Chapter 2 Chapter Two: Millie

Perhaps I needed to think logically because there was a disaster I didn’t know how to find a solution to.

There was only one bed. One bed to share with Jude.

No.

That could never happen.

Why hadn’t I thought about that before agreeing to his suggestion?

That was originally his room. Why on earth did I think that there would be two beds? Maybe I should have looked for another hotel.

“Okay, it’s not as bad as you think,” Jude said, as though he could read my mind. “I can take the floor or the couch.”

I immediately shook my head.

“Not happening. This is your room,” I stated. “I’ll take the couch.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Mils.”

Mils?

He had a nickname for me now?

I looked at him, surprised.

“Is it okay to call you Mils?” The confident man I was used to seeing suddenly looked almost perplexed, as though he had just realized he might have crossed a line.

“Of course.” I quickly smiled. “But I’m still taking the couch.”

“That doesn’t sound right.” He shook his head.

“How tall are you?” I asked.

He narrowed his eyes at me.

“Six foot four.”

“And I’m five foot eight.”

“I’m sorry, but why are we talking about our height difference?”

The confusion on his face was obvious.

“The taller one gets the bed.” I shrugged. “See? I solved the whole problem.”

I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it, but the corner of his mouth twitched.

Was he fighting a smile?

Was Jude Callahan actually opposed to smiling? Maybe smiling was against his personal code.

“Maybe we can talk about this later,” he said.

He was clearly trying to change the subject.

“Am I going to see you at the game tomorrow?”

I noticed the quick change of subject, but I decided not to push it. I had already made up my mind. I was taking the couch.

“Of course.” I nodded. “I’m required to be there.”

Silence settled over the room. Neither of us seemed to know what to say next.

I stared at him, wondering if he was going to say something else. We had never stood this close before. But now that I was standing right in front of him, I noticed things I hadn’t paid attention to before.

His eyes.

They were the most beautiful shade of blue I had ever seen.

I quickly looked away.

“I... I’ll change my clothes and head out.”

I stepped back, suddenly realizing just how dangerously close we were standing.

Jude opened his mouth, and I waited for him to say something. But he seemed to change his mind.

He simply nodded.

“Okay,” he mumbled before turning around and heading toward the balcony.

I watched him walk away for a second before letting out a quiet breath.

Something told me these two nights were going to be the longest, and possibly the hardest, nights of my life.

---

“I’m telling you. I’m staying in the same room with Jude!” I exclaimed over FaceTime as I spoke with Lucy, my best friend and colleague.

“Feels like fate is giving you another chance.”

I rolled my eyes as she wiggled her eyebrows at me.

Lucy had never been a fan of Conrad. To be honest, I should have listened to her when she tried to warn me about him. But I foolishly kept making one excuse after the other for him until I found him in bed with another woman.

“He just felt sorry for me,” I said.

I had just gotten out of a relationship. I wasn’t going to jump into another one.

And it wasn’t like Jude Callahan had been in love with me and was just waiting for me to give him the green light.

“He literally recognized you on his first day on the team,” she reminded me.

“Because we went to high school together,” I replied.

I was sitting in front of the pool in the hotel, avoiding going upstairs to the room.

“All I’m saying is don’t let what happened with Conrad ruin what could potentially be something good,” she said, her playful tone disappearing.

“Don’t worry about me.” I smiled. “I’m all good.”

After hanging up with her, I stayed by the pool for another half an hour before mustering up the courage to return to the room.

For some reason, disappointment filled me when I didn’t find Jude in the room.

Why did I even want him to be inside?

I shook my head at my own stupidity and quickly changed my clothes.

There was no way I was going to let him take the couch. He needed all the rest he could get because tomorrow he had his first game with the team.

But as I slowly drifted off to sleep on the couch, my mind couldn’t stop wondering what it would be like to be held by Jude Callahan.