Page 105 of Red Zone
That catches me off guard, and I straighten slightly, tilting my head to look at him. “Figure me out?”
He nods, eyes narrowing just a little—not in judgment, but like he’s studying me.
“I know…what happened to your mom,” he says carefully, his voice low. “But I don’t know much about her. Or about…you. Back then. Before all this.”
I blink at him, my throat going tight.
Of all the questions he could’ve asked, that’s the one I wasn’t ready for.
Not about work. Not about my internship. Not about the game.
But about her.
And about me.
I swallow hard and shift the blanket in my lap, buying myself a second before answering.
“What do you want to know?” I ask softly, my voice quieter than I intend it to be.
His eyes stay locked on mine, warm and steady.
“Anything,” he says. “Everything you want to share.”
I swallow again, my fingers worrying at the edge of the blanket. My chest feels tight—not the sharp, angry kind of tight I’m used to, but something heavier. Sadder.
“She…” My voice comes out shakier than I expect, and I have to clear my throat before I can keep going.
“She was the best person I’ve ever known,” I say finally, my eyes fixed somewhere on the coffee table in front of me. “She was just…kind. To everyone. Even people who didn’t deserve it. She never judged anyone. Ever. She just…loved people.”
I feel my lips curve into a faint, bittersweet smile as I think about her.
“She was one of those people who walked into a room and somehow made everyone feel like they belonged there. People were just…drawn to her. They couldn’t help it.”
I stop, my breath hitching slightly, and press the corner of the blanket to my mouth, letting the silence stretch for a moment.
When I finally glance up at him, Carter’s just watching me.
There’s no pity in his expression. No awkwardness. Just quiet understanding, his hands loosely folded in his lap.
“Sounds like she was an amazing person. I’d have loved to meet her,” he says after a beat, his voice low but certain. “I do know one thing, though. She’d be beyond proud of the amazing woman her daughter has grown up to be.”
Something in my chest cracks at that, and I have to look away before he sees too much.
But even as I blink back the sting behind my eyes, I feel myself leaning just a little closer into his side. His arms wrap around my shoulders, bringing me even closer.
With him this close, it’s impossible to ignore how much I want something I swore I’d never let myself want again.
29
LYLA
When Megan calls me into her office on Tuesday morning, I spend the whole walk there convinced I’m about to get chewed out for something.
I run through every detail of my to-do list in my head—did I miss a post? Forget to upload stats?
Mess up a graphic? But nothing jumps out.
Still, my stomach is in knots by the time I knock on her door.
