Page 40 of Second Sin

Tyler’s laughing too loud. Branson’s already halfway through a basket of wings, licking sauce off his fingers like he hasn’t eaten in days. Someone’s retelling a story from an away game in Montreal—the one where half the team ended up butt ass naked in a snowbank. The punchline hits, and the table erupts.

It’s stupid. Juvenile.

But it’s noise. And noise is better than silence.

I lean back in my chair, sip my beer, and let the edges blur. Try to forget the way Olivia looked at me after I kissed her.Cheeks flushed. Eyes confused—then angry. Like she didn’t know whether she wanted to slap me…or kiss me again.

My jaw tightens. I swallow hard.

Doesn’t help.

None of this really does.

But I’m here.

When Blake gets up to talk to Branson, Kane shifts in his seat, keeping his voice low.“That wasn’t the whole story, was it? About you and Olivia.”

I stiffen.

The bar noise fades to a dull hum in my ears. I stare down at the condensation on my glass like maybe it’ll give me the words I can’t seem to find.

My jaw works. Once. Twice. Then I exhale, sharp and quiet.

“I kissed her.”

Kane doesn’t react right away. Just nods slowly, like he figured as much. Like he was waiting for me to say it out loud.

“She kiss you back?” he asks, voice unreadable.

I nod, barely.

Kane leans forward, arms braced on the table. "That’s a hell of a mess, Wilde. You ever think about what that could cost her?”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“She’s not just some woman. She’s the team counselor. You’re a player. That’s a line. And if Coach—or anyone upstairs—found out? She could lose her job.”

The bottom drops out of my stomach.

Fuck.

I hadn’t thought of that. Not really. Not in a concrete way. I’d been too wrapped up in my own guilt, my own mess.

Too fucking selfish to consider what this might do to her career. Her reputation.

I drag a hand down my face, suddenly feeling like the worst kind of asshole. “Shit.”

"You need to think about what you're doing. This can't be just about your dick.”

My head jerks up. The words hit like a punch I didn’t see coming.

“It’s not,” I say—too fast. Too loud. I scrub a hand down my face, breath catching in my throat. “It isn’t...it’s not like that.”

Kane raises a brow, waiting.

I shake my head, jaw clenched so tight it aches. “Fuck, I don’t know what it is. I just—” I lean forward, elbows on the table, heart thudding like I’m still mid-game.

“I mean—yeah, she's fucking gorgeous. But it’s more than that. It’s...fuck, I don’t know.”My voice drops, raw and uneven. “It’s like...I can’t get her out of my fucking head. Doesn’t matter what I do. She’s just there. Every goddamn second."

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