Something happened last night.
Something that made Finn show up.
Something that made her let him in.
Something that put fear into the air around her like smoke.
I keep replaying it as I sit in the players’ hallway after morning skate, elbows on my knees, sweat cooling on my back.
Coach is yelling at players a few doors down.Someone’s messing with the vending machine.Finn is in the locker room pretending he isn’t looking at the hallway every ten seconds to see if Wren passes by.
My head is buzzing so loud I almost don’t hear Kael walking up beside me.
He stops, leans a shoulder against the wall, crosses his arms.
“You look like you’re one bad thought away from putting someone through a wall,” he says quietly.
He’s not wrong.
I drag a hand down my face.“I’m fine.”
He snorts.“Lie again, I dare you.”
I glare at him.
He holds my stare.
Kael’s the only one on this team who doesn’t flinch when I’m pissed.
He doesn’t challenge me, but he doesn’t back down either.
It makes me want to break things.
And also...not.
Finally, I say, “I saw Finn.This morning.”
Kael’s jaw flexes.He already knows.He always knows.
But he plays it careful.“Yeah?”
“At Wren’s building.”
His eyes sharpen.“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m fucking sure.”
The words echo too loudly in the narrow hallway.A rookie pokes his head around the corner and immediately ducks back into the locker room.
Kael lowers his voice.“Did he see you?”
“He looked right at me.”
Kael absorbs that.Doesn’t react.Just...thinks.
I hate it.
I want him to give me something — an order, a direction, a reason not to feel like I’m losing my mind.
