Page 46 of Through the Flames
Saying it out loud always felt like dangling my biggest want in front of fate, begging it to snatch it away.
I tugged harder at my hoodie strings. “But what if I choke? What if I get there and my brain decides to crash and burn, and that’s it? My whole life ruined because I thought I had what it takes? Because it’s a very real possibility, and sometimes I think—”
“Ella.” His big, calloused fingers were suddenly circling my wrist, squeezing gently.
I snapped my mouth shut.
What the actual fuck?
He twisted his body my way, piercing me with his unwavering gaze. “You won’t choke.”
I scoffed. “You don’t know that.”
“I do.” He leaned in, never taking his eyes off me. “You don’t quit. Doesn’t matter if you’re scared, you keep moving. That’s what makes you win.”
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. It wasn’t the words, but the way he said them. He was certain. Like it wasn’t even up for debate.
My chest tightened, and I felt an overwhelming surge of emotion.
I blurted out, “And you?”
His brow furrowed.
“What about you?” I pressed, quirking a brow at him. “Majoring in Cybersecurity. Hacking. All your little black-hat magic tricks. You’ve bailed Hailey and Sierra out, so don’t even pretend you’re not some kind of evil genius.”
The corner of his mouth twitched again. Inwardly, I was pumping my fist. Just this tiny movement felt like a success.
I wasn’t even sure I couldhandlea full smile from him, considering he was already drop-dead gorgeous with a scowl.
Add a smile to that, and I might faint on the spot. Or throw up a little. Or both.
Honestly, the weirdest part was … I was enjoying this. I could fantasize about him without fear of rejection, which was kind of a relief. Hunter was out of my league and always would be.
This man was the embodiment of the All-American fantasy.
Meanwhile, I was loud, a mess, prone to overthinking, and probably too needy for someone like him.But fantasizing about him?
In my head, I could imagine him noticing me and even caring about me, but it would never actually happen.
It was safe to dream, get flustered and to imagine him touching me without consequence.
“What’s the plan?” I asked, pushing. “You gonna start your own hacker empire? Rob a bank? Join the FBI?”
He huffed a laugh through his nose. “No.”
“Then what?”
He stared ahead, jaw tight. “Football.”
I blinked. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” he said flatly. “The draft. Everything else is noise.”
The way he uttered those words made the air feel colder somehow.
“Wow.” I let out a low whistle. “Laser-focused much?”
His shoulders shifted. “I just want to be independent, I guess.”
