I ignore him because he wishes. “You told me you were a Goalie back in your glory days.”
“Back when KFU had grit,” he said, laughing like it was a joke. “Different game then. Less pretty.”
I smiled politely. Bliss had gone quiet beside the patio table and Luke noticed me noticing. His grin didn’t move, but something behind it adjusted.
“You boys still doing those soft preseason conditioning blocks, or Little finally letting you hit like men?”
Daniel laughed. “Don’t start.”
Luke lifted both hands. “Just asking. Game’s changed.”
“It has,” I said.
His eyes narrowed slightly at my tone, because I had kept it flat enough to be polite and empty enough to give him nothing.
“Center, right?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Captain too.” He looked me over like he was measuring something. “Big deal.”
“So, they tell me.”
His smile twitched. “Modest.”
“No.”
Knox choked on his drink.
Bliss looked down at the table, but not before I caught the corner of her mouth moving.
Luke’s gaze snapped to her. Quick. Sharp. Irritated.
Then gone.
He clapped me on the shoulder like we were friends. “You’ll have to let me come by practice sometime. Give the boys some pointers.”
Every instinct I had said no. Coach Little would have said hell no.
My mouth said, “We’ll see.”
Luke’s hand stayed on my shoulder half a second too long before he let go. “Yeah. We will.”
The rest of dinner moved around him like he had not walked in carrying rot.
That was what bothered me most.
Daniel handed him a plate. Ryker asked about some old fight from his playing days. Kellen made a joke about him still owing the family money from a fantasy football league. Emitt talked to him less than the others, but even his distance felt like familiarity, not suspicion. Knox watched everyone because Knox was Knox, but nothing in his face said he knew what I was starting to know.
Bliss sat next to Lyon’s empty chair when he got up to help his kid, with Luke across from her at first.
Then not.
It happened during the reshuffling that came with everyone making plates. Katie wanted more watermelon. Jilly spilled juice. Daniel needed someone to grab napkins. Emmitt stole Kellen’s chair. By the time everyone settled again, Luke had moved beside Bliss.
Bliss didn’t move away because moving away would be noticed. I saw the calculation pass through her face.
That was the thing I couldn’t unsee anymore. The math she did constantly. Smile enough. Don’t react too hard. Don’t make it weird. Don’t make people ask questions. Don’t draw attention. Don’t make him angry. Don’t make everyone else uncomfortable.
