Page 48 of Guarded Love

"...and the engagement numbers would be insane. Hockey content is blowing up right now."

I freeze mid-step. That voice. I'd recognize it anywhere.

Leo Kent. Why the fuck is he here again?

I turn slowly, hoping I'm wrong, but there he is, coming down the hallway with Bailey. Leo's frame fills the space, and if you didn’t know different, you would think he was another player on the team. His signature smile plastered across his face as he gestures animatedly while talking. He hasn't seen me yet.

"Oh," Isla says beside me, her voice dropping. "That must be the content creator Bailey was talking about."

My stomach plummets. "Leo Kent?"

"You know him?" Isla asks, glancing between us.

Before I can answer, Bailey spots us and waves enthusiastically. "Isla! Perfect timing. This is Leo Kent. He's a gaming streamer with a huge following. Leo, this is Isla Johnson, our photographer."

Leo's eyes slide past Isla and land directly on me. His smile doesn't falter, but something cold flashes in his gaze. I think back to when he approached me at the Senior Night game and nausea fills my body again.

"Willow," Leo says. I hate the way he says my name. "What a surprise to see you here."

"Leo." I keep my voice flat, devoid of emotion. He will not get a rise out of me. He will not get a rise out of me. He will not?—

Bailey looks between us, her eyebrows rising. "You two know each other?"

"We go way back," Leo says before I can respond. The implication in his tone makes my skin crawl.

I force myself to maintain eye contact. "Not that far back."

Isla shifts beside me, and I know she’s curious about what is going on. Guess I’m going to have to fill her in later.

"Leo's going to be collaborating with some of the players on content," Bailey explains, oblivious to the tension bouncing between us. "Gaming streams, behind-the-scenes stuff. We're hoping it'll boost our social media presence."

It’s then that it clicks for me that this is the reason he was here during Senior Night.He was here on business. Interesting.

"Sounds great," I manage to say although the words taste bitter. "I should go find Coach Johnson for that quote."

"Actually," Leo says, taking a step closer, "I'd love your input on this, Willow. You always had such...creative ideas."

The way he emphasizes "creative" makes me want to scream. Or vomit. Or both.

"I'm sure Bailey has everything covered," I say, backing up slightly. "And I really need to finish this article."

Before anyone can respond, the locker room door swings open. Knox emerges, followed by Blaise. They both stop short when they see the group assembled in the hallway.

Knox's eyes narrow instantly when they land on Leo. The look in his eyes tells me he’s about to go from zero to hundred in two point five seconds flat. "Kent. What are you doing here?"

Leo's smile doesn't falter."Just talking business with Bailey," he says as he extends his hand toward Knox. "Congrats on the win tonight."

Knox ignores the offered hand, stepping closer to me instead. The protective big brother mode is in full effect. His jaw clenched tight enough that I can see a muscle twitching.

"Thanks," Knox says coldly, positioning himself subtly between Leo and me. "Bailey, what's this about?"

"The athletic department approved my proposal to boost our social media presence. Leo has an impressive following online, and we're discussing potential collaborations with the team," Bailey offers.

"With the team," Knox repeats. "As in us?"

"Several players, yes," Bailey continues. "Gaming streams, day-in-the-life content. His demographic overlaps perfectly with our target audience."

I catch the way Blaise's eyes flick between Leo and me as if he’s trying to figure out what’s going on. But he doesn’t say a word.

---