Page 124 of Racking Up Penalties
Ethan’s face lights up with a victorious smile, while Liam’s nod is solemn, a silent vow of his commitment. Tristan’s squeeze on my hand is his promise, unspoken but understood.
I reach across the table and squeeze Ethan’s hand, an anchor in the swirling sea of my ambitions. “Ethan, I can’t thank you enough for this,” I murmur, the words thick with gratitude. It’s one thing to dream, another to have someone invest in them, literally. His brown eyes are steady and earnest.
“Hey, it’s not charity, Tessa. It’s belief,” he says, his voice a low hum that speaks of late-night strategy sessions and a future woven with golden threads of success. “You’ve got the talent. I just want to be a part of what I know will be amazing. You had an investor and your association with me lost them. Now, no one can use our relationship against us.”
Tristan leans back, arms crossed over his chest, his blue gaze sharp with intelligence and something else—pride, maybe, or anticipation. “You’re going to take the world by storm.”
“Damn straight,” Liam chimes in, his gray eyes glinting with mischief. He knows exactly how to cut through the tension, to remind us that we’re still young, still on the edge of everything. “And when you’re famous, I expect front-row seats at every show. With you by my side.”
“Thanks, guys. Honestly, knowing I have you all in my corner means… everything.” I let the sentiment hang in the air, as weighty as the trust we’ve placed in each other.
Their words, their presence, stitch into the fabric of my resolve, weaving a tapestry more vibrant than any design I could have dreamed up alone. There’s power here, in the shared dreams and interlaced fingers, in the laughter that chases away doubt.
I take a deep breath, the air tasting like possibility. “Then let’s write the next chapter together,” I declare, a surge of determination coursing through me. The road ahead brims with challenges, but also with the thrill of creation, the allure of shaping my destiny thread by thread.
As I stand, ready to step back into it, I’m filled with anticipation. My clothing line, once just a flicker of hope, now promises to blaze brightly across the fashion industry’s sky.
“Tomorrow, we start making plans,” I say, my gaze flitting between the faces of my best friends, my supporters, my chosen family. “And I have a feeling it’s going to be incredible.”
Together, we step out of the café, leaving behind the echo of our laughter, carrying with us the seeds of a future we’ll cultivate side by side. The cool air nips at my cheeks, a playful reminder that life is always moving, always changing. But for the first time in a long while, I’m not afraid of what lies ahead. Because with them by my side, I’m already home.
Chapter 53
One Month Later
I’m threading my way past rows of lockers, the metallic clangs and zips of gear filling the air. It’s electric in here, every guy wound tight with the kind of nervous energy that only comes when it’s all on the line. The final game of the season and the championship. My hands tremble a little as I strap on my shoulder pads, the weight familiar and grounding.
“Hey, Delaney.” Tyler’s voice is like a fly buzzing too close. I don’t even need to look up to know he’s wearing that smug grin, the one that makes my skin crawl. But I do look up because I need to get whatever he has to say over with.
“Brown,” I say, giving him a nod, trying to keep focused on the last bits of my uniform. My helmet lies waiting, but Tyler is standing too close for comfort.
“There was something I’ve been meaning to tell you. I kissed this girl at the bar after one of our games. Guess who it was?” He leans in, his voice dropping to a whisper that’s meant for my ears only. His breath reeks of false bravado and something else—something sour.
But then he drops the bomb, and my heart doesn’t just pound; it’s a full-blown sledgehammer against my ribs. “Tessa Montgomery. She was real into it, man.”
The world shrinks to the space between his words and my sudden urge to wipe that grin off his face. Tessa. My Tessa.
What the hell is he talking about?
Even though I know it isn’t true, I struggle to keep my breathing even, to remember where I am. The locker room, the smell of sweat and determination, the guys psyched up for the win. This isn’t the time or place for what’s bubbling up inside me. Anger, protectiveness—it’s a volatile mix that threatens to spill over. But I can’t afford to lose it. Not today.
“Is that right?” My voice is level, but it’s a thin veneer over the chaos Tyler’s words have churned up. Part of me wants to call him out right here and now but I can’t afford to fight with him right now. Not before the championship.
“Scared I might steal your girl?” There’s a challenge in his tone, a goading that tells me he’s looking for a reaction.
My knuckles whiten as I press them against the cold metal of my locker, forcing myself to stay rooted in place. Tyler’s words, toxic and deliberate, slither through the air, wrapping around me like chains designed to provoke. My jaw clenches hard enough that I fear my teeth might crack under the pressure.
“Can practically taste her cherry lip gloss now,” Tyler smirks, leaning in closer, his breath hot against my ear, a stark contrast to the chill running down my spine.
I swallow back the rage, feeling it burn like acid in my throat. The image he conjures is not only wrong; it’s tainted. Tessa—vibrant, resolute Tessa—would never willingly be part of this narrative he’s spinning. The locker room fades into a blur of colors and sounds as Tyler’s voice becomes the focal point of my universe, for all the wrong reasons.
“Must be nice, huh? Sharing her with Ethan, Liam and now me?” His chuckle grates on my nerves, sending fury through my body.
But I can’t erupt—not here, not now. So I inhale sharply, the air cutting cold and sharp into my lungs, willing my heart rate to slow, begging the tremors in my fists to subside.
“Tyler,” I warn through gritted teeth, the name tasting like poison on my tongue. “Watch it.”
The memory of Tessa’s strange reluctance that night when she came back from the bathroom. The way Ethan was all worked up. I never did get an answer as to why Ethan looked at Tyler like he wanted to kill him.
