The rest of the team had cleared out twenty minutes ago—shouting, slapping backs, heading to the bus or the bar. I stayed behind because my ribs felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to them during that last tackle. Coach told me to ice, rest, not be a hero. So here I was, alone under the fluorescent light, with my shirt off, sitting on the bench with an ice pack pressed to my side.The door creaked open, and I looked up, expecting the equipment manager or a forgotten towel.It was Malik.He froze in the doorway for half a second, his eyes flicking over my bare torso, the purple bloom spreading across my ribs, the sweat still drying on my chest and abs. His gym bag was slung over one shoulder; he must’ve come back for something.“Thought everyone left,” I said, my voice rougher than I meant it to be.“I forgot my phone.” He jerked his chin toward his locker. But he didn’t move right away. His gaze lingered—dark, intense, the way it sometimes did during drills when he thought I wa
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