Page 120 of Just Say Yes

“You sound good,” I said, sitting back down on the bench.

“Oh, I’m better than good,” she said, her laughter bubbling through the line. “Logan, you are not going to believe what I just did.”

There was something in her tone—excitement, pride. “What’s that?”

She let out a breathless laugh. “I hosed Trent down. Like, literally. With a garden hose. He showed up at my house like some creepy specter from my past, and I let him have it.”

Her words hit me like a sucker punch and my jaw tightened. “Trent was at your house?”

“Yeah,” she said, oblivious to the way my pulse was climbing. “He had the nerve to show up on my porch, spouting some bullshit about second chances. Can you believe that? What a moron. Obviously, I sent him packing.”

The pride in her voice was palpable, and I grinned like a fool on the other end of the line.

This was her moment, her triumph.

Telling her about the call-up and the imminent implosion of my career would only overshadow that.

So I swallowed the words, burying them deep for later when we could talk face to face.

“That’s great, Julep,” I said, my voice filled with awe. “You handled it. I am so damn proud of you.”

“Damn right I handled it,” she said, her laugh softening into something warmer. “You should’ve seen his face. It was like he couldn’t believe I wasn’t the same girl he used to know.”

The image of Trent standing on her porch, daring to confront her, was enough to make my blood boil. “You really are incredible, you know that?”

“Stop,” she said, but I could hear the smile in her voice.

I swallowed past the grit in my throat as my anger toward my former friend built. “I mean it. You’re stronger than anyone I’ve ever met.”

Her laugh was quieter now, softer. “Thank you, Logan.”

“Listen, I have to go,” she added after a pause, her voice still bright and buzzing. “But I’ll see you tomorrow. Go Wildhawks!”

The playful cheer in her tone tugged at the corner of my mouth despite the weight in my chest.

We hung up, her voice still ringing in my ears. I stared at the phone in my hand, the anger simmering just beneath my skin. She deserved to feel proud of herself.

But the thought of Trent standing on her porch, spouting lies and poison ... it was enough to make my vision go red.

Before I could second-guess myself, I grabbed my keys from my hotel room and headed for my truck.

The drive to Trent’s house was a blur, my hands gripping the wheel so tight my knuckles ached. It didn’t matter that it was late. It didn’t matter that I had an important match tomorrow. Logic, reason—none of it factored in. I didn’t overthink it—I just acted.

All that mattered was making sure he never came near my woman again.

His house was exactly what I remembered—dark, quiet, unremarkable. I parked haphazardly on the curb, the engine still rumbling as I climbed out. My shoes hit the pavement with purpose, each step heavier than the last as I made my way to the front door.

I didn’t knock. I pounded, hard enough to rattle the frame.

The door swung open, and there he was, freshly showered in a white T-shirt and basketball shorts, his face twisting into a smirk that screamed unbothered. He leaned casually against the doorframe, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he drawled, “Well, well. Mr. Amazing himself. What brings you here, Mav? Come to defend your prize? Finally tired of playing house with my leftovers?”

I stepped closer, my voice low and intense. “You showed up at her house. That’s your first mistake. Opening this door was your second.”

I didn’t think. I didn’t hesitate. My fist connected with his jaw, sending him stumbling back into the house. Trent recovered quickly, his arrogance fueling his aggression as he threw his first punch, a wild swing aimed at my ribs. I dodged easily, years of training and instinct giving me the upper hand.

“You son of a bitch,” I growled, stepping inside and slamming the door shut behind me. The sound of knuckles against flesh filled the space, the metallic tang of blood in the air as adrenaline coursed through me. “You went to her house?”

“She called you, didn’t she?” he said, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. His smirk was gone, replaced by something darker. “Of course she did. That’s all she knows how to do—run to the nearest man to fix her problems.”

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