Page 85 of Enemies Off Camera
“Touché,” I say quietly, even though it sounds like I’m defending Ashley. “You’re right. It’s not her fault.”
Kat narrows one eye, lips pressed tight. I frown. Something’s off. But then I hear the announcer say,“Third and ten,”and I spin back to the screen.
The snap.
Micah Jameson is well-covered and scrambling. He lobs it—and this time, Jaxon actually catches it.
But he’s hit—hard.
The ball flies out as he crashes into the grass. One of his teammates recovers it, thank God, but Jaxon stays down. He’s rolling, gripping his ankle.
I jump to my feet, heart in my throat. “Oh no. Oh my God.”
I glance at the door, then toward my room, already thinking—I need to get to him.
But the Jumbotron flashes Ashley again. She’s hugging her friend, her eyes big and glassy.
Right.She’shis person now.
I slowly sit back down. “He’s not my problem anymore.”
“No. Don’t sit,” Kat says.
I turn to her. She sighs and slumps her shoulders.
“If I tell you this,” she says, “you can’t tell Anne. I mean it. She’ll fire me.”
Her voice is shaky, but her eyes are dead serious.
I get it. I might be her boss, but Anne is a barracuda—merciless and meticulous. If Kat crosses her, she’ll be shredded. And at this stage in my barely blossoming career, there’s not much I can do to stop it.
“I won’t say anything,” I promise.
Kat leans forward. “Jaxon couldn’t find his phone. Anne knows Roger arranged for someone to take it. But he found a way to call her. On Wednesday.”
My brows lift.
“He told Anne everything. Said he wanted you at the game. Asked her to tell you. I think… I think that’s why the seat next to Genesis Cartwright is empty.”
She pauses.
“It’s your seat, Zara.”
My heart squeezes.
Kat looks at me and finishes, “So… don’t sit down. You know what you have to do.”
SIXTY-ONE
Kat managed to book me a charter flight through a company in her personal Rolodex—from Burbank to Denver. I threw together an overnight bag, and she drove me to the airport herself. While I sat on the tarmac waiting to take off, I called Genesis. She promised to keep my arrival a secret from her husband and pick me up at the airport.
Before we left, Jaxon had been carried off the field on a stretcher. The announcers speculated something might be broken. I hope not.
This flight feels endless. I keep checking the time on my phone, even though it’s on airplane mode.
“Prepare for landing,” the captain finally announces.
I exhale, releasing just a little of the tension I’ve been holding since takeoff.
