I strode over to him, unclenching my fists and battling against the anger burning in my chest. Had he forgotten what had happened less than a week ago? “Tell her no. It’s not safe. I’ll meet her.” I searched the hall, hoping not to catch a glance of her.
His chin jutted out. “She wanted to greet you after your game.”
“There are too many people.”
“Obviously it was a risk she was willing to take.”
“Isn’t your job to make sure there aren’t any risks?” I pointed to the two of them.
Holden’s glower grew to a glare. “Removing risk is impossible. Mitigating risk is my job. She’s not out here in a bikini singing into a microphone announcing she’s here, is she?”
My jaw clenched.
“Do you want to see her or should we whisk her away and roll her in bubble wrap before coming back to carry you to her on a litter?” His caustic dryness grated my nerves.
I stepped back and loosened my grip on the shoulder strap of my duffel. My annoyance and anger at not playing was rearing its head at Holden being between me and Bay. I took a deep breath and another step back.
“Is she through there?”
Holden rocked back, caught off guard by my change in tactics. “Yeah. The car will be ready whenever you two are. She wanted to spend tonight with you.”
I nodded, walking toward the door.
“It’s costing her…” His lips tightened and his hand shot out, grabbing my arm. “All this time with you is costing her. I wanted you to know that. I wanted to make sure you weren’t taking it for granted.”
“I’m not.” Our stare-off lasted for a few more seconds before his chin dipped and he let go.
The frosted window on the glass door was between me and her. I shook off the tension from the game and my run-in with Holden, not wanting it to touch her.
She jumped when the door opened before smiling once I stepped inside out of the sharp light from the hallway.
“Great game.” She glanced over my shoulder toward the closed door. Her shoulders were still tense.
I bit back the knee-jerk reaction to tell her all the reasons it hadn’t been my game to win. “Thank you.”
“Sorry for causing the sideshow out there with Holden and Eric, but I wanted to come down to see you like everyone else.” Her steps toward me were slow and measured, unsure and timid.
A weight was hefted onto my shoulders at her uncertainty. “I’m always happy to see you. I’m glad you came down. How was it watching with Jules and Marisa?”
Some of the tension loosened. “They’re hilarious. A lot of fun to hang out with. You’re lucky you’ve got such a great group of friends around you.” Noises picked up in the hallway.
“Everyone’s finally showered up and changed, ready to celebrate their win.”
Her half-hearted laugh didn’t instill a lot of confidence in how well she’d handled the aftermath of the attack.
“Are you ready to get out of here?” I held out my hand.
Her gaze jumped from the door to my hand. Relief radiated off her and she took it, lacing her fingers through mine.
Pulling the hood on her sweater up over her head and pulling sun glasses out of her front pocket, she shoved them onto her nose. “Ready.”
In the best disguise we had, we left the room. Eric took the front and Holden the back, both alert, same as me, but not conspicuous. Stadium security was also here, so my fear wasn’t as heightened, but my concern for Bay was.
The trip to my apartment was fast, although I felt more like we were two kids being dropped off at the movies by our overprotective dads. In this case, though, every bit of help to keep Bay safe was okay in my book.
Inside, I flicked on the lights and scanned my apartment. Signs of Bay were here. A sweater she’d left. Comfy slippers she’d picked up a few weeks ago. A pair of throw pillows from Ikea on the gray couch. It felt like a home. Like our home.
I ordered pizza, poured us both a glass of wine, and sat on the couch beside her. She flicked through the movie selection.
“I might explode after all the food I had at the game.” She cupped her hands in front of her stomach, puffing out her cheeks.
“No problem. You can watch me eat it, then.”
“I’ve had more junk food today than I’ve had in a long time. It’s been way too long.”
“You have been living under unusual circumstances for a while.”
“Totally missing out.” She handed me the remote. “You choose.”
Her fingers traced the rim of her wine glass. “November 3rd will be here soon.” Her voice sounded faraway. Unfocused.
“It’s when you fly out.” The day I’d tried to prepare for, but I knew would hit me like a sledgehammer when it arrived.
“To London.”
“How do you feel about it?” I knew how it made me feel—like I was preparing to lose the one person who I couldn’t live without. The scary inevitability of our separation that could last weeks or months at a stretch loomed.
She hugged me tight, burying her face in my chest. Her heart pounded horror-movie quick. “I don’t want to go without you, but you have a life and a career just like I do.”
I brushed my hand over her head. “We’ve already made the plans for when we’ll see each other next.” After Christmas. After the end of my season, after playoffs, but before the National Championship. The only gap we could swing.
Her fingers tightened in my shirt. “I know.”
I ran my hands across her back, wishing I could always protect her. “You’re still freaked out about what happened.”
She shook her head. “He didn’t even get close to me. I know it’s stupid.” Her voice was riddled with embarrassment.
I tipped her chin up. “You have every right to feel the way you feel right now. It never should’ve happened. No one should have to live with the fear and situations you’ve been put in.”
“Holden said the cops found out he’d been following me ever since I got to Philly. Not all the time, but enough that it’s a little scary. He could’ve attacked at any time. He traveled up from Delaware.”
Forcing my muscles not to clench, I held her close. “He’s still in custody, right?” He’d been following her since she got here and I’d never seen him, never even thought an attack could happen. It showed how right she’d been to be wary of public situations, and here I was trying to get her out more. I was three seconds from wrapping her in bubble wrap and tucking her into my bed.
Rationality took over. I couldn’t hide her away. She’d been living this life long before I reentered hers.
Brushing her hands against her red eyes, she sat up and nodded. “There were enough witnesses that they don’t even need me there.”
“Is Eric bringing on more security?”
“Yes, but on the tour it’s different. I barely see the outside of the hotel, tour bus or stadium. It’s a lot easier to contain.”
A birdcage existence. I hated the necessity of it. I hated that it gave me the smallest bit of relief to know that without me around she’d probably go back to how she’d been living before, with fewer gaps for people getting close to her. And I hated how those connections were stolen from her to keep her safe.