Page 34 of Racing Heat (The Forbidden Heat #2)

“Yeah, Danny says that August likes to hang out with all of us. Apparently, he doesn’t have too many friends.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Hendrix says, rolling her eyes.

I start to ask her something, but our server returns with my French toast.

“How do you know him again?” I ask her. I’m curious now. She’s usually not too vocal about him.

“College,” she replies between bites.

“Well, he must not hate you too much if he signed you,” Amelia remarks.

“I’m sure that was his father,” Hen answers.

Mac squeals. “I really wanna know the dirt!”

Hendrix flushes a bit. “I’ll tell you sometime. Just not today.”

We all nod in agreement, letting the subject drop.

“I think he’s just thinking of us all going to The Backwoods.” Mac discards her phone and goes back to eating. “Should be a good time.”

The rest of the meal goes by without any more talk of August or comments from Mac that make me uncomfortable. But when we’re leaving, she corners me at my Jeep.

“Hey, everything okay?” She plays with a strand of her long blonde hair while she watches me. “You know you can tell me anything. Are you upset that I spend so much time with Danny?”

I shake my head. “No, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the amount of time you spend with Danny. I like him and I think he’s good for you. I’m good. Just really tired. Not sleeping the best.”

She nods slowly. Those blue eyes are practically burning a hole into me. “Okay, well, if you’re sure.”

“I’m completely and totally sure.”

“There would be no judgment.”

I sigh and bite my lip. The words almost leave my lips, but I can’t.

She’s the captain. She’s sworn more than all of us to uphold the rules, and this is me breaking a big one.

She would have to go tell Coach Watts or even August. I can’t do that to her.

I won’t put her in that position. Because I know Mac; she would be torn.

It would be a hard decision for her. Keep me safe or spill the beans that I’m fucking a coach.

“I’m good. I promise you. If there was something to tell, you would be the first one I tell.” I lie so easily that I hate myself.

Rocking on her heels, she nods. “Okay, well, I’m gonna get going. I have to head back to Danny’s for a bit.”

“Have fun. Love you,” I say to her as I climb into the Jeep.

“See ya,” she calls, making her way to her little coupe.

I’m such an ass.

I take a long drive, winding through the streets, getting lost in areas I’ve never been before. I don’t bother to take in the sights. All I want to do is drive and listen to music with the wind blowing in my hair. It’s a great form of therapy.

By the time I make it back to the apartments, I’m sweaty, I think I may have gotten a bit of a sunburn, and I need a shower in the worst way possible.

I notice Hendrix and Amelia’s cars are here, but not Mac’s.

I’m glad for that. She’s still at Danny’s, which means she might not have told him that she suspects something is happening with me.

And Danny being Danny wouldn’t have lied to her.

Which would have brought her right to my door.

The more I think about tonight, the more I dread it. I wonder if Jase and I can survive it and go undetected or if this is the start of life blowing up. I look at my phone, thinking about calling him and spilling the beans.

“Fuck it,” I say to no one, once I’m in my home. “I have to warn him.”

The phone rings once, twice, and a third time before he picks up. “What’s up?”

I hear his voice, and it makes me giddy immediately. “Hey. I just came from brunch with the girls.”

“How was that?”

“It was fine for the most part,” I tell him.

“What part of it wasn’t fine?”

I sigh. “Did Danny tell Mac what he figured out?”

“I don’t think so, why?” There’s shuffling on the line, and I wonder if he’s pacing like I am right now.

“Because Mac was being all weird, asking me why I was tired and insinuating things. Like that there’s a secret I’m not telling her.” The words come in a hurried spout.

He laughs. “Well, there is something you aren’t telling her.”

“But she’s not supposed to know that!” I exclaim. He laughs at me again and it irritates me. “I mean it, Jase. My best friend knows something. She knows I’ve been lying to her.”

“You could tell her.” He says it like it’s the most natural thing in the world and not like it could potentially end the both of us.

“But I thought I shouldn’t.” I swear I’m going to wear a path around my living room and into my kitchen at this rate.

“Well, that’s up to you. I can’t tell you what to do in that area. I can tell you what I’d like you to do, but not what to do. I do feel like if Danny knows, there’s only so much time before he tells her.”

“Do you think he already did?” I ask again.

“I have no idea. I’m not really sure about that dynamic of their relationship. You would have a better idea than I would.”

I sigh loudly into the phone, earning me more laughter from him.

“But he was nice about our conversation and not at all accusatory,” Jase continues. “If he did tell her, he did it nicely, like in a supportive way.”

“Maybe. I don’t know.”

“What are you worried about?” he asks.

“The lying. I hate lying to Mac, and I swear she knows there’s something that I’m not saying, which makes it even worse for me.”

“Relax. You just sound so frazzled and worried about this. If it bugs you that much, go tell her. Just ask her to please be discrete.”

“Aren’t you worried that telling her is a slippery slope to the whole team finding out?”

“Nope,” he tells me. “I don’t think Mac would do that to you.”

“How do you know? You barely know her.”

“Would she?”

“No.”

“See, it’ll be fine. But for the record, I think you’re just tired, slightly buzzed, and reading too much into this. But if it would make you feel better, I won’t go tonight. I’ll stay home and you can hang out with your friends. Throw her off our trail.”

I smile. “Thank you, but no. I wanna be with you tonight, and I want us to be able to hang out. I just don’t want our secret revealed.”

“It won’t be. You’ll see.”

“Thanks for talking me down. And thanks so much for making fun of me the whole time.”

He chuckled. “You can punish me later.”

“I look forward to it,” I reply.

“Me too. See you in a few hours.”

“Bye.” I hang up the phone and collapse back into my couch.

It still needs broken in a bit more. It’s still stiff, probably from me always hanging out at either Amelia’s or Mac’s or just using my bed to relax in and watch TV.

I pat the cushions, as if that would help.

“Guess I should shower and then get a nap in.”

I head back into my bedroom and begin discarding my clothes. It’ll be fine. Tonight, will be fun. Or so I hope.