Page 1 of Red Zone

CHAPTER ONE

LIAM

Football was my sanctuary, my future—until I collided with my past on the sidelines.

The snap echoed through the air, and I was already running. The catch was clutch. With the ball cradled in the crook of my arm, I looped around and headed back, ready to do it all again. I toed the line as the ball snapped into Kylian’s hands, and as our QB1 dropped back into the pocket, I rocketed off. I could do this in my sleep, despite Coach’s order to run the route until it became muscle memory. I cut left and extended my arms. Kylian’s perfectly thrown spiral dropped into my hands like a gift from the heavens.

The crunch of pads colliding and shouted plays filled the practice field. Sweat dripped, muscles burned, but this was the grind I loved. Add in my closest friends, Ares and Kylian, and we created magic on the field. We’d had a stellar season.And why wouldn’t we?This was it, my senior year and only a handful of games until the championship, which we were projected to make—possibly even win.

Two more times Kyl and I executed the same drill, a hair too close to where the QB2 was running a similar one withDesmond, the second-string wide receiver. The meathead had confused the route and almost ran me over once. From the corner of my eye, I saw him barreling toward me from an overthrown pass. I sidestepped, but he cut right and clipped me anyway. I grunted. Thrown off balance, I scrambled, staying on my feet but slamming into someone on the sidelines. Twisting, I half laughed at the absurdity of the situation. Reaching down to help whoever I’d bumped into, I froze.

My vision tunneled as I stared down at the piercing blue-green eyes blinking up at me. Skye Finley. The girl who’d ghosted me.What the hell is she doing here?

“Skye?”Holy fuck—what a cruel twist of fate.My heart jumped as I gaped at the leggy brunette sprawled on the turf.

Lips downturned in a grimace, she narrowed eyes that had haunted me since freshman year—the last time we were together before she’d disappeared on me after our whirlwind two-month fling. Long-buried emotions flared to life, gnawing at me and leaving me unsettled.

Images of stolen kisses strobed through my mind, late-night study sessions that turned into staying up until dawn, losing myself in her, the laughter, and even the passionate arguments. We had an intense connection that I’d never experienced before or after, but the most memorable was the pain of her leaving, something I’d vowed never to expose myself to again.

“Hi, Liam.”

A mix of resignation and something I couldn’t identify laced her greeting. Her hand clasped mine, sending jolts of electricity pinging up my arm and across my chest like lightning.

“Cartwright!” Coach Becket shouted, stomping down the sideline until he stood next to Skye. “Watch what you’re doing, son.” He turned to her and, with a softer voice, asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yep. I’m good, Uncle Tommy. I mean, um—” She cleared her throat, gaze darting to me then the field. “Coach.” Pink tinted Skye’s cheeks as she shoved her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ears while carefully avoiding my stunned gaze.

Coach bent and retrieved the camera that I hadn’t noticed and handed it back to hisniece—what the fuck?I stepped back, fighting the magnetic pull Skye had always had over me. My fingers flexed against the football I’d caught. My other hand curled into a fist as I fought against the urge to grab her hand again and pull her close. She and I, we weren’t anything. Not anymore. Another look at her panicked eyes with the pupils blown wide from shock, and I saw our destruction all over again. No way would I go back for more of that—despite how much I wanted to slide my hands into her silky hair and slant my mouth over her plump, kissable lips. No fucking way—I had a career to secure, and messing around with the coach’s niece was the kiss of death.

“Listen up, team.”

Coach’s voice broke into my inner monologue, and I felt the press of bodies as the team gathered around. He must’ve called everyone over while my greatest mistake had played through my mind, warning me what not to do.

My mantra for the past three years as a football star at Fall Lake University had been simple: no love, no complications. I hadn’t come by that motto without reason. But seeing Skye made me question everything.

I couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling lurking beneath the surface after the reality of my two closest friends, Kylian and Ares, trading in their wild ways for steady relationships. I’d sworn to avoid that path after my parents’ brutal divorce left me jaded. The clincher was freshman year—the only time I’d decided to let a girl in, resulting in devastating heartbreak.

While my two friends were blissfully happy, I knew my place—alone, one-night stands, no attachments. That was my fate, and I would stick to it.

Vow reaffirmed, I shifted back to put more space between myself and Skye. Kylian and Ares flanked me with the move.

Coach gestured to Skye, who’d drifted to his side. “I would like to introduce Skye Finley, who is interning with us for the rest of the season and handling our social media. I don’t need to remind you to be on your best behavior and to treat her with the respect she deserves.” The threat hung heavy.

Skye slipped her camera strap around her neck, pulling her long, wavy dark-brown hair from beneath it. She offered a small wave as many of the players acknowledged her.

“The next few games will make or break our season. It may seem like our spot in the playoffs is a sure thing, but complacency is where teams fall apart. That will not be us. Not only do I expect each and every one of you to do your best, fighting for a spot in the playoffs, but also remember—NFL scouts will be watching. This is your chance to shine.”

His words reaffirmed where my focus had to be as the weight of my future pressed down on me. The speech was short and impactful, then we were dismissed. I put blinders on, half listening as I trailed behind Kylian and Ares to shower and change.

The locker room buzzed with post-practice noise—teammates joking, the clatter of cleats against the floor, and the sharp pop of lockers slamming shut. I leaned against the bench, trying to focus on anything but the nagging memories clawing their way up. The familiar knot in my chest tightened, a shadow of old fights and broken promises.

“Cartwright!” Kylian’s voice snapped me back to the present. He lobbed a water bottle across the room, and I caught it withoutthinking. “Tell Ares he’s full of shit. I read the defense fine—he just ran the wrong route.”

Ares rolled his eyes, his jaw set. “I wasn’t off. You didn’t see the safety creeping up.”

“Both of you are wrong.” I twisted the cap off the water bottle and took a swig. “But keep arguing, and Coach will bench your asses next game.” An empty threat, but a good one. “That should settle it.”

Kylian snorted, shaking his head. “Classic Liam, dodging conflict. You’re too good at mediating.”

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