“She’s not here,” I said quietly, the words slipping out before I could stop them. A strange pressure built in my chest, heavy and restless, like something inside me had gone off-balance…like the world had shifted an inch to the left, and I was the only one who noticed.
“Who’s not here?”
I didn’t look at them. My throat felt dry. “Why isn’t she here?” I stopped, shaking my head.
“Who?” Parker asked again, obviously not getting that I was having a moment right then. “Your stalker?” He huffed. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Yeah, Matty-boy, maybe she just finally decided to trade up and stalk someone funnier,” Jace added.
It didn’t feel good that she wasn’t there. It didn’t feel like relief. It feltwrong,as a matter of fact.
Something in my gut twisted, the same way it had when I saw my dad on my caller ID this morning. That crawling, anxious feeling that something was about to fall apart.
“Something’s wrong,” I said, the words barely above a whisper.
Before either of them could respond, I was already moving—helmet half off, cleats pounding against the turf as I sprinted toward the edge of the field, the sound of Coach calling my name fading behind me.
I sprinted across the field, my breath coming hard and uneven, the world narrowing to that one stretch of asphalt just beyond the chain-link fence. The turf gave way to gravel under my cleats, small rocks crunching underfoot as I cut toward the parking lot.
Her car wasn’t anywhere.
I slowed to a stop, chest heaving, eyes sweeping over the rows of vehicles like maybe I’d missed it—maybe she’d just parked somewhere else today. But there was no sign of that dented car, the one that always sat crooked between the lines like it didn’t care about the rules any more than she did.
Nothing.
The silence hit harder than I expected. Just the faint hum of traffic in the distance, a cold breeze brushing sweat from my neck, the whistle of the team still running drills behind me.
What the hell was I doing?
She was a stranger. A stalker. Someone who had been sitting out here for months watchingme.
And yet the emptiness where her car should’ve been made my stomach twist. It was ridiculous. I should’ve felt relieved. Grateful, even. Instead, I just felt…wrong. Like I’d lost something I hadn’t realized I was holding on to.
I ran a hand over the back of my neck, trying to shake it off, but the unease clung to me. I turned in a slow circle, scanning every corner of the lot, half expecting her to pop out from behind a car. But there was nothing but sun glare and empty pavement staring back.
A shout echoed from the field. Coach.
I hesitated another second, then blew out a breath and jogged back, slower this time. My legs felt heavier than they had a minute ago. Each step toward the field pulled something tighter in my chest.
Coach’s whistle pierced the air the second my cleats hit the turf. “What the fuck, Adler?” he barked, his voice carrying across the field. “You feel like taking a jog in the middle of my drill?”
“Sorry, Coach,” I said, catching my breath. “Thought I saw a kid get hit by a car in the parking lot. False alarm.”
He stared at me incredulously for a long second, jaw working, then muttered something that sounded likeFucking hell, I’m surrounded by idiotsbefore blowing the whistle again. “Get your head back in it.”
I nodded, falling back into formation. Jace shot me a slightly concerned look but didn’t say anything, something he would no doubt rectify the second practice was over. Parker smirked, mumbling something nonsensical about me being “struck by the curse,” but I barely heard him.
I grabbed my helmet, and slipped it on, the world narrowing again to drills and whistles. But underneath it all was still the strange, restless ache I couldn’t shake.
It felt like a part of me had gone missing somewhere in that parking lot.
And I couldn’t stop wondering if she’d taken it with her.
“Thank fuck,” Jace groaned, bending over to rest his hands on his knees. “One more drill, and my hamstrings were going to file a complaint.”
“Your hamstrings don’t work hard enough to complain,” Parker shot back, smirking as he toweled off.
Jace grinned, eyes sparkling with mischief. “You know what Parkie-poo? Just for that, I have one for you.”
