Page 15 of Red Zone

Megan shrugged, her smile not reaching her eyes. “I’m sure you’re right. I was just curious. You hear stories, that’s all.”

“You heard wrong,” I said firmly. “Our team knows better than to jeopardize their careers over something like that.”

“Of course.” Megan laughed falsely. She turned to Joe, her voice shifting into something huskier. “We still need to go over those samples later. Don’t forget.”

Joe nodded, his focus fixed on his notebook.

“Catch you later, Skye.” Megan threw me a wide smile before disappearing toward the back of the lab.

I stood frozen for a moment, the exchange replaying in my mind. Something about her questions rubbed me the wrong way, but I brushed it off as curiosity gone too far. With a final glance at Joe, I grabbed my bag and headed out the door, ready to shake off the strange encounter.

Backpack slung over one shoulder, I hurried through the quad toward my car, eager to get to the stadium. It was easier driving to the athletic center and practice field than walking. Ten minutes later, I was on the field, my backpack parked on the bench as I snapped pictures of the players in action. I had to be careful not to reveal any of their plays but to take individual shots or group ones where they were just talking or lifting in the gym.

Later, as I stood on the sidelines, camera in hand, my focus was supposed to be on all the players, but my lens kept drifting to Liam. He wasn’t just running drills—he was commanding the field. Every movement was sharp, deliberate, as if he could will the world to see him.

I shook my head, lowering the camera.What is wrong with me?I couldn’t keep letting him pull me in. Still, something about him was different now. He wasn’t the cocky freshman Iremembered. There was a quiet intensity to his game and the way he encouraged the rookies, clapping them on the back or offering tips between plays. It tugged at something in me that I didn’t want to name.

Shoving the camera strap higher on my shoulder, I forced myself to focus on pictures and stats for anything post worthy. Liam didn’t fit into the careful plans I’d laid for my life. I couldn’t afford to lose sight of that, no matter how much he made me feel like I already had.

When the numbers blurred, I glanced at the team still running drills on the field with a more critical eye. Megan’s question about the players circled in my head. It took only a few seconds to key into what bothered me about the players’ attitudes. A few of them were exhibiting unusual behavior, where their movements seemed almost too quick, their strength beyond what I’d thought I remembered from earlier in the season when I’d studied the team before taking on the internship.

I watched the scrimmage on the field where number eighty, Louis Leroy, one of the defensive ends, tackled another player with such force that the sound echoed across the field. My suspicion grew, and I shifted on the bench, pulling up the team’s stats on my phone to study the reoccurring theme I’d spotted earlier—players who didn’t see a lot of field time and weren’t getting noticed before now were, and their stats showed a remarkable difference from last year. The numbers for some players didn’t make sense. Leroy’s numbers had skyrocketed, but the way he moved—almost too fast, too strong—made my stomach churn. Something about it didn’t add up, and the numbers on my screen weren’t helping.

What could that mean?

My gaze flickered to the field, where Liam caught a pass and bolted down the sideline like he had something to prove. Hewas magnetic, impossible to ignore. Even now, in the middle of piecing together a puzzle that could change everything, my mind circled back to him. To the way his laugh had sounded last night when he’d called me out for avoiding him. To how his green eyes seemed to see through every wall I’d built.

I forced my eyes back to my phone. My body tingled with the sense that I was being watched, and I dropped my phone to my lap, whipping my head toward the field.

“Hey, social media queen,” Liam called out, jogging over as practice ended.

My pulse kicked up, and I quickly masked it with a smirk. “What? Need tips on how to smile for the camera?”

He grinned, the dimple in his cheek flashing. “Just making sure you’re getting my good side.”

“Every side’s your good side, remember?”

The words slipped out before I could stop them, and his eyes locked on mine, the teasing glint fading into something deeper. My breath caught.

“I remember,” he said softly before turning back to the field.

But I didn’t miss the thunderous expression on his too-gorgeous face that conflicted with his light tone. He affected me too much, and my mood turned mercurial.

“What? What did you really want to talk to me about?” I snapped.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a kid?”

My defensive walls erected abruptly. “It’s not relevant to being your tutor, which by the way, is just a job. It doesn’t mean we’re friends. I don’t owe you anything, nor are you entitled to information about my personal life.”

“Really? After everything we’ve shared?” His kissable lips curved into that sexy, irresistible grin that invaded my dreams on lonely nights. “You’re taking that stance with me?”

Why the hell am I thinking about kissing him?Even when he was being an absolute jerk, my body betrayed me, tugging me toward him with a magnetic pull I couldn’t explain—or resist. “Get serious. Let’s talk about what’s going on here, which has nothing to do with the past. If you expect to improve the shitastic grade you have in chemistry by the final exam, you’ll need to get serious with a study plan. That means at least three nights a week, not two, and also on Sundays—preferably hangover and jersey-chaser free—or you’ll lose everything you’ve set your sights on so rigidly.”

“You think I’m still that guy? The one who only cared about parties and the next girl? News flash, Skye—I grew the hell up while you were busy running away.”

“You didn’t grow up, Liam. You just shifted focus. You still bulldoze through everything in your path, and God help anyone who gets in your way.”

“Come on, Skye. Look around.” He spread his arms wide, muscles rippling with the movement. “You used to know who I was?—”

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