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Closing the gap, I lock onto Marcus, waiting for the right moment. He turns, oblivious, likely expecting an easy run. That’s when I barrel into him with a solid shoulder check. The impact is more satisfying than I could’ve hoped. He stumbles, his balance shattering, and hits the ground hard, dirt spraying everywhere.

For a moment, I want to smirk—maybe even laugh—but I keep my face impassive, jogging forward as if I hadn’t noticed.

Behind me, I can feel Callan’s amusement radiating, and I know he’s enjoying the spectacle.

“Really into the game, eh, Finn?” Callan calls, laughter laced in every word.

I shrug casually, keeping my voice steady. “Just playin’ the game, Callan.”

From the ground, Marcus shoots me a glare, resentment blazing in his eyes as he dusts himself off. Triona raises the whistle, her lips twitching as though she knows exactly what just happened.

She blows it, voice calm but firm. “No fouls here, but keep it clean, lads.”

I refocus, a quiet satisfaction buzzing in my chest. Callan jogs up beside me, gives a small nod—his silent seal of approval.

Winning or losing doesn’t matter. Not today.

Not after Callan handed me the perfect opportunity to knock the smugness off Marcus’s face.

And gods, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

When the game ends, our team celebrates a 5-2 victory. James is reveling, clapping Callan and Casey on the back as he grins from ear to ear. Their laughter echoes around me, but my focus is elsewhere entirely.

Just a few paces away, Marcus leans in close to Triona. Too close.

He’s saying his goodbyes, one hand lingering on her arm. She smiles up at him, laughing lightly.

And something in my chest tightens. Not at her laughter—it’s the way he looks at her. As if she already belongs to him.

Then he leans in, presses a kiss to her cheek, and lingers too long. His gaze drags over her face as he pulls back. She doesn’t move, her attention fixed on him even as he walks away.

I can’t look away.

She must feel my stare because she turns, her eyes meeting mine. The silence between us feels heavy, her expression softening for a moment before she looks away and rushes inside.

And I’m left standing here with her smile and his kiss seared into my mind.

Triona

I sit on the ground, knees tucked to my chest, gazing up at the sky as the last of twilight melts into night. The cool evening air wraps around me, and everything feels still. I don’t hear Finn approach until he drops beside me, settling onto the grass with a quiet ease that’s so completely… him. His presence is grounding, familiar, a comfort I didn’t realise I needed.

He reclines, legs stretched out. “Thought you could use some company.”

I glance over, meeting his eyes, and can’t help but smile. “You always seem to know.”

He shrugs. “Call it a skill.”

Silence settles between us until a question rises, unbidden but insistent. “Finn,” I begin cautiously, “where did you go for the past three years? Why were you gone so long?”

His expression shifts, the lightness dimming, replaced by a quiet gravity. “There are people in this world far less fortunate than us,” he says finally, voice heavy with sorrow. “People who have no one, nowhere to turn. Bran and I spent two years fighting the illegal slave trade throughout the west coast. Travelling to places where hunger and despair were as common as breath. We saw terrible things—things that change you, that force you to grow in ways you never expected.”

I hesitate before asking, “And that last year? The year you didn’t spend fighting slavers?”

He takes a breath. I can tell he’s hesitant to share, but he’s resigned to do so anyway. “I was helpin’ James and Alex with things they needed taken care of. Quiet matters, things that required a certain discretion. It wasna easy work, but it was important.”

He pauses, his gaze distant, fixed on a memory only he can see. “I learned what it means to truly fight for something—for someone—who has nothin’ left. It’s humblin’, and it’s not something I can ever forget.”

He shifts slightly, his focus returning to me. “When I received Callan’s letter, though, I didn’t hesitate. I came back immediately.”