Emmy didn't remember falling asleep.
She remembered the Uber pulling up to her building. Remembered the elevator, the key in the lock, the way her apartment felt like someone else's in the dark. She remembered kicking off those ridiculous heels somewhere near the door and thinking she should change, shower, do something.
She woke up on the couch in last night's dress, mascara ground into the throw pillow, morning light slicing through the blinds like an accusation.
Her phone was on the floor, face down.
She left it there.
The apartment was too quiet.
Emmy peeled herself off the couch. Coffee first.
The machine gurgled to life while she stood at the counter. On autopilot, she plugged in her phone and watched the Apple logo appear with the same sick dread she'd felt waiting for grades, for callbacks, for any verdict that might reshape her life.
She already knew this shape. Crater-sized. And Grant was the one standing at the center of impact while she watched from a safe distance, holding the detonator.
Eighteen texts. Seven missed calls. A dozen Google alerts for "Grant Knight."
She clicked the green messenger icon. Her parents, Brynn, Mrs. Jasinski asking when a good time would be to drop off a casserole. Callie from 3B with a simple "GIRL." Jaciel with atough break chica, arepas on me today.
One text from Harper. Just one:Saw the news. Hope you're okay.
After the golf tournament, Harper had shown up at her door with croissants and a bobby pin. Now Emmy got five words and punctuation straight out of the Chicago Manual of Style.
By habit, she opened her father's text first.
Dad
Emmy. I've read the Boston After Dark piece three times. The attribution standards are appalling but the facts appear sourced. Also, did you know Grant was using a matchmaker? This seems like something you would have mentioned.
She almost laughed at that one. Almost.
West hadn't texted. That was either very good or very bad.
She opened Safari. Typed "Grant Knight matchmaker" into the search bar before she could stop herself.
The results loaded instantly.
Boston After Dark: Boston's Most Eligible Hermit Needs Help Finding Love
SportsCenter Update: QB Grant Knight Reportedly Using Professional Matchmaker
ESPN Boston: Franchise Quarterback Confirms Personal Details to Gossip Site
X Trending:#GrantKnightMatchmaker
Emmy clicked theBoston After Darklink. Petra's byline sat at the top, neat and professional, like she hadn't just detonated a bomb in Emmy's life.
Sources confirm that Grant Knight, the notoriously private quarterback who has spent a decade deflecting questions about his personal life, has been working with a professional matchmaker for the past several months. The matchmaker, whose identity remains unconfirmed, was spotted at last night's Commonwealth Club charity auction acting as an intermediary between Knight and his date.
Emmy's name wasn't in Petra's article.
But the internet had done what the internet does. She scrolled down to the comments, then to the quote-tweets, then to the Reddit thread someone had already started. The golf video had resurfaced—she saw the thumbnail, a red circle drawn around Grant's figure in the background, arrow pointing to his face.
PROOF: Grant Knight's "matchmaker" identified as Emmy Woodhouse, sister of teammate West Woodhouse.
From there, the short leap to Elite Connections. To Cecelia. Screenshots of Emmy's LinkedIn. A photo from West's wedding, Emmy and Grant standing three people apart, someone drawinga line between them with the captionthey've known each other for YEARS.
