3. Hunter
Three
Hunter
The turf whipped by in a smear of green as I leaned into the weight, knuckles white on the handles. Steel scraped rubber, every repetition driving into the back of my shoulders.
It was the kind of pain I welcomed: measurable and useful.
Unlike the constant gnawing just under my ribs lately.
As I wiped the sweat off my face, I thought about the NFL Scouting Combine, the ultimate tryout for college players. Yeah, it was as ridiculous as it sounds.
Imagine a science experiment in which grown men in polo shirts measure your muscle, speed, and coordination.
It’s basically like a circus, where they’re timing your sprints and counting how many times you can shove a bar off your chest.
Still, for me, it was a way to carve out my own life, to finally break free from the money sitting untouched in accounts I loathed.
Every dollar was tied to the father I hated and the past I refused to claim. I’d earn it all myself, on my terms, with my own fucking skill.
The others were at it again.
Dom, our rookie defensive end — Colt’s replacement and conveniently my girl’s little brother — was bullshitting with Knox, wide receiver and resident fridge-sized gossip girl, who was firing questions like a kid who didn’t know when to shut up.
Jax, who was about to enter his last season, just like me, tossed in those sharp little jabs that kept the whole thing rolling.
Normally, I’d have tuned it out. It was just mindless chatter; that’s all it ever was with them.
But then Sierra’s name slipped into the mix, wrapped up in their banter, and I instantly perked up.
I didn’t want Sierra, but it appeared someone did. The smile threatening to tug the corners of my mouth upward was unusually hard to contain. Huh .
Dom wanted Sierra, and Sierra … well, she wouldn’t go anywhere without her roommate.
Ella.
My grip on the bar tightened, the steel biting into my palm, but I kept my expression blank. To them, this was just banter, just teammates killing time.
To me, it was something else. A door, an opening I hadn’t expected.
I didn’t attend parties, and I sure as fuck didn’t throw them either. The thought of being trapped in a sweaty, drunken crowd was almost enough to send me off the deep end.
But if that’s what it took to get her there … Maybe it was time to make an exception.
“Why don’t you invite her out then? Who knows, maybe she’ll come. We can just start something at—”
“My place.”
The words left my mouth before I could second-guess the timing.
I straightened slowly, calm and devoid of anything resembling emotion, watching the three of them freeze and turn toward me, their eyes wide in disbelief.
Knox stared at me like I’d just told him I was going to join a frat and start wearing boat shoes.
“Your place?”
“That’s what I just said.” Did I fucking stutter?
Knox blinked rapidly. Was his brain buffering? “You okay, man?”
“Yes.”
I’d be even better if we could just nail this down. I craved, no, needed her close, in my space.
Every fiber of my body longed to touch her again. Yearning for physical contact with another person was not something I ever thought was in the cards for me.
Jax stepped a little closer, his towel draped over one shoulder. “Then what’s going on? You’ve never even invited one of us in, let alone all of us.”
Carefully schooling my features, I stared at him, not giving anything away. Just letting the silence answer for me before speaking again.
“You want to use my place or not?”
He hesitated, and Knox rubbed the back of his neck. I could see them trying to make sense of it.
“I mean … are you sure you’re comfortable with that?” Jax finally asked.
Their probing probably came from a place of concern, but it was misplaced and only fueled my irritation. I wanted this done. “I would hardly have offered it otherwise. Yes or no?”
Knox perked up a little, like he was finally getting excited. “Um … sure? Probably better than any other place.”
I blinked once. Then I looked at Dom.
“You should bring your sister.”
His eyes narrowed immediately. “What do you want with my sister?”
Ha. If you knew what I actually wanted with your sister, you’d likely keep her far, far away from me.
I sighed. Not because I was annoyed, but because pretending to be annoyed kept people from asking more questions.
“If your sister comes, she’ll bring Sierra. Hailey’s gone, and she won’t want to show up alone. Ergo, she’ll bring Sierra. It’s not that hard.”
My brilliance genuinely knew no bounds. Inwardly, I patted myself on the shoulder for coming up with this little scheme on the fly.
Knox raised a hand. “Wait, wait, wait. The girl you’re trying to get is Sierra ? That mean-girl-looking volleyball player?”
Dom snorted. “Correct.” Then his attention locked back on me, suspicion radiating off him. “But more importantly, how do you know about Sierra and me?”
My lip twitched. Not a smile. Barely even a movement, just enough to make it perceptible.
“You’ll come to find out, I know everything .” Though he probably wouldn’t like how I knew what I knew.
That shut them up.
I gave them a last glance, then turned away. My feet moved soundlessly on the turf as I headed toward the locker room.
“Yo, Hunter. When—”
I didn’t look back.
“Anytime after 8.” The words left my mouth with the same flat tone as everything else.
But inside, I was already cataloguing it all. Timing. Music. Lighting. What kind of drink she liked. Where she usually sat when she didn’t want to be noticed.
If Sierra brought her, I’d make sure she stayed longer than she meant to.
All I needed was one night to feed the dangerous darkness lurking deep inside my chest. Just one night to show my Blaze where she should’ve been all along.
By the time I got home after practice, the drinks and snacks I’d ordered had already been delivered to my house. As I walked through each room, I straightened anything that was even slightly out of place, making sure that everything was absolutely immaculate.
If Ella was coming here, it could be nothing less. Standing at the upstairs window and watching the front walk, I imagined her climbing the steps.
What a shame that this time she’d leave again.