Page 149 of Red Zone
“That what’s got you all moody?” I press, my grin sharp now. “Your best friend’s sister giving you hell?”
He finally looks at me then, eyes narrowed, jaw tight.
“You know,” he says slowly. “You’ve got a real bad habit of running your mouth.”
I chuckle, holding my hands up in mock surrender.
“Hey,” I say, backing off just slightly. “I’m just saying…whatever happened must’ve been pretty damn memorable for you to look like that.”
Jaxon, who’s been watching this whole exchange with an amused smirk, finally chimes in. “He’s not wrong, man. You’ve been walking around here like somebody stole your puppy.”
Logan just shakes his head and goes back to stacking plates, muttering something under his breath I don’t quite catch.
I’m just finishing my last set of squats when someone clears their throat behind me.
I glance over my shoulder and find Coach Harding standing just inside the weight room doors.
His arms are crossed, his expression unreadable.
“Hayes,” he calls. “Got a minute?”
I rack the bar and grab my towel, shooting Jaxon and Logan a shrug on my way out.
The walk down the hall to his office feels longer than it probably is, every step echoing a little too loud in the quiet.
Coach closes the door behind me once we’re inside, motioning to the chair across from his desk.
“Sit.”
I do, leaning forward on my knees as he lowers himself into his chair. For a second, he just studies me, and I swear I can feel the weight of whatever he’s about to say hanging in the air.
Finally, he exhales and rubs the back of his neck.
“Carter,” he starts, his voice lower than usual. “I wanted to ask you something. About Lyla.”
That catches me off guard, but I keep my face neutral.
“I’m listening,” I say.
He sighs and leans back in his chair, staring at some invisible point on the wall.
“I worry I’ve…ignored how she’s really feeling. For too long. I’ve been so focused on everything else—on keeping thingstogether, on work, on…everything—that I don’t know how to read her anymore.”
He finally meets my eyes.
“But I see the way she is with you. How she looks at you. And I figured…” He trails off for a beat. “I figured maybe you’d know better than I do right now.”
I sit there for a long second, caught between surprise and the urge to run for my life.
I shake my head.
“She’s doing the best she can,” I say honestly. “She’s stronger than you probably even realize.”
He nods faintly at that, but his frown deepens.
“You think she’s upset with me?” he asks.
I let out a quiet breath, choosing my words carefully.
