Page 11 of Through the Flames
Imagine a science experiment in which grown men in polo shirts measure your muscle, speed, and coordination.
It’s basically like a circus, where they’re timing your sprints and counting how many times you can shove a bar off your chest.
Still, for me, it was a way to carve out my own life, to finally break free from the money sitting untouched in accounts I loathed.
Every dollar was tied to the father I hated and the past I refused to claim. I’d earn it all myself, on my terms, with my own fucking skill.
The others were at it again.
Dom, our rookie defensive end — Colt’s replacement and conveniently my girl’s little brother — was bullshitting with Knox, wide receiver and resident fridge-sized gossip girl, who was firing questions like a kid who didn’t know when to shut up.
Jax, who was about to enter his last season, just like me, tossed in those sharp little jabs that kept the whole thing rolling.
Normally, I’d have tuned it out. It was just mindless chatter; that’s all it ever was with them.
But then Sierra’s name slipped into the mix, wrapped up in their banter, and I instantly perked up.
Ididn’t want Sierra, but it appearedsomeonedid. The smile threatening to tug the corners of my mouth upward was unusually hard to contain.Huh.
Dom wanted Sierra, and Sierra … well, she wouldn’t go anywhere without her roommate.
Ella.
My grip on the bar tightened, the steel biting into my palm, but I kept my expression blank. To them, this was just banter, just teammates killing time.
To me, it was something else. A door, an opening I hadn’t expected.
I didn’t attend parties, and I sure as fuck didn’t throw them either. The thought of being trapped in a sweaty, drunken crowd was almost enough to send me off the deep end.
But if that’s what it took to get her there … Maybe it was time to make an exception.
“Why don’t you invite her out then? Who knows, maybe she’ll come. We can just start something at—”
“My place.”
The words left my mouth before I could second-guess the timing.
I straightened slowly, calm and devoid of anything resembling emotion, watching the three of them freeze and turn toward me, their eyes wide in disbelief.
Knox stared at me like I’d just told him I was going to join a frat and start wearing boat shoes.
“Your place?”
“That’s what I just said.”Did I fucking stutter?
Knox blinked rapidly.Was his brain buffering?“You okay, man?”
“Yes.”
I’d be even better if we could just nail this down. I craved, no,neededher close, in my space.
Every fiber of my body longed totouchher again. Yearning for physical contact with another person was not something I ever thought was in the cards for me.
Jax stepped a little closer, his towel draped over one shoulder. “Then what’s going on? You’ve never even invited one of us in, let alone all of us.”
Carefully schooling my features, I stared at him, not giving anything away. Just letting the silence answer for me before speaking again.
“You want to use my place or not?”
