Page 31 of Red Zone

Then he turned and walked away, leaving me in the middle of the quad like an idiot. The crowd’s whispers barely registered. All I could hear was his voice, his words replaying on repeat.

I’d needed someone to strike out against, and my envy of Mav’s closeness to Skye had been the perfect outlet. I hadn’t expected him to say something that resonated. I needed to stop thinking of Mav as a roadblock and focus on what mattered—Skye.

The walk to the athletic center felt longer than usual, my mind a tangle of emotions I couldn’t unravel. Mav’s words echoed in my head, cutting deeper with every replay.“Figure out what you want, Liam. If it’s Skye, maybe start by being the man she deserves.”

My jaw clenched, my fists tightening at my sides. I didn’t need Mav’s advice—or his judgment. But damn it, he wasn’t wrong. I’d spent so long trying to bury my feelings for Skye, pretending I didn’t care, and now I was paying the price. I shoved the door open and headed inside, the hum of voices and the squeak of shoes on the gym floor greeting me. A few guys lingered near the bulletin board, their heads turning as I approached.

“Cartwright,” one of them called out. “Coach is looking for everyone. Emergency team meeting in the conference room.”

I nodded, my stomach sinking. An emergency meeting wasn’t typical, but it was becoming the new norm. And after everything that had happened—Jackson’s death, the whispers about substances—it couldn’t be good.

By the time I reached the conference room, most of the team was already seated. The atmosphere was thick with tension, conversations muted and cautious. Coach stood at the front, his arms crossed, his usual calm demeanor replaced by something harder, more severe.

“Settle down.” Coach’s voice cut through the low murmur of voices.

The room fell silent as we turned our attention to him.

“First things first.” His gaze swept over us. “I know you’ve all been feeling the weight of what happened with Jackson. It’s beena tough couple of days, and I won’t pretend like we’re past it. But we have to talk about something that’s come to light during the investigation.”

A ripple of unease passed through the room. I straightened in my seat, my pulse picking up.

Coach took a deep breath, his expression grim. “The medical examiner found anomalies in Jackson’s blood. I can’t go into specifics, but substances were present that shouldn’t have been there.”

The air seemed to leave the room, every set of eyes fixed on him.

“Now,” Coach continued, his voice steady but firm. “We don’t know where these substances came from, how Jackson got them, or why he was using one in particular. But I’m warning all of you—this is a wake-up call. The NCAA has strict policies for a reason. Any violation—any—will ruin your career before it even starts. Don’t think you can outsmart the system, because you can’t. Random testing is happening more frequently, and I promise you, the consequences will be severe.”

A heavy silence hung in the room, the weight of his words sinking in. I glanced around, trying to read my teammates’ faces. Some looked worried, others just confused. But a few—guys like Leroy and Marc—shifted uncomfortably in their seats, their eyes darting away from Coach’s gaze.

“Do I make myself clear?” Coach’s voice boomed.

“Yes, sir,” we mumbled in unison.

“Good.” He nodded, his eyes narrowing. “If anyone here has something to confess, now’s the time. My door is always open. But if I find out anyone’s involved in something that puts this team or this program at risk…” He let the threat hang, his expression saying everything his words didn’t.

He dismissed us shortly after, but the unease lingered as we filed out of the room.

I stayed back, leaning against the wall as the others shuffled past. My mind raced, piecing together fragments of conversations, actions I’d seen on the field, and the stats Skye had mentioned. My gut twisted as I remembered the conversation with Mav earlier.

Mav was right about one thing—I needed to figure out what I wanted. And I wanted Skye.But this mess with Jackson and the team?It wasn’t just about football anymore. Something bigger was happening, and for the first time in years, I wasn’t sure I could fix it.

Pushing off the wall, I headed toward the gym. I only knew one thing for sure. Whatever it took, I wasn’t going to let it destroy the future I was fighting for—or the people who mattered most.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

SKYE

Ipaced the living room’s length while Lily played with her dolls on the coffee table. My social media posts for the team were getting tons of attention. People seemed to love the individual highlights of team members, but I needed another new angle. I’d already done several posts showing a shocked and grieving team winning for their lost teammate. But I wanted to do something else. Only a handful of weeks remained until our team was on track to play in the championship game, and I needed to find more ways to gain new superfans.

The posts I’d created for the Falcons had already increased fan engagement by thirty percent. If I could push that number higher, it would strengthen my portfolio and give me an edge in landing a job with a professional team’s media department. My internship was a huge opportunity, and no matter how much I tried to lie to myself—it gave me a chance to spend time with Liam.

I couldn’t deny his pull. It went far beyond physical. And despite my vow not to give in to the undeniable attraction and chemistry we had, maybe we could go slow. Be friends—if not for our sakes, then for Lily’s.

He’d begun showing me a softer side. He’d opened up about what had molded him into the strong individual who had drawn me in before Lily came into the picture and forced our hands—his unknowingly.

A week had passed since the Indiana game, and they had a rare bye week this weekend. Tutoring Liam was going well, and I felt he was in good shape for the upcoming final before winter break, which was right around the corner. With all the time we’d spent together, I felt closer to him on a different level than I ever had. He was constantly on my mind.

Screw it.I snatched my phone from the table, where Lily hadn’t yet noticed the device, as she was playing with a Barbie she’d become enamored with. I clicked on Liam’s contact and pressed the phone to my ear, looking to the ceiling for help, which was ridiculous.

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