“Because I carry him every game,” Julian shoots back.
“Bullshit,” Eli counters. “You’d be nothing without me.”
Ryan shakes his head and grins. “See what I mean?” he says, before pointing toward the last guy. The one with dark hair and even darker eyes. He hasn’t said a word since I walked in but has been staring like he’s been dissecting me. “And that’s Liam Callahan. Soccer captain, terrifying, and probably already plotting how to dismantle you psychologically. Don’t worry, he does it to all of us. It’s his love language.”
Liam lifts his glass in silent acknowledgement, his gaze pinning me with unnerving intensity before flicking away. “Welcome to the house,” he says.
“Thanks,” I manage, fidgeting awkwardly under the weight of so many eyes.
“You already know Damien, your ex-stepbrother, so I don’t need to introduce him.” Ryan ends off nonchalantly. I can’t help but look at Damien, who offers me a small smile that has my heart skipping. “See, not so scary.”
I don’t point out that half of them are built like they were carved out of stone, while the other half have arms that couldsnap me in half without breaking a sweat. Instead, I force a smile and mumble, “Nice to meet you all.”
Ryan sits down and gestures to the seat next to him. “Come, sit and eat. There’s a rule here—no one skips dinner when Killian cooks. He’d murder us all in our sleep if we did.”
Killian doesn’t look up, but his voice carries easily. “Damn right.”
Plates are passed down, drinks are handed over, and for a while, I let the noise wash over me. It’s easier not to talk, to let them fill the space with banter and jabs that don’t need my input. They argue about stats, practice schedules, and whose sport is the hardest. Ryan joins in easily, already comfortable and stitched into the rhythm of it all.
“So, Noah,” Luca says, and my head snaps towards him. “You’re a swimmer on a full ride, yeah?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“Impressive,” Eli comments, raising his brows. “What’s your event?”
“Freestyle,” I answer, though the word feels heavy in my mouth. I don’t want to talk about swimming and have to pretend I love it.
“Fastest stroke,” Thorn mutters with a grin, earning him a sharp look from Eli, probably because he made it sound dirty.
“What made you pick Blackthorne, besides the full ride?” Roman suddenly asks, leaning forward on his elbows.
Ryan answers before I can. “Me, obviously.”
Roman rolls his eyes. “Besides the idiot sitting next to you.”
I hesitate, knowing I’ll have to lie. “I… wanted something different. And it helps that I’m far away from my parents.”
I can’t believe I just said that.
Ryan grins at me, and Roman nods like he understands what I mean. “Fair enough,” he says, gaze flicking between Damien and me for half a second before he turns back to Killian.
What the hell was that look about? What does he know?
Ryan leans in close. “Relax, they don’t bite.”
I snort softly, keeping my eyes on my plate but not feeling hungry. “Pretty sure some of them do.”
“Only if you ask nicely,” he says, nudging me, and I roll my eyes even as a genuine smile curves my lips this time.
Dinner goes on around me, voices overlapping, jokes flying back and forth. It’s chaotic, messy, and way too loud, but for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel as if I’m choking on the silence. I also realize that none of them have pointed out anything about my eyes being different colors. Wonder if Ryan has something to do with that.
And through it all, Damien doesn’t acknowledge me. Not even once.
Damien
MondayhitsandI’mnot prepared.
The court smells like varnish and that sharp chemical bite of floor polish, the kind that sticks to the back of your throat if you breathe in too deeply.
