Page 20 of Boards & Betrayal

Kara handed Thomas the trophy just as her phone rang. She glanced at me apologetically.

“Can you pose him?” she asked, pulling out her phone. “I need to take this.”

She didn’t wait for my answer, walking away while answering her call. I sighed, setting my camera down carefully on a nearby table. The weight of the night pressed on me. The sooner I did this, the sooner I could leave.

“All right,” I muttered to myself, stepping closer to Thomas. “Hold it like this,” I said, demonstrating with my hands.

Thomas watched me but didn’t move, his expression unreadable. The tension between us hung thick in the air. He adjusted his grip on the trophy but still looked awkward, as if it were a foreign object.

I hesitated before reaching out. My fingers brushed against his, and a spark ignited within me. The warmth of his skin sent a shiver down my spine. I froze, but didn’t pull away, guiding his hands into position.

“Like this,” I whispered, more to myself than to him.

Thomas’s eyes met mine, heated and intense. The world seemed to shrink around us, leaving only the two of us in that moment. His gaze held mine captive, and I felt my resolve weakening.

I cleared my throat, trying to focus on the task at hand. “You need to lift it a bit higher,” I instructed, adjusting his arms gently.

His breath hitched slightly as my hands lingered on his. The contact felt electric, and I struggled to maintain my composure. The memory of our last encounter flooded back—raw and unresolved.

“There,” I said softly, stepping back, but not quite breaking eye contact. "Now… hold that."

I went back to my camera, picked it up, and took a couple of pictures. The shutter clicked, capturing Thomas in the golden glow of the stage lights. I looked at one of the shots, my chest tightening painfully.

Thomas stood there, tall and imposing, his presence radiating authority and intensity. The way he held the trophy was reminiscent of a warrior gripping his weapon—powerful and unyielding. His eyes, piercing and dark blue, seemed to cut through me even from a distance. A hint of vulnerability lingered beneath that brooding exterior, but it was buried deep, hidden behind layers of control and guarded emotions.

My chest hurt just looking at him. Desire pooled in my stomach, but guilt gnawed at me, too. The secret I kept from him weighed heavily on my conscience.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to steady myself. I couldn’t believe Nick’s audacity—the fact that he would come here tonight. He knew exactly what he was doing, stirring up old wounds and throwing me into this emotional turmoil. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but somehow, I still was.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes and refocused on Thomas.

“Al,” he murmured.

My head snapped up at the nickname. Our eyes locked, and for a moment, the world around us disappeared.

I felt exposed under his gaze, as if he could see right through me—past the walls I had carefully constructed to protect myself. The intensity in his eyes was almost too much to bear, but I couldn’t look away.

There we stood, caught in a silent conversation that spoke volumes about the unresolved feelings between us.

"What the hell is going on between you and Nick?" Thomas asked, his voice low and demanding. "What are you…?" He let his voice trail off, but the implication was clear.

I clenched my teeth, fiddling with my camera to avoid his piercing gaze. The weight of his question hung heavily in the air.

"It's nothing," I murmured, my fingers trembling slightly as I adjusted the lens cap. I wanted to escape, to flee from this suffocating tension. Whether Kara returned or not didn’t matter—I had done what she needed me to do.

"Don't," Thomas said, his voice a low growl.

I looked up at him, our eyes locking once more.

"Don't lie to me," he said. "Not you."

Another intense moment passed between us, charged with unspoken emotions and unresolved feelings. His eyes bore into mine, searching for answers I wasn’t ready to give.

"I have to go," I said, turning away.

Before I could take a step, Thomas grabbed my arm. "Don't," he repeated. "Don't leave m?—"

I pulled against his grip, but he didn’t release me. His hold was firm yet desperate.

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