Page 158 of Red Zone
“Seriously,” he murmurs when we round the corner and the trainer’s out of earshot. “You good?
You were in with Megan just now, right?”
I shouldn’t have expected him not to notice. Of course he noticed.
“I’m fine,” I say quickly, too quickly. My fingers tighten on the edge of my tablet as we step into the stairwell.
Carter stops halfway down the steps, blocking my path.
I stop too, because what else can I do?
He looks at me for a long beat, his jaw tight, blue eyes narrowed in that way they get when he’s reading me like an open book.
“You don’t look fine,” he says finally, softer this time.
I force a little laugh and step past him, my voice light and fake. “Just…work stuff. You know.
Not a big deal.”
He follows me the rest of the way down, quiet now. But when we hit the lobby doors, he reaches out, fingers brushing my elbow just enough to make me stop and turn.
“Whatever it is,” he says low, leaning just enough that his breath warms the side of my cheek.
“Don’t let them get in your head. You’re good at this, Lyla. You’re the best at this. Anyone who doesn’t see that is a damn idiot.”
I blink at him, caught off guard by how earnest he sounds.
And for a second, just one second, I want to tell him.
About the complaint. About how much of it probably is my fault. About how scared I am that he’s the reason.
But instead I swallow the words, because if I say them out loud, he’ll know.
He’ll know just how far I’ve already fallen.
So I just nod, forcing another smile. “Thanks, Carter. Really.”
He holds my gaze for a moment longer before finally stepping back with a little smirk, his hands shoving into his pockets.
“Anytime, Princess.”
And just like that, he’s gone—heading out the other door, whistling low under his breath like he hasn’t completely unmoored me without even trying.
I am so royally fucked.
41
CARTER
The locker room is quiet when I step in.
For once.
No music. No shouting. No tape balls flying through the air.
Just the hum of the lights and the faint echo of my footsteps on the tile.
I stop just inside the doorway and take it all in.
