Chapter 15 - Nicole #2
“She’s an ER nurse at Mission Valley,” he continued, eyes never leaving the guy who’d called me a trophy. “Graduated top of her class, works twelve, sometimes fourteen hour nights without complaint, and still shows up the next day like it was nothing.”
My jaw was practically on the floor with everyone else’s.
“She’s saved more lives than I’ve scored goals,” he added, glancing at me then, his mouth tipping into a grin. “Which is saying something.”
Someone laughed, the tension breaking unevenly. Another guy nodded, muttering an impressed wow under his breath.
“Oh,” the first one said, suddenly sheepish. “I didn’t realize.”
“That tracks,” Landon replied. “What is it you do again? Auto mechanic at your dad’s shop?”
We didn’t wait for a reply. He took my hand, fingers warm and sure, and guided me away toward the refreshment table again. My pulse took a second to catch up with the movement.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said once we were on our own again.
“I wanted to,” he said. “Big difference.”
We crossed paths with a couple I barely remembered, then with a former teacher who squinted at me before recognition dawned. Landon shook hands, posed for a photo, answered one more question about the playoffs. The music shifted to something slower, and the lights dimmed another notch.
I didn’t mind it. This wasn’t a place I’d survived anymore, but just a room from the past I was passing through. And that was thanks to Landon.
As we circled back toward the balloon arch, I caught sight of the same group of women from earlier. They watched us approach, their expressions recalibrated while their curiosity edged out judgment. One of them offered a tight smile, and I returned it, feeling lighter than I had when I walked in.
“You okay?” he asked out of the corner of his mouth.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
The night had shed its weight by the time we settled into the middle of the gym.
Music bounced off the high ceilings, speakers shaking the balloons tied to the bleachers.
I realized halfway through a conversation about old math teachers and someone’s questionable hairstyle that I hadn’t thought about work once.
Not the ER, not the storm raging back home, not James.
Landon was in his element, and it wasn’t subtle.
The way he moved through the crowd, the way people gravitated toward him, the way he exaggerated the fake boyfriend act just enough that everyone bought it—he was having too much fun.
And I couldn’t lie; I liked watching him.
He flirted with ease, half charm, half mischievous performance, and when he turned toward me with that crooked grin and a glint in his eye, I couldn’t pretend it was a problem for me either.
Someone tapped the microphone, and a voice called out over the music. “Time to reveal our reunion king and queen!”
The room erupted in good-natured applause, and before I could protest, the votes were tallied. Landon leaned down and whispered, “If we win, you’re taking a victory lap with me.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re not going to let me live this down, are you?”
“Absolutely not.”
A few seconds later, someone announced: Nicole Gordon and Landon Cross. The gym exploded. People cheered, cameras flashed, and Landon grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the dance floor in front of the stage before I could even get my bearings.
The slow dance started, and the lights dimmed.
I found myself pressed close to him, our bodies moving in rhythm with the music.
His hand rested lightly on my waist, claiming the space like it was ours.
My hand found his shoulder, and I felt a thrill of electricity that had nothing to do with the gym lights or the music.
He leaned in a little closer than necessary, his breath brushing my ear. “You look incredible tonight.”
I wanted to argue, to deflect, to say it wasn’t true, but the warmth of his sincerity made it impossible. My eyes dropped to the floor for just a second, then back up. His gaze caught mine, and suddenly the room shrank until it was just the two of us swaying to the beat.
It wasn’t subtle how close we were. The heat from his chest, the faint scent of his cologne, the way our movements matched—everything pulled toward something inevitable.
I felt him shift closer, and my heartbeat flailed in protest, but it didn’t stop the momentum. His lips hovered too near mine, and the tension in the space between us twisted tight.
I closed my eyes and swallowed, trying to capture the moment, trying to savor it while holding it at arm’s length. His lips brushed a breath against mine, testing, daring, and I had to shake my head just slightly.
“I want to…” My voice was barely a whisper. “But I can’t. Not while I’m seeing James.”
The tension between us snapped just enough to make my stomach ache. Landon paused, eyes searching mine, and I could see the flicker of understanding there. He straightened, but his hand lingered on my waist, as if to say he wasn’t going anywhere, even if I had to.