Page 101 of Unrivaled

He expected to get passed on to another teammate for a ride back to the hotel—maybe Bishop, as part of his captain duties—or else to have to call an Uber.

But when he got out of the shower, Baller was waiting for him, his booted foot propped up on the locker room bench next to him. He had a battered romance novel in one hand and appeared deeply engrossed.

Everyone else had left. Was this some kind of setup? Max was suspicious.

“Oh good,” Baller said when he noticed Max standing there. “I thought the shower might have defeated you.”

Max tossed his towel in the laundry bin. “I’m a Fish now, remember? Water can’t hurt me.”

Baller beamed. “That’s the spirit.”

When Max had pulled on a pair of boxers and a T-shirt, Baller discarded his book and patted the wood next to him. “Sit down for a minute so I can be nosy.”

Figures.“Is that why I rate special attention?”

“Yes. My foot’s broken and I’m super bored. I need something to occupy me.”

At least he was honest about Max being his pet project. Max sat. “I’m going to assume this isn’t about hockey.”

“Itcouldbe,” Baller said with feigned offense. Then, “Okay, but it isn’t. I’m definitely here to get the dirty on your thing with my boy Grades.”

Max knew Grady must’ve told him something, or he would’ve had no reason to text Hedgie about it.

But Grady wouldn’t appreciate him telling Baller anything he didn’t know, so he wasn’t about to spill his guts.Well, I was in love with him, but he broke my heart, and then he apologized and we got back together, and now I’m low-key freaking out that it’ll fall apart again now that we’re in the same placewas not something you laid on a guy you’d met that morning. Especially when he’d called the man in question “my boy.”

“No comment,” Max said.

“Hmm,” said Baller. He took out his phone, thumbed around on it for a moment, cranked up the volume, and said, “Do me a favor and watch this.”

Before Max could object, Baller thrust his phone into Max’s hands.

The video must have been taken in the Condors’ locker room. Grady was wearing a sweaty team-branded T-shirt, looking intently at the reporter asking the questions. Max missed the first one, but the second came through the speakers clearly.

“How do you feel about rekindling that rivalry now that Max has been traded to the Piranhas?”

Rekindling.What a word choice.

Grady blinked at the reporter in obvious confusion. “I thought he was going to Miami.”

Then Max got to watch realization dawn on Grady’s face when the reporter said, “They flipped him to Anaheim an hour ago.”

Grady rubbed his fingers over his stubble, but it didn’t hide the smile, which crept all the way up to his eyes and made the skin at the corners crinkle. It was such an obviously besotted expression that Max couldn’t help smiling in return.

Then Grady shook his head and said, “Guess he missed my pretty face,” like he hoped it was true.

Max was going to melt onto the floor.

The video ended, but Max didn’t move until Baller cleared his throat.

“So,” he said cheerfully, “still no comment?”

Max put the phone down on the bench. He brought one hand to his mouth.

Baller patted his thigh. “Wanna find out if he’s home?”

Yes.Wait. “You know where he lives?”

“I went to his housewarming party.”

---