Chapter 4: Lines That Don’t Stay Crossed

NOAH’S POV

The penthouse apartment I shared off-campus smelled like a locker a suffocating cocktail of stale sweat, cold takeout, and the undeniable, pungent scent of Jax’s gym socks. I wrinkled my nose as I crossed the threshold. Most times, my teammates were absolute pigs, and tonight, the mess felt personal.

I tossed my keys onto the granite counter without looking, the metal clatter echoing off the high ceilings. The TV was blaring—some late-night sports recap screaming about a buzzer-beater in the Midwest that I couldn't care less about. Jax was sprawled across the velvet sofa like he actually paid the rent which he didn’t his long legs draped over the armrest. Marcus sat at the dining table, the blue light of his phone illuminating a face so blank it was clear he’d checked out of reality an hour ago.

Ethan was in the kitchen. He was still in his practice shorts digging through the fridge. He finally hauled out a bottle of beer and looked up as the door clicked shut behind me.

“You got her,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

I shrugged, moving past him toward the sink, desperate for something to wash the taste of rain and vanilla out of my face. “She was where you said.”

“That’s not what I asked, Hale.”

I opened a cabinet, grabbed a glass, and filled it with water and took a slow sip. I could feel his eyes on me, my best friend and the only guy who knew exactly how much damage a Voss woman could do to a man’s sanity.

Jax leaned forward, interest lighting up his face. “Wait, hold on. Who are we talking about here? Did the Captain finally go on a date, or is this more 'mysterious brooding' for the brand?”

Ethan didn’t take his eyes off me. “My sister.”

That got Jax’s full attention. “Oh,” he said, dragging the word out until it was a low, suggestive whistle. “That sister.”

I set the glass down harder than necessary. “Don’t,” I muttered.

“Don’t what?” Jax shot back, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Ask questions? Be curious? Live my life? I heard she was back on campus. Is she as intense as the legends say?”

“Shut up, Jax,” Marcus said, not even looking up from his screen.

Jax ignored him completely. “So you picked her up in this weather?” His brows lifted, dancing with a brand of mischief that made me want to hit something. “That’s real sweet of you, man and almost romantic.”

“It wasn’t like that,” I said flatly.

I didn’t feel like saying her name out loud. Elena wasn't just Ethan’s sister, she was the girl who had burned my world down and expected me to thank her for the warmth.

“She was stuck in the rain,” I continued finally, my jaw aching from the effort of keeping my tone neutral. “I picked her up. Dropped her off and that’s it.”

“That’s not it,” Ethan countered, his voice dropping into that protective-brother register that usually meant trouble.

“Why’d you call me, then?” I asked, the question coming out harsher than I intended. “You have ten other guys on the team with cars. You have Jax. Why me, Ethan?”

Jax leaned back, his eyes flicking between us like he was watching a championship match. Ethan stared me down with that infuriating Voss calm. “Because you were closest.”

“Bullshit.”

Marcus finally looked up, his phone going dark on the table and Jax went very still.

Ethan tilted his head slightly. “You want the honest answer? The one that isn't going to make you storm out of here?”

I didn't respond.

“Because if I sent anyone else,” he started, his voice steady, “you’d find out eventually. And I’d rather you hear it from her.”

I pushed off the counter, my pulse hammering in my ears. “Hear what? That she’s back? I know she’s back. I’ve known since she stepped onto campus.”

Ethan ignored my outburst, taking another sip of his beer and looking at the ceiling.

“Ethan…” I called, my voice a dangerous warning.

“Relax,” he said, lifting a hand like I was the one overreacting. “It’s not what you think. She’s just trying to get through the semester.”

“That’s not reassuring. Nothing about Elena Voss is ever 'just' anything.”

Jax let out a low whistle, breaking the trance. “Okay, now I’m definitely invested. This is giving me some serious unresolved sexual tension.”

Marcus slapped his head lightly. “You’re always invested in drama that isn't yours, Jax.”

“Yeah, but this feels important. The energy in here is weird and it’s screaming 'I want to fuck her', well not the good meaning.” Jax added, winking at the last word.

I shot him a look that should have incinerated him on the spot. “You’re talking too much, Jax. Go find a mirror to flirt with.”

Marcus smirked at that. I ignored them both, turning my full attention back to Ethan. “Next time, don’t call me for stuff like that. Find someone else to play chauffeur. I’m done being the Voss family’s emergency contact.”

“No.”

I blinked, caught off guard by the finality in his voice. “No?”

“No,” Ethan repeated firmly. “She’s my sister. You’re my best friend. And whether you like it or not, we’re all stuck in this together. I’m not going to play middleman forever. You guys have to deal with your wreckage.”

I could feel the muscle in my jaw ticking. “I didn’t ask you to play middleman. I asked you to keep her away from me.”

“You can't keep acting like she's a ghost forever, Noah.”

I needed to leave. I needed to find a gym, a heavy bag, or a bottle of whiskey anything to drown out the sound of her name. As I picked up my phone, a notification blinked on the screen. It was a message from an unknown number and I frowned as I opened it.

“What?” Jax asked immediately.

I didn’t answer. I just stared at the screen, at the words burning into my retinas. It was a photo of my varsity jacket—the one I’d left with Elena—lying on her dorm room bed. But it wasn't the jacket that stopped my heart. It was the notebook lying on top of it.

I found it, Noah. The proof that you’ve been watching me. Does Ethan know his best friend is a stalker or should I tell him over lunch tomorrow?

Ethan stepped closer. “Noah. What is it? You look like you've seen a ghost.”

I looked up, met his eyes, and then slowly turned the phone so he could see the screen. I couldn't hide it anymore. The trap I’d set for her had snapped shut on my own wrist.

“It’s nothing to worry about, guys.” I replied, my voice sounding like it was coming from a long way off.

But I was lying. The girl who never knew me was finally starting to understand exactly who I had become and she was holding the one thing that could destroy the only thing I had left.