Page 33 of North

Jabbing at the button on his machine, he brings it to a stop and turns to face me. I keep walking, needing to channel some nervous energy, especially because I see a glint of something dangerous in Rafferty’s eyes.

“What’s going on?” he asks.

“I’ve been seeing her,” I say evenly, meeting his eyes, and because I don’t like the look in them, I cut off my treadmill too. If he’s going to throw a punch, I need to be ready.

But he doesn’t say a word. Just stares at me. And now I’m compelled to fill the silence. “It’s casual.”

Rafferty blinks a few times, tilting his head as if he can’t believe what he heard. “What the fuck do you mean, you’ve beenseeing her? And what does casual mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like,” I reply, keeping it calm. “We’ve hooked up a couple of times. It’s been casual, but I want more and she doesn’t.”

Rafferty stares at me, his jaw tightening. “You’re telling me you’ve been sleeping with my sister?”

“Yes.”

“And now you want a relationship?”

“Yes.”

“Jesus Christ, North,” he complains, rubbing a handover his face. “Do you have any idea how close I am to throwing you through a wall right now?”

“I can imagine,” I reply hesitantly. “And I wouldn’t blame you. But before you get too pissed, I need you to understand that I’m serious about her. I like her, Raff. A lot.”

He lowers his hand, studying me with an intensity that makes me shift uncomfortably. “How long has this been going on?”

“Technically since her first visit here at the start of the season. We both got drunk after a team event, and then on one other visit. But since she’s moved here, it’s been more consistent. We kept it quiet because… well, because your sister wanted it that way. And I went along with it because I didn’t want to disrespect you or screw things up with the team.”

Rafferty lets out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, because this doesn’t complicate things at all.”

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I should’ve told you sooner. But I didn’t know where it was going—if anywhere. Now I know what I want, and I don’t want to keep it a secret anymore.”

He crosses his arms, his jaw clenching. “And Farren? What does she want?”

I hesitate, choosing my words carefully. “She doesn’t want anything serious. She’s made that clear. Every time things start to feel real, she pulls back. Says she’s not thekind of person who settles down.”

Rafferty nods thoughtfully. “She’s definitely a free spirit.”

“She says she’s not,” I reply, and Rafferty frowns at me. “She said you and your parents think that, but what you see as a free spirit is her running from commitment.”

He mulls that over and I imagine he’s filtering through memories, trying to see if it jibes. Finally, he nods. “That sort of makes sense.”

“But she won’t talk about it. She just shuts down when I suggest making this something more than…”

Rafferty’s eyes narrow at me. “Than just sex?”

I swallow hard. “Yeah. I want more than that.”

“Jesus,” Rafferty mumbles, scraping his hand over his head again. He’s quiet for a long moment, his gaze fixed on the floor. “She’s never had a serious relationship,” he says finally. “Not that I know of, anyway. She’s always been restless. Jumping from one thing to the next.”

“But why is she that way?” I ask. “I mean, your parents have a stable marriage. And you’re all into commitment and love now. Did something happen to her?”

My protective instincts are kicking in and something tells me that whatever Farren went through, it was significant.

He shakes his head slowly. “Not that she’s ever told me. But if something happened, she’s buried it deep.She’s never seemed distressed or traumatized by anything. Should I ask her?”

I lift a shoulder. “I don’t know, man. I’m still trying to figure out if you’re going to kick my ass.”

“Yeah, I’m trying to figure that out too,” he says, but I can tell he’s not serious about it. He’s worried about Farren.

---