The surprise leaches from his expression quickly. When it’s replaced with confusion, then concern, I force myself to speak.
“Do you have a minute?”
15
ROMAN
“For?”I croak.
Rolling my chair further beneath my desk, I clear my throat. It’s still sore from overuse during today’s game. I should just tell her that and carry on with my night.
My lips press together instead.
Brielle almost appears out of place in the doorway. She may not be shying away from making eye contact, but the tightness in her posture as she crosses her arms over the Havoc logo on her jersey gives her away. I look harder now that I can see through her façade, needing more. Something deeper.
The last three days have been excruciating for me.
Evie didn’t wait all of five seconds after I got back to the car before asking me all the questions she’d been holding back during the drive to Brielle’s apartment. I was able to bypass most of them, but I stumbled too many times to completely convince her that my unexpected company was completely innocent.
It would seem that my niece isn’t a naïve teenager anymore.
“Have you seen my brother, by chance? Jett said he took off, but I . . . wanted to see if you saw something different,” she says, suddenly looking away.
“He was one of the first to leave after wrapping his interview.”
I heard him spouting off about needing to take off before his sister could get to him, but I keep that to myself for now.
She drops her arms and grips her hips instead. Flames flare in her eyes. “Thatmotherfucker.”
“What did he do?”
“It’s family stuff. Very annoying, immature family stuff that is going to have him getting beat up by his little sister the minute I find him,” she rambles, shaking her head angrily.
I drop my elbows to my desk and chew my lip before saying, “Did you need a ride home?”
“Why does everyone keep asking me that? Do I look like I don’t know how to drive?”
“That’s not why I asked,” I tell her calmly, lips twitching.
Her eyes find mine again, those roaring flames settling a bit. There’s a new twinkle there that matches the slight tug of her lips. “So, you’re just wanting to recreate the other night, then?”
“Brielle.”
“Sorry, sorry. I told myself I was going to be good,” she says with a sigh. “What are you doing, anyway?”
I reluctantly look away long enough to make sure I didn’t forget to pause the game I was in the middle of watching. When I focus back on her, I realize she’s walked further into the office. Her plump bottom lip is nestled between her teeth as she rolls it.
“Watching game film,” I tell her bluntly.
“From today?”
“Yes.”
“Jett mentioned you do this a lot.”
I tighten my gaze a bit. “He seemed to be in a talking mood today.”
“He always is. Some people actually like to have healthy discussions with others instead of being all broody and locking themselves away in their office.”
