After everyone left, he came up to my seat.
“You’re seriously mad at me?” he asked.
“Jace, someone could have put two and two together when we returned. Or walked by the storage room. That was just irresponsible.”
Even to my ears, my voice sounded unnecessarily harsh. His gaze turned hard. Wait, he wasn’t even going to apologize? If he was expecting me to be fawning all over him just because I missed him and he was Jace Connor, he was in for a surprise. I didn’t say anything, merely levelled a glare back at him.
I’d missed him like crazy. Even now, all I wanted was to drag him out of the club and spend my day with him. But he’d also pissed me off.
We both looked at the door at the sound of footsteps approaching. Andrew was back.
“Oh, I didn’t realize you were still here, Jace. Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just discussing some details.”
“When do you have a free moment, Brooke? I want to run something by you.”
“Jace and I have just finished up everything. We can talk right now.”
Andrew must have sensed Jace and I weren’t on the same page, because he told him, “If you still need time—”
“I don’t. We’re done here.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Brooke
That evening, I went to watch the game live. Every Lords employee was welcome in the VIP box, and tonight, it was a full house.
I was looking closely at the pitch, searching for number eleven. I sent him a quick message to tell him I was watching, even though I knew he’d only see it at halftime.
I didn’t know what made him look up as he strode onto the pitch, but I felt as if he gazed straight at me. I couldn’t be sure, of course, what with the other thousand watchers, but when that gorgeous smile made an appearance, my breath caught. I looked down at my hands so no one else could see my matching smile. I wiggled my fingers an
d toes, unable to sit still. I couldn’t believe I was having this reaction just because he’d smiled when he’d noticed me, as if I was the only one who mattered.
I was beginning to understand why he inspired Twitter hashtags and die-hard fans. I messaged him right before the game finished, asking if he still wanted to meet. I wasn’t sure where we stood after our fight. He’d been out of line earlier, but so had been my reaction. I wanted us to be able to talk things out.
I was in such a frenzy that after the game, I even scrolled through Twitter.
I shouldn’t have.
The endless snapshots of Jace were hot enough to make me fan myself, but the captions reminded me of how many women wanted Jace.
I waited quietly in the lobby of the club, wondering if he’d read my message. Maybe he was caught up with his teammates. Or maybe he had seen it and just didn’t care to reply. I shook my head, trying to dispel the ugly thoughts and trying not to feel like a fool because I was waiting for him here and he might not want to see me tonight at all.
When my phone vibrated, my hands shook a little as I unlocked the screen.
Jace: Loved seeing you in the stands. Can’t wait to make it up to you for earlier.
My knees almost buckled from the wave of relief seeping through me. I couldn’t text back fast enough.
Brooke: Meet me in the lobby?
Jace: I’m going to need another hour or so. Coach wants us to go through some scenes now while they’re fresh in our mind. Why don’t you go home, and I’ll meet you there?
Brooke: Okay.
I smiled at the screen before clutching it to my chest. I had it bad for him.