Nova P.O.V

Date: December 13, 2238

"I'll just go and check on him a-a-and then leave," I muttered under my breath, pacing in front of the infirmary door.

For the past few minutes or so, I'd been mustering up the courage to enter and face him. Truth be told, that moment in the tunnel was still at the forefront of my mind.

It all but proved Stacy had been wrong. There was no way Troy felt anything romantically towards me. His dismissive reply confirmed his lack of interest in pursuing something more with me. My only course of action now was to bury my feelings. Cause there was no way I'd risk destroying our friendship and losing him from my life. Those fifteen years meant too much to me.

Although Troy's rejection still stung, I needed to check he wasn't seriously injured. After the competition, he'd walked across the field with one arm slung around Jax's shoulder and the other clutched to his side. The slight smile on His face hadn't revealed much, but Jax's knitted brow and hasty steps towards the tunnel gave away the truth.

Something was wrong.

Only I didn't know what.

I stopped in front of the door and slowly released the air from my lungs. You can do this, Nova! I mentally encouraged before opening the door and poking my head through.

"Hey," I bashfully greeted as he reached for the glass of water on the cart beside him.

"Oh, Nova, Thank god you're here." He said, settling back against the pillow, water forgotten.

"Why? What's wrong? Should I get someone?" I started to step back, but he stopped me with a raised hand.

"No, no, that's not necessary. I'm just bored out of my mind." He said, pushing his fingers through his messy waves. "Come in and sit and talk with me for a minute."

"Talk?" I repeated. The word felt heavy and foreign in my mouth.

"Yeah."

"O-okay." I cautiously stepped through the door, my eyes darting around the room as if someone would jump out and scare me. The smacking of my flip-flops reverberated around the minimally furnished room with each step closer to him.

Only two rows of cots were placed against each of the walls, leaving a clear path down the middle of the room.

Each cot had a pillow placed perfectly at the top with crisp pale blue and white sheets covering it. The walls were bare except for a large screen mounted on the back wall.

My eyes fall to the white bandages wrapped around his right wrist. "Were you injured during the competition?" I asked.

"No, after the competition was over. The celebratory fall when everyone piled on top of Jax and me."

"Ouch." I winced as the image of him and Jax trapped under our teammates flashed in my head. "Is it...Is it broken?"

"No, just sprained. Thank goodness."

I let out a breath of relief and sank down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah."

Silence falls over us, but before that awkwardness I'd felt upon entering could return, I break it. "Is there anything that can prove Jax is a twin?"

He lazily shrugged one shoulder. "Maybe an old security video if Larry looked hard enough."

I nodded once. "Do you want me to speak with him and maybe...I don't know. Try to get him to back off, Jax?"

"No, no." Troy immediately rejected the idea. "That just may give him even more motivation to keep looking or an indirect confirmation of what he already suspects. I don't trust him, and he hasn't given me a reason to believe that there's even an ounce of decency in him. We can't risk exposing Jax."

"Yeah, you're right," I grumbled as my eyes drilled a hole in the off-white floor tiles. "I can't tell who to trust these days."

"You can trust me." My heart fluttered at his words as I slowly turned to face him.

It was my fault for reading more into his words and actions instead of taking them at face value. That was my problem. Troy clearly meant this in a friendly way, but I couldn't help but wish and want for more.

"Tomorrow, our team will compete against the seniors," I said, changing the subject with no acknowledgment toward Troy's previous words. "We're going to need a lot of luck just to have a chance at winning against them."

My stomach coiled at the mention of the word 'luck' as Maverick's words replayed in my head.

Troy hummed, slowly bobbing his head.

"Is your wrist going to be better by tomorrow, or do we need to bring in a substitute?"

"Substitute? No one can replace me. I'm all the man you need."

What did he just say? I tilted my head and tugged on my ear, unsure if I'd misheard him.

"You mean you and the rest of the team?" I asked, muttering.

"Yeah, yeah, all twenty of us will win the game. We don't need to replace anyone."

"Troy, I'm going to go and get some sleep." I stood up, massaging my head, and started for the door.

The springs squeaked as he hopped to his feet. "You okay? Everything alright?"

"Uh..."

It was now or never. I couldn't just pretend I didn't have feelings for him and go back to being friends.

I slowly exhaled before turning to face him. "No, I'm not alright, Troy. You keep giving me mixed signals. One minute you're flirting with me, 'I'm the only man you need.' then the next minute, it seems as if you're brushing me off. What's that all about?"

"I'm not giving you mixed signals. I'm just... shit at finding the right time to tell you how I feel. There's been a lot going on these last couple of months, and I couldn't just ask you to be my girlfriend in the middle of all of it."

Girlfriend? My heart and my brain were at war. I couldn't just accept his words without clearing away the lingering doubt in my mind.

"You're not just saying this, right?" I asked warily, eyeing him.

He took my hand in his, looking deeply into my eyes. "No, I'm not."

"Well, what about you not wanting to give me a good luck kiss?"

One side of his mouth quirked up into a smirk. "I wouldn't have stopped at a kiss."

"Oh." I squeaked out, heat spreading across my cheeks.

He stepped closer, leaned down, and brought his mouth dangerously close to mine. Less than an inch separated our lips, and I could feel the warmth of his breath blowing across my skin. Suddenly he moves even closer, brushing his lips teasingly against mine before pulling back, leaving me yearning for more.

A deep crease settled across my brow at the gentle move since it didn't quite fall in line with his previous confession.

That couldn't be it after months of sexual tension. Right?

His eyes searched mine, probably looking for any sign of unwillingness from me. But he wouldn't get any from me.

The corner of my lips tilted up as I grabbed the back of his neck, sinking my fingers into those silky strands. His eyes widened as I pulled him and pressed my lips to his for a deeper kiss. Beneath my fingertips, his body vibrated, barely containing his suppressed desire.

His left arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest. I shivered as his callous-covered thumb stroked my skin as he cupped my jaw. He tilted my head, deepening the kiss and letting our tongues further explore.

Moments later, when my lungs demanded oxygen, I pulled back, breaking the kiss. Sucking my swollen bottom lip into my mouth, I savored our combined decadent taste. Troy released a deep primal growl as his eyes locked on my lips, admiring his work. A shiver went down my spine at the hungry gleam in his eyes. While I struggled to catch my breath, he placed another kiss on the corner of my lips.

My breath hitched as he reeled me back into his body.

Be careful what you as... forget that. Always ask for more.

His fingers slipped beneath my t-shirt, caressing my lower back as his mouth trailed down my chin and neck, placing a line of searing kisses. When his tongue leisurely traced my collarbone, my teeth sunk into my bottom lip. A gasp slipped past my lips when his tongue glided between my heaving breasts, tasting my skin.

Every torturous flick of his tongue weakened my knees, threatening to send me crashing to the floor. I grasped the back of his head, locking him in place as he kissed along the top of my breast, left exposed by my low-cut t-shirt. My toes curled, digging into my flip-flops as a throbbing heat built in my core.

A sudden knock sent me leaping from Troy's arms. Troy rubbed his lips, his half-lidded eyes clouded with desire as we waited for the person to enter.

"Troy, are you going to be able to compete tomorrow?" Sergeant Carter asked, eyes shifting back and forth between us.

My cheeks flushed, and I quickly averted my gaze to the floor.

"Y-yeah, yeah. Nurse Brad said some ice and rest, and I'll be fine." Troy answered as I tiptoed towards the door.

"You two talk, and I'll go get you some ice," I muttered, still staring at the floor before making a hasty exit.