Liam's POV Practice is brutal. Not because Coach pushes us harder than usual, but because Kai is everywhere I am, fast, sharp, perfect, and completely unreachable. Every pass he sends me is clean and hard and silent. Every drill he runs flawlessly, like he's decided the only way to survive this is to be better than anyone, including me, including especially me.By the time Coach blows the whistle for the last time, my whole body aches in a way that has nothing to do with the workout.I wait until the locker room empties. I've gotten good at waiting, at timing things so nobody notices, and tonight I time it so that when Kai finally heads for the showers, I'm the only one left.He sees me and stops in the doorway, towel over his shoulder, jaw tight."What do you want, Whitemore?" "Don't do that.""Do what?""Call me that. Like you didn't say my name two nights ago like it meant something."Something flashes across his face, anger, hurt, both. "Forget it. It didn't mean anything. Clear
Last Updated : 2026-06-14 Read more