Page 177 of While You Were Trending

“I’m not nervous about being seen. I mean, I am a little. But I’m currently more nervous about being with you.”

I glance at her. “Why?”

“We’re either working or naked. This is like…” She drops her voice to barely a whisper. “It’s like a real relationship thing.”

“No expectations from me tonight,” I tell her while a sliver of fear slides through my stomach. Ginny overthinking is Ginny turning into a wild card.

And I could already tell she was overthinking before we got in the car.

“I know.”

“We don’t even have to have sex.”

“We aredefinitelyhaving sex. I need a reward for being brave.”

I smile at that. “At your service then.”

“Dammit. Now I’m getting turned on. Say something not sexy.”

“Your friends’ questions were hilarious.”

“I mostly love them.”

“The questions, or your friends?”

“My friends.” She sighs. “And a little bit the questions.”

“They were good questions.”

“They were obnoxious.”

“Teammates would’ve done the same thing if I dated one of their sisters. Not that this is a date. Or a relationship thing.”

She shifts in her seat, still squeezing my hand. “Do you miss them?” she asks me.

“My teammates? Yeah. But we keep in touch.” I glance at her briefly before turning my attention back to the road. “You ever miss them?”

She’s quiet long enough that I glance at her one more time and find her frowning at the road.

“I don’t think I miss them because I always felt like I had to perform, so they couldn’t have been my real friends if they only liked the performative me. But if I’d let myself relax, I’d probably miss them.” She laughs softly. “But if I’d let myself relax, my life probably would look a lot different right now.”

She eases her grip and slowly pulls her hand away. “I can’t remember the last time I left Foxwood.”

“Why would you? It’s charming, the people are nice, and it has an excellent name.”

She laughs. “You’d think that, wouldn’t you?”

“Only way it would be better is if it was Foxywood.”

“Theego.”

“It’s well-earned ego. Ididplay professional hockey, and I’m even more famous now.”

She’s smiling, eyes twinkling as she twirls one of her curls. “You like it? Being famous?”

I shrug. “I like the opportunities. Getting to try new things. Taking the time to see places more in depth than I got to for road trips before. The fame—it’s a side effect. Not the main goal.”

“Dori was telling me about a road trip to Niagara Falls that she took with her grandparents. And it sounded so—so idyllic. Like they were one of those 1950s TV families. Even the part where they ran out of gas and got food poisoning. I’m sure it was horrible at the time, but she was laughing so hard about it, like even though it was bad, it was a good memory.”