Page 61 of Pressure Point

“What would you think of moving in with me?”

Errrr…what?!

Avery blinked, trying to make sense of the question. Talia wanted to be roommates? With her? No, that couldn’t be right. They didn’t know each other. Although, Avery supposed they didn’t really have to in order to share an apartment.

“I know it’s a random ask. But Gunnar is basically moved out, and I’m determined to do this on my own, without his and Felicity’s help. There’s seven months left on the lease, so if we hate each other, it’s not forever.” Talia shrugged. “I know we don’t know each other all that well, but you work for the Rising, so I know you’re not an axe murderer. And Liam has nothing but good things to say about you, and I trust his judgment.”

Liam. The idea of living so close to him made her heart flutter. But what about when Operation: Sexy Beast was over? Dash’s party was next weekend. It was do or die time. By this time next week, she would either have a date with Dash, or she’d be heartbroken.

Or at least she thought she would be heartbroken if Dash said no. But then again…

Breaking her own thought process, she blinked a couple of times, sucking in a deep breath and looking Talia up and down. Did she really want to live with the competition? If Dash did reject her, it was probably going to be in favor of Talia. Then again, maybe she might learn a thing or two from her about getting Dash’s attention.

Avery glanced back down at the notice from her leasing office. That very large number taunted her, letting her know just what she faced if she turned down Talia’s miracle offer. Hadn’t she just been thinking that she needed a miracle? And it was only for seven months, so if nothing else, if it really was that unbearable, she could find something else later.

“You make some excellent points,” Avery said. “And your offer is literally exactly what I need at the moment. I’d ask if Liam put you up to it, but I haven’t mentioned the note to him.”

“He’s been more than happy to suggest you every time I have complained about this.”

“He…he has?” she asked, her pulse jumping at the thought that he’d mentioned her. “What else has he said?”

“Not much. Just that you two have been hanging out a lot, watching the Marvel movies. Which will be even easier if you move in since he’s just three floors down.”

That would make my walk of shame easier. No, stop. It’s not a walk of shame. And if you’re with Dash, you’re not going to be hanging at Liam’s as much…

A pang hit her with that last thought. She loved their movie nights. Hell, she loved any time they spent together. They hadn’t even gotten to the movie this past weekend before she’d fallen asleep on his chest. As much as she thought she should be embarrassed by that, she wasn’t. Liam had become her safe space, and he’d known even before she did just what she was feeling and had needed that night. If things worked out the way she had planned, she was going to miss that, and him, a lot more than she’d expected.

“I’m in,” Avery said. “Although, I don’t have a lot of stuff. My best friend took most of the furniture and such with her when she moved out a couple of months ago.”

“That’s fine. Gunnar isn’t taking most of his, so we should have pretty much everything. And if we don’t, we’ll figure it out.”

“This was seriously perfect timing. Thank you.”

“Happy to help,” Talia replied. “But really, it’s partly selfish. I still don’t know a lot of people here, and the ones I do know are dudes who either play for Gunnar or work at Bunz.”

“You have Felicity.”

“I do, and she’s amazing. But I could also kinda use a friend my own age.”

Friends. Talia wanted to be friends. Could you be friends with the girl who was on the other end of the love triangle?

“I’m not interested in him, you know.”

“Who?” Avery asked, playing dumb. The “him” in question could go either way, but she wasn’t about to own up to any of it. Not just yet anyway.

“Take your pick,” Talia said with another shrug as she pushed up from the chair. “One is like my brother, and the other just won’t go away.”

Avery sucked in a breath, this new knowledge filling her with excitement. So maybe Talia wasn’t the competition after all.

“Friday work to move?” Avery asked.

“Perfect.”

* * *

The sun glinting off the glass door to the training facility as it opened caught Liam’s eye as he finished up his cooldown laps around the pitch. It was a warm spring afternoon, the southern sun out in full force, making him wish they had spent the morning out on the pitch rather than inside rewatching film from the game. Which had meant rewatching Tiago’s injury. His season-ending injury.

Slowing down, Liam sucked in a breath, his muscles aching from the workout. Gunnar hadn’t gone easy on them today, partially because that was simply his style and partially because, with Tiago out, they were going to have to shift things around a bit until they could determine a more permanent solution. Thankfully they had a bye this weekend, giving them two full weeks to make whatever adjustments were needed and then practice them until they were half dead. Right now, though, there was a whirlpool calling his name, and just the thought of the jets was already helping him relax.