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Owen kisses Blake’s cheek, intertwining her fingers with his as she smiles at him adoringly. Yuck, is that what Bash and I look like?

“It’s enough, but it would have been the icing on the cake to see his face,” Owen admits, leading the way. “Lia, Bash told me to ask you if you knew your schedule for thisweek? We were talking about going to the Duke game next Friday, and I was going to buy tickets.”

“Oh shit, my boss sent me an email earlier about something happening next Friday,” Blake says, reaching for her purse, but she groans. “I forgot to grab my phone in the suite.”

“Do you want me to go get it?” Owen offers, but she shakes her head.

“It’s okay, I’ll meet you at the car,” Blake says, kissing his cheek quickly before turning back, continuing to dig through her bag.

“I think I need to tie a string to her phone and then tie it to her wrist. She always forgets it everywhere.” Owen chuckles as he watches her walk away.

“Yeah, she does,” I agree, laughing quietly. “That was a brutal game. How are you feeling?” I ask, eyeing him carefully.

He rolls his shoulders, but the movement is stiff. “I’m sore, but I’ll be fine.”

“Did you let the trainers look at you?”

Owen’s brown eyes find mine, telling me all I need to know. “Bash got hit too; are you planning on asking him the same thing?”

“Absolutely,” I say, walking through the exit into the humid air. “Don’t get mad because I’m worried about you.”

“I’m not mad, but I don’t need you to worry about me. I really am fine. Nothing some stretching won’t fix,” Owen insists, smiling as we start the trek into the parking lot.

“Okay, I believe you.”Maybe I can talk to Blake later to see if he gives her a different answer.

“Good. Now tell me about your trip; how was Maine?”

“It’s beautiful there, and I think the magazine will be happy with what I have for the—” I falter at the sudden screeching of tires, turning my head to look that direction as I’m shoved backward quickly. Pain explodes immediately from my arm and in my skull when I hit the pavement at the same time the sound of breaking glass echoes through the air.

What…happened?

“Owen,” I whisper, trying to hear something past the ringing in my ears. I try to move to push myself up, but my arm gives out underneath me as everything disappears.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Sebastian

GOD, THAT INTERVIEW took forever. I know it was a big game, but there’s nothing I want to do right now more than be next to Thalia. The last few days without her were harder than I thought they’d be. It really didn’t help we fought right before she left, but I did my best to give her the space she asked for.

I did feel a million times better after she called earlier.

Would running through the stadium to get to her faster make me seem desperate?

I’m not sure I care.

I’ve just quickened my pace when I hear Blake call out my name. “Bash, wait up! Your legs are longer than mine, and I can’t catch up if you keep walking so fast.”

I stop in my tracks, entirely surprised that she isn’t with Owen and Thalia, considering I thought I saw them leave together. “I thought you were with Owen and Thalia?” I scan the area behind her to see if Thalia’s there, but I only see staff and a few lingering fans.

“I forgot my phone in the suite, so I told them I’d meet them at the car. I ran the whole way and believe me when Isay I’m not a runner,” she jokes, her cheeks flushed, and I can’t help laughing.

“I can believe it,” I agree. “When did Lia get here?”

“Lia got here right before you got sacked,” Blake says, and I know I’ll spend the next week watching footage to prevent it from happening again. “I wish you could have heard the names Thalia and Gina were calling the refs. They were getting creative.”

“Of course they were,” I say, shaking my head with quiet laughter. I’m not surprised in the slightest. “Owen owes me; it was supposed to be his day to speak to the press after the game, but we swapped because he didn’t want to add more fuel to the fire with Erikson.”

Instead of doing the press conference, I probably should have gone to see the trainer to get stretched out, but I refuse to wait longer to see Thalia.

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