23
Nash
I woke up to the sound of rustling coming from the closet. The plane had gotten in late from Dallas, and all I’d done was brush my teeth, crawl into bed beside Kennedy, pull her against me, and pass out. I was still half-asleep when I glanced at the clock.
Eight a.m.
And she wasn’t beside me.
“Babe?” I called out, my voice rough.
The rustling stopped.
“Yeah?” she answered, and a second later her head appeared around the closet door, hair in a messy bun, glasses on, looking disheveled and adorable in one of my hoodies and a pair of leggings.
“Hey,” I said, pushing myself upright against the pillows. “What are you doing?”
“Hi,” she said with a small smile. “Um, I’m packing.”
She stepped out of the closet and climbed onto the bed, settling beside me like it was the most normal thing in the world. So it took me a few second to register what she’d said.
Packing?
Maybe warning bells should’ve gone off then, but they didn’t. I figured she needed to swap out some clothes from her apartment or something. So I just asked, “Why?”
Her cheeks turned pink as she told me about the assignment. The more she talked, the more animated she became—hands in the air, eyes brighter than normal, lips curving into that beautiful smile that made my chest feel too tight.
It was an incredible opportunity. The kind she’d been working toward. I was proud of her and excited for her, but there was also that small twinge of worry.
Kennedy had a tendency to forget to eat when she worked, and sometimes she pushed herself too hard, putting in twelve-plus-hour days. Being on an assignment where she needed to prove herself wasn’t exactly going to help her take better care of herself.
And then there was the time apart.
Three weeks wasn’t that long . . . but somehow it felt like a punch to the gut.
I knew Mitch would tell me to suck it up—it was only twenty-one days—but it didn’t feel that simple.
I’d just gotten everything I’d always wanted. I finally had the girl, my endorsements were going strong, and my game was on its way back. With her in the stands cheering me on, I’d found that confidence again, that belief in myself, the grounding I’d been missing.
So no, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about three weeks without her.
But the last thing I wanted was for her to worry about me on top of everything else.
So I told her what she deserved to hear, the truth I could say out loud: “I’m so incredibly proud of you.
You’re going to run the whole damn office one day. ”
She smiled.
“And if you need anything when you’re out there,” I added, “Andy is in LA now.”
“Andy Colt?” she asked, brows lifting. “Your football friend from Michigan?”
“Yeah, he plays there. If you need anything, he owes me about a dozen favors.”
“I think I’ll be okay, but that’s good to know.”
Her head tilted, eyes sharp as she studied my face.
“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay, Nash?” she asked, seeing right through the bullshit bravado I’d tried to put up.
I let out a slow breath.
“Yeah, babe,” I said, pulling her into my arms. She came willingly, curling her small body against me, fitting perfectly.
I held her close, hoping—really hoping—those words were true.