eyes flash back to Riley’s. “He wants to take me out on a date.”

Riley’s face lights up, and a devious smirk dances across her lips. “I fucking told you, Nova.” She chuckles, letting out a dreamy sigh. “Give that man what he wants.”

“I need to see if my dad can watch Poe. I don’t want to ask Nash since he knows nothing about the two of us.”

“I’ll watch her,” she says without hesitation. “Just tell me when, and she can come spend the night with me.” She pauses, pursing her lips as her eyebrows pull together. “He needs to say something to your brother, but that can wait.”

Nova: You’ve caught me at the perfect time.

Lincoln: Will you go out on a date with me, supernova?

Nova: Yes.