Page 25 of Red Zone

Her lips pressed together, her hand tightening on the strap of her bag. “I’m fine, Liam. I’ve been fine for years.”

“I don’t believe that.” My voice softened, and I reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Not for a second.”

Her breath hitched, her eyes flickering between mine, and the weight of unspoken words hung in the air between us. “Why do you care?” she whispered, her voice breaking on the last word.

“Because it’s you,” I said simply, stepping even closer. “It’s always been you.”

For a moment, time seemed to stop. The tension crackled between us, electric and undeniable, as her gaze dropped to my lips before darting away.

“Liam…” she started, but whatever she was going to say was lost as I leaned in, giving her plenty of time to stop me, a distinct possibility after how our kiss ended last time.

She didn’t.

Our lips met, softly at first, tentative, but the kiss quickly deepened as everything unsaid between us exploded to the surface. She clung to me, her fingers gripping the front of my shirt like she was afraid to let go. I poured everything I couldn’t say into that kiss—the longing, the regret, the hope that maybe, just maybe, it was a new beginning.

Then, as if only just realizing what we were doing, Skye shoved me back, her breathing heavy, her eyes shining with something I couldn’t name. “I still can’t do this,” she whispered, taking a step back.

My chest tightened, but I nodded, giving her the space she needed—for now. “Okay,” I said softly, though every fiber of my being wanted to stop her.

She hesitated for just a second longer before turning and walking away, her steps quick and purposeful.

CHAPTER TEN

SKYE

Itried to put the time with Liam in the library behind me and looked at the second half of game day as if it were a separate day entirely. It almost felt like it with the cloudless sky and brightly shining sun promising a semblance of warmth. I just finished taking a few candid shots of the audience and the field before the guys came out.

“Hey.” A girl with honey-blond hair grinned at me expectantly from the stadium’s packed seats. “You’re Skye Finley, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah.” I tilted my head, recognizing who she was as I placed the brunette next to her as Aurora, Kylian’s fiancée. Weird that I chose the exact section where Liam’s roommates’ girlfriends were sitting for the playoff game. Well, maybe not. We were at the fifty-yard line and in the first row. The seats were terrific, and I could get fabulous pictures without being on the sidelines. I didn’t regret the choice—since I’d already captured shots from the sidelines—now that I knew the people next to me.

Players and spectators alike wore black armbands in honor of Jackson, the football player who had died. It was a heartbreaking and unifying sight.

“I’m Brielle Sinclair, and this is Aurora,” Brielle said. “I recognized you from the athletic website.”

“Oh.” I scrunched my nose. “I hate that picture. I don’t know why they had to put it up. My name works well enough.”

“What are you talking about?” Aurora laughed. “It’s a great picture. Very artistic.”

It was artistic but not my favorite. I preferred to stay in the background or behind a camera.

Brielle squeezed my forearm and released it, sympathy clouding her ice-blue eyes. “How are you doing? Liam told us what happened with Jackson and how you found him. Liam’s been like a caged animal ever since, super worried about you.”

I started, my mouth falling open before I snapped it shut. “Why?”

Aurora grinned as she leaned forward to better join in the conversation. “Girl, you know he’s into you, right?”

Heat flooded my face despite the December chill. We miraculously hadn’t had any snow yet, though I could use some right about now to help with the wave of embarrassment and maybe hide behind a wall of white. “Liam isn’t into me. He’s a total player.”

Brielle shrugged. “Maybe he was. But I can tell you he’s been different lately. Think on that.”

A roar went through the crowd as fans leaped to their feet. The stadium shook from the crowd stomping as our team ran out onto the field and saved me from responding. My heart thudded, not from the high energy of the fans but from what Brielle had implied—stupid heart. I just… I was afraid to set myself up for heartbreak a second time. It was probably too late to shield myself against Liam. My heart hadn’t gotten the memo from my mind as it fluttered like I was some damn Disney princess who’d just been kissed by the man of her dreams. A happily ever after wasn’t in store for me. I needed to rememberthat. I’d had a front-row seat to Liam’s reality check when we’d been together.

I shoved Brielle and Aurora’s comments to the back of my mind, focusing instead on my task for the day. It was the start of the playoffs, and Fall Lake University’s Falcons were predicted to win against Indiana. But the media had been relentless, questioning if the team could pull it off after the devastating loss of their rising-star wide receiver. The pressure on Liam was more intense than ever, something I knew weighed on him despite his outward confidence.

Over the past two weeks—and especially two nights ago, when he opened up about his rough childhood—I’d glimpsed layers of Liam that had only deepened my curiosity. Now, with him on the field, it was impossible to look anywhere else.

We won the coin toss and deferred, giving Indiana the ball first. It was the right call. Our defense had been ironclad, with new players stepping up alongside the veterans, making it hell for anyone to gain yards.

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