Page 25 of Ripple Effect

“Well, I can’t seem to run into him again,” I say, nervously picking at a loose thread on the couch cushion. “He said he’s in his final year, part of the engineering department. His first name’s Elio, so I thought maybe that’s unique enough to—”

“You’re talking about the Reynolds kid?”

“That’s his last name?” I blink in surprise. “Reynolds?”

He chuckles, a smug grin curling the corners of his lips. “Yeah, it’s Luca’s little brother.”

“Luca ...” I murmur, my mind scrambling to connect the dots.

“Reynolds, Daze,” he says. “He’s been the star linebacker for the Bobcats for the past five years. An absolute unit on the field, over six feet tall, weighing around 230 pounds. Coastal alum—I mean, the guy’s practically a local legend.”

“Oh my God, really?” My head jerks back, and I don’t even bother to question his alarming knowledge of Luca’s stats. “You know, his wife, Harper, used to babysit me. We grew up in the same town near Cape Casserat.”

“No shit?”

“Yeah, I don’t know if she’d remember me, though. It was only a few times, like, ten years ago.”

He slings an arm over the back of the couch. “You know she’s the athletic trainer for our hockey team, right?”

“I know.” I pull out my phone to set a quick reminder for myself. “And I’ve been meaning to go catch up with her but haven’t quite had the time.”

“Huh, it really is a small world, after all.”

“Truly.” I nibble on my lower lip, circling back. “So, is he, uh, do you know if Elio’s into sports, too? Like his brother?”

“No, not exactly.” He snorts, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Let’s just say his interests lie . . . elsewhere.”

“Like, he’s just really into math and circuits?” I continue, leaning forward on the couch, eager to piece together his meaning.

He chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, that’s part of it. But what I meant is ...” He trails off, his gaze drifting as he stumbles for the right words. After a moment, he turns back to me, his expression contrite. “Daisy, are you planning on pursuing something with this guy?”

Across the room, Gracie pauses mid-chew on her popcorn, glancing our way with a raised brow. Even LJ, who’s been engrossed in a dog-eared paperback beside us, lifts her gaze, her interest officially sparked.

“No! Of course not,” I blurt out, heat creeping up my cheeks. “I just got out of a long-term relationship. But Elio .. . he’s cool, nice. Actually, he’s really sweet, and like I already told Gracie—I feel like he could use a friend right now.”

“Cool, nice, and sweet.” He gives me a humorless snort, throwing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. “Sure. I mean, a friend could be good for him, especially since his partner in crime just went off to Dayton.”

“Partner in crime?”

He nods, popping another kernel into his mouth. “Kaia Karras. His friend, his girlfriend, whatever she was at the time. They were practically attached at the hip up until last year. I thought she was aiming for our grad program, but she chose Dayton’s instead. And now she’s dating some hockey superstar, another graduate from our department.”

“Interesting.” I hum thoughtfully. “I think he may have mentioned her once before.”

“Yeah, so ... just be careful around him, will you?”

“Why?” I ask, knitting my brows. “You don’t seem to know him all that well, Max.”

“Let’s just say I’ve heard a few things,” he says abstrusely. “So, just ... have your guard up.”

“God, babe, can you stop being so cryptic for two seconds?” LJ chimes in, swatting his arm with her book.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He sighs, his shoulders dropping. “You should make your own judgments about him, Daisy. All I know is what I’ve heard through the grapevine. Once you really get to know him yourself, you’ll figure things out.”

“Okay.” I nod, slightly unsettled by his words. “Do you ... know of any way for me to contact him, then?”

“Well, you know his last name now,” he says, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “You could just email him through our Coastal accounts. Or I think I have Kaia’s number from a project we worked on. I could ask her for his number?”

“Would that be too weird, though? Too stalker-ish?” I rub nervously at my temples, second-guessing myself.

---