That used to be me and Enzo. Or at least, I thought it was. Turns out what I had was a cheating husband and what Juliet has is actual love.
The difference is pretty stark.
I shake off the thought and get to work. Coffee delivery time. I slide into the locker room unnoticed, which is my specialty. Being helpful without being seen. It's basically my superpower.
"Here you go," I say to the room at large. "Good luck tonight. You'll destroy them."
Most players don't even look up. I'm furniture to them. The Coffee Chair. The Schedule Table. Very useful, totally invisible.
Except Connor, who glances up and mumbles, "Thanks, Scout."
I beam at him like he just handed me a Nobel Prize instead of two words of basic human decency. Pathetic? Maybe. But I'll take what I can get.
I slip out before anyone can see me having feelings about it.
I'm halfway down the corridor when I hear footsteps behind me. Heavy and purposeful. I glance back and catch Hunter's eye. He gives me a slight smile, the kind that reminds me of the big brother I never had. His expression makes me feel safe for just a second. Juliet trusts him. I’ve come to trust Juliet. Therefore, I innately trust this massive goliath she calls her husband.
Hunter’s gaze shifts past me and his face hardens.
"Silas," he calls out, voice carrying down the hall. "Quit."
I don't hear a response, but I feel the weight of eyes on my back. My spine straightens. I know that Silas is staring at me. Too many times in the past few weeks, I've felt the weight of that stare.
I don't know what he could possibly want with me. Silas has made it crystal clear that I'm not important. What does Hunter want him to quit?
I can’t begin to guess, so I keep moving.
Near the training room, I spot Connor again. He's rolling his shoulder, wincing like something hurts. The movement is stiff and compensating. I recognize it immediately. Tight pec minor, probably from overuse. I've seen it a hundred times in textbooks and clinical observations before I dropped out of studying kinesiology.
"Hey." I set down my stack of schedules on a nearby bench. "Your shoulder okay?"
“Me?” Connor looks surprised that I'm talking to him. It’s almost as if he wasn’t as tall, ripped, and dreamy-looking as the rest of his team. His shyness must be a rookie thing. "Yeah, it's just... I don't know. It feels like my shoulder is stuck or something."
"Can I take a look?"
His brows shoot up, but he nods right away. “Sure, yeah.”
I step closer, pressing my fingers just below his collarbone.I feel the knot immediately, hard and angry under the skin. "You're tight here. It's pulling your shoulder forward and making your rotation feel locked."
"Can you fix it?"
I hesitate. This isn't my job. I'm not a member of the medical staff. I'm not even supposed to be touching players without supervision. But he's looking at me like I might actually be able to help. And it's been so long since anyone looked at me like that.
"Sit," I say. "Please."
He does. I guide him through a doorway stretch, talking him through the position until he feels the pull in the right spot. Then I grab a lacrosse ball from the equipment bin and show him how to do a pec release against the wall. His relief is immediate.
"Holy shit," he breathes, rotating his arm. "That's so much better."
"Keep doing that twice a day. And make sure you ice your right upper quadrant after practice." I'm already gathering my things, cheeks warm with something that feels like pride. "You should probably tell the trainers if it doesn't improve, though."
"Thanks, Scout. Seriously. You're a lifesaver."
I beam at him again, that small glow of being useful spreading through my chest. Using what I actually know instead of just fetching coffee and making copies feels good. Then I turn and nearly run straight into Juliet.
"Oh!" I smile at her, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. "Sorry. I know that I'm supposed to go grab lunch for the office soon. Do you need me to go now?"
Juliet studies me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. I feel like I'm about to get into trouble.
