Forever Mine (ROYAL RIDERS SERIES BOOK #2)

38| Mystery

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Mystery

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Chapter 38: Mystery (Michael's POV)

We stayed in the car, parked outside the stadium the next night. We still had about thirty minutes left before I was meant to start getting ready to hit the ice. I wanted a moment alone with her and we wouldn't be lucky enough to find that inside, so here we are in the parking lot, in my car. 

"You seem nervous. More nervous than usual," she stated, holding onto my hand, our locked hands resting on the controller. 

"Hmm, I am. I think I might throw up," I chuckled dryly. 

"Why?" she laughed softly. "Michael." She reached over, resting her hand on the back of my neck after tugging at my earlobe slightly to get my attention. I turned to her and she pulled me in while leaning over, her lips meeting mine in a kiss. "You're going to win this tonight," she reassured, pulling away after a moment. "The game and the people in that stadium." 

This morning it was made public that my assistant, Amelia Hawthorne, had quit working for me after two years. The public was already making theories and wondering what made her quit. If I was a horrible boss, if I was inappropriate with her, if she found a better job, if the company wasn't paying her enough... Or if she was the 'mystery girl that Woods has been seeing.' 

All the attention has made me nervous, no doubt. I'm worried now about the public's reaction to our relationship. All publicity is not good publicity. I don't want people doubting her work ethic or either one of our commitments to our jobs. We are together, we were as we worked, but we never let our relationship jeopardize either one of our careers and that's what counts. 

"Michael." 

I held her gaze. 

"You're going to kill it tonight. I know it and so do you. You just need to breathe and focus on the game. Our plan for afterward can come afterward. Okay?" 

I nodded slowly, mumbling, "Okay." 

"I love you," she said. 

"I love you too, Lia." I leaned over, giving her a quick kiss. 

She smiled as I pulled away. "Ready?" she asked, lifting her brows. 

I nodded and we got out, entering through the back entrance that's reserved for us and the stadium staff only. We headed straight to the lounge room where Christian and Logan already were, the rest of the team was yet to arrive. 

"Amelia," Logan said, seeming surprised to see her. "I thought you quit. And please, say it's a lie." 

"Yeah," Christian agreed, slinging his arm over Logan's shoulder. "Because without you as his assistant, we're afraid he's going to go rogue just like Vince did with Demi." 

She smiled, shaking her head softly. "No, he's not going to go rogue. But um, yeah. Yeah, I did quit. I'd been planning to, actually." 

Logan's shoulder slumped and Christian's eyes flickered to mine. "Why?" he questioned, looking at her again. 

She glanced at me. "Because it's time for the next step?" He understood and she had no idea that he had figured it out before anyone else. He knew we were together. He knew it in the locker room six months ago when we came here and told James the truth about our relationship.