Page 89 of Sin Bin Daddies
I blink at him, still half-asleep. “What?”
He tosses himself into the chair across from my bed, stretching his legs out. “Her dog. We took him for a walk. Got coffee. Talked.”
Something in his tone makes my spine stiffen. I sit up, scrubbing a hand down my face. “And? Why are you here? And not in your bed with her?”
His jaw works like he’s chewing over his next words. “Something’s bothering her, Ford.”
My stomach tightens.
“She said what it was?”
He shakes his head. “No. But she was… I don’t know. Quieter than usual. Kept zoning out.” His eyes pin mine, sharp with concern. “You were with her last night. Did she say anything?”
I school my expression. “She was just tired.”
“Ford.” His voice drops. “Come on, man.”
I stand up, crossing to the dresser to grab a shirt. “If she wanted to tell you, she would.”
His silence stretches between us.
When I turn back, his brows are pulled together, mouth pressed into a hard line.
“You know something,” he accuses.
I hold his gaze. “Not my story to tell.”
His nostrils flare, but he exhales, nodding once. “Fine.”
I don’t relax.
Because this won’t be the last time he asks.
Practice is brutal.
Ace is pissed about last night’s game. We won, but it wasn’t pretty, and he’s making sure we know it.
Every drill is twice as long, every scrimmage twice as aggressive. Sweat drips down my back as I skate hard, keeping up with the pace.
Rhett and Deke are chirping at each other, something about who blew a play last night. Hunter’s laughing, talking shit about how he had the best goal of the game. Mason is locked in, focused, because that’s just how he is.
And then there’s Leo.
Standing at the boards, arms crossed, eyes tracking me.
I hate the way he looks at me. Like he knows something I don’t. Like he has some fucking power over me.
My grip tightens around my stick.
“Hale,” Ace calls, voice sharp. “Pick up the damn pace.”
I push harder.
We’re in the middle of another drill when it happens.
Leo says something. I don’t even hear what, just his voice. Just my name coming out of his mouth.
Something snaps.
