Page 33 of One Night with Number Nineteen

But it’s Ryan who asks, “What the fuck happened?”

Aiden’s expression is furious as he steps closer, Rip at his side.

I recount what happened. “She was freaked out last night,” I finish, “but told me to go, so I did. I just…decided to keep watch from my car.”

Gray shoots me a look that sees far too much, but I ignore it.

Ignore him as he opens his mouth.

“Saw-yur!”

Saved by the bell.

I turn and see Ollie, his hair adorably rumpled and still in his pajamas, running over.

I probably look the same, down to the dried drool on my cheek.

I swipe at it as Ollie’s little legs carry him to me. “I had a sleepover with Alex!” he announces as he skids to a halt.

“I heard,” I tell him, ruffling his hair. “Did you have fun?”

A solemn nod. “Alex has really cool toys.”

I stifle a laugh then sense movement, glancing up and⁠—

Any laughter stoppers up in the back of my throat.

Because Lainey is standing just a few feet away.

And she looks pissed.

Fuck.

I open my mouth to explain⁠—

“Can I talk to you for a second?” she asks frostily.

Ollie’s and my eyes connect, and I know he picks up on her tone too because his expression tells me I’m fucked.

“Sure,” I say easily even though my stomach clenches.

Ollie runs over to Leo, starts talking my teammate’s ear off. I straighten and follow Lainey back toward the house…and then inside it.

“Pages—” I begin.

She whips around and I clamp my mouth closed.

Right. No talking then.

A glare before she turns away, her curls bouncing as she marches down the hall and into a room.

No. Into her office.

I follow her in and she shuts the door and then…

I’m in a space that’s wholly Lainey. Normally, I have a hard time taking my gaze from the woman standing in front of me. But the chance to be in here, the opportunity to know her this way…it’s so completely different from what I might have expected.

A bulletin board takes up most of one wall, dotted with playbills of musicals and scraps of different sizes and colors of paper, all pinned in what appears to be haphazard order—some are scrawled with notes, some are just pictures, some appear to be maps. Built-in bookshelves take up the other two walls, their colorful spines an eclectic artwork. A comfy armchair is tucked into a corner, offering a place to curl up and read a good book.