Page 141 of Shots & Echoes

“I just want you to be happy, Iris. That’s all.” His voice cracked slightly, and I felt the lump in my throat swell. I wanted to assure him that I was happy—that every bruise and ache frompractice meant I was on the right path. But as I pulled away from his embrace, a knot twisted in my stomach.

Once he turned and walked down the hall, the air shifted in the room. It felt charged—heavy with unspoken words and expectations left lingering in the silence.

Chris didn’t move from his chair at the kitchen table; he just watched me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.

Like a predator.

Like he’d been waiting for this moment.

“You and I need to talk.” His voice sliced through the quiet like a knife.

I crossed my arms defensively, trying to mask my anxiety as he leaned forward slightly. “What’s there to talk about?” My tone came out sharper than intended, but I didn’t care. My heart raced; every instinct screamed at me to deflect, to escape whatever confrontation was brewing beneath Chris’s calm exterior.

He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest while keeping those keen eyes locked on me. “You know what I mean.”

A tightness settled in my chest as I swallowed hard. Part of me wanted to brush it off—pretend everything was fine—but I couldn’t shake off that sinking feeling that he had seen more than he should have. That our easy friendship was about to fracture under pressure neither of us had anticipated.

“Look,” he said slowly, his voice measured but urgent. “You can’t keep pretending this isn’t happening.”

I waited. He clearly had more to say.

“I like you, Iris. I always have,” he said, his voice steady but laced with an edge I hadn’t heard before. “But I’m not stupid.”

My stomach knotted at his admission, and I forced myself to stay silent. If I opened my mouth now, I might break into piecesright here in front of him. I had to keep my composure; this conversation felt like it could shatter everything.

“You and Callahan… I see it. Everyone’s starting to see it.”

Those words hung heavy in the air between us, thickening the already charged atmosphere. My throat tightened as panic washed over me, but I kept my face blank—no sign of the chaos churning inside me.

“There’s nothing?—”

He cut me off before I could finish.

“Don’t.” His tone was firm, unyielding. “I saw the hickey.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks at his bluntness, and I fought the urge to squirm under his scrutiny. How could he know? But even more pressing was the fact that he did know—that my secret had slipped through the cracks and into daylight.

“I see the way you look at him,” he continued, leaning forward slightly as if trying to draw me into his confidence. “The way he looks at you.”

I couldn’t deny it—not when it was true—but I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction either. So instead, I stayed quiet, watching him as he tried to gauge my reaction.

“I’m not going to blow up your life,” he said finally, voice lowering as if sharing a secret meant just for me. “But I need something from you.”

I hated the way he saidneed. Like I was some kind of transaction, a means to an end rather than a person with dreams and desires of my own. Chris leaned closer, his expression a mix of determination and something darker that sent a shiver down my spine.

“We’re together now. Publicly. You and me,” he declared, as if making an announcement that could change everything.

His words hung in the air like a weight, heavy and suffocating. I opened my mouth to protest, but he continued without giving me the chance.

“You’re the golden girl.” His gaze intensified, each word dripping with calculated intention. “If you’re with me, people notice me. Coaches notice me. Maybe I finally start getting real ice time. Maybe I'm no longer a backup."

My stomach churned at the thought—was this really what we had become? A strategic alliance in a game I hadn’t signed up for? I felt like a pawn on a chessboard, being moved around without my consent.

“You help me… and I keep my mouth shut about you and Callahan.”

The reality of his words slammed into me like a freight train. He was offering protection wrapped in strings—a deal that put my future against Knox’s career like it was nothing more than collateral damage. My heart raced, not from excitement but from fear as I listened to him lay it all out so coldly.

“Because if this gets out?” His tone shifted again—more serious now, almost menacing. “It’s not just you. It’s him. It’s his career. It’s his reputation.” He leaned back slightly as if gauging my reaction, and I felt the air grow thicker between us. “After what he did with that ref? He never comes back from it.”

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