Page 30 of Red Zone

What did I just do?

The cool air of the science building did nothing to douse the fire that still smoldered beneath my skin. I’d been careful—so damn careful—for the past three years. And now, one tutoring session and a quiet, empty classroom later, and I’d unraveled every inch of progress I’d made. I was ignoring the handful of steamy kisses we’d shared—this was my fault because I let it happen. Liam was clearly my weakness.

It had been three years since I’d been with anyone—Liam was the last. The connection we shared had gone beyond physical, though even that had been explosive. At times, the emotional bond between us felt almost overwhelming, impossible to ignore.

I hurried down the hallway, my sneakers squeaking faintly against the linoleum as I deliberately chose the opposite direction from the one I knew Liam would take. It wasn’t cowardice. It was practicality. Even I didn’t believe that lie, but I was going with it. Because if I saw him again, if he caught my arm and gave me that look—the one that always seemed to see past every defense I tried to throw up—I didn’t trust myself not to go back for more.

My grip on my backpack strap tightened as I pushed through the double doors and into the crisp night air. The sting of the cold against my overheated skin was almost a relief, but not enough to stop the memories flashing through my mind: the way his lips had brushed against mine, how his hands had anchored me to him like he was afraid I might disappear.

I shouldn’t have let it happen. Iknewbetter. But I’d never been able to resist him.

I reached my car and slid into the driver’s seat, locking the doors behind me like that would somehow keep out the memories. My hands trembled as I gripped the steering wheel, my breathing uneven as my mind betrayed me again. Liam’s low voice, the way he’d whispered my name like it was a lifeline. The press of his body against mine, the unspoken promise in his kiss.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the images away. I couldn’t do it. Not again. Look what had happened the last time. The thought twisted in my chest like a blade, sharp and unforgiving. Falling for Liam once had left me shattered. Picking up the pieces had been hell, but I’d done it—for me, for Lily. And I’d sworn never to let him back in, no matter how much he made me feel like I already belonged to him.

But now?Now, I wasn’t sure I would survive another whirlwind romance with him. I couldn’t let myself go there. Not when the stakes were so much higher. I pressed my foreheadagainst the steering wheel, drawing in a shaky breath. I had to be stronger than that. For Lily. For myself.

With a deep breath, I straightened, started the car, and forced myself to focus on the road ahead. I wasn’t that girl anymore—the one who’d believed Liam Cartwright was her happily ever after. No matter how much my traitorous heart wanted to believe otherwise.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

LIAM

The crisp air whipped against my face as I stormed across campus, barely noticing the swirl of activity around me. Students laughed, chatted, and hurried across the quad to classes. None of it registered. My chest burned from Skye’s recent rejection, and my fists clenched so tight my knuckles ached. The reason had to be Mav. I’d seen him helping Skye and Lily when I’d done that drive-by, and he was around her more than I liked.

Then I saw him—Maverick Davis, my competition. He leaned against a bench like he didn’t have a care in the world, his trademark smirk stamped across his face. He radiated that effortless confidence that used to piss me off even when I didn’t have a reason to hate him. Now, it was like gasoline on the fire raging inside me.

My steps faltered, but only for a second. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to walk away, but I couldn’t. Not this time. Not after everything. “Maverick!” I barked, my voice cutting through the hum of conversations around us.

Heads turned, students casting curious glances.Let them look.

He turned slowly, his expression shifting as he saw me. His eyes narrowed, and he straightened slightly, though the cocky edge never left his stance. “Cartwright,” he drawled. “What’s your problem?”

I stopped a few feet from him, my pulse hammering. “You think you can just waltz in and take my place?” Everything about her ate at me, even not knowing if Mav was Lily’s father, if he was the one with the permanent connection to Skye.

The smirk dropped from his face, and his jaw clenched. “Careful, Cartwright,” he said quietly. “You don’t want to start something you can’t finish.”

I stepped closer, my voice dropping to a growl. “Answer the damn question. You’ve been in her life this whole time, right?”

His expression hardened, and when he spoke, his tone was ice. “You could’ve been there by her side. You did that to yourself when you made her feel like an afterthought.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My breath caught, but I swallowed the pain, burying it under the anger that surged back up, stronger than ever. “You don’t know anything about what we had.”

“Oh, I know enough. Skye and I are friends.” His lips curled into a bitter smile, making me want to swing at him. “I know you walked away from something most guys would kill for. She deserves better than being someone’s backup plan. You made her think she wasn’t good enough to be part of your future. And now you’re mad because someone else was there for her when you weren’t?”

My hands flexed, fists forming, my vision narrowing on him. “Don’t act like you’re the hero in this story.” Everything in me was so twisted up, I couldn’t control what flew out of my mouth. “You’re just another guy trying to take what isn’t yours.”

“What isn’t mine?” His voice dropped, low and dangerous, and he stepped into my space, his words slow and deliberate.“Skye doesn’t belong to anyone, least of all you. You’re mad because you lost her. But let me tell you something, Cartwright. She doesn’t owe you a damn thing.”

My chest heaved, my throat tight as I struggled to form a response. The world around us seemed to fade, the chatter of students just a dull hum. A few lingered, their whispers cutting through the tension like static.

“You think you’ve got it all figured out.” My composure slipped. “You’re not in love with her.” My gaze flicked to the girl he’d been talking to seconds before I’d confronted him.

His eyes flashed, but he didn’t rise to the bait. “Believe what you want. But the truth is, Skye made her choice, and it wasn’t you. You’re pissed because you can’t rewrite the past. That’s on you, not me.”

The words echoed in my head, each landing like a blow I couldn’t block. My fists loosened, falling to my sides, and I stepped back, the fight draining out of me.

Maverick watched me for a moment longer then straightened, his expression calm but firm. “Figure out what you want, Liam. If it’s Skye, maybe start by being the man she deserves.”

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