Page 141 of ICED
I nod, but I can barely breathe. “What if he tries something again?”
“We’ll be ready,” Coach says. “You’re not alone in this.”
I swallow hard. “Maya and Lila are back at mine. Until we figure this out.”
“Good call.”
I leave the office with the screenshot still burning a hole in my phone. My jaw aches from how hard I’m clenching it.
He’s coming back.
And this time, he’s making it personal.
But he doesn’t know me. He doesn’t know what I’d do for them.
Maya. Lila.
Myfamily.
Let him try. I’ll be ready.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
MAYA
I’m icing cupcakes when I hear the front door open.
At first, I don’t think anything of it, Jacko had training, and he usually pops back around lunchtime when Lila’s still at nursery and the kitchen’s calm.
But something’s wrong. I can feel it before I even turn around. He doesn’t call out. Doesn’t say,Hey, honey,orSmells good in here,like he usually does. Just quiet, heavy footsteps and the sound of the door clicking shut behind him.
I set down the piping bag and wipe my hands on my apron. “Owen?”
He appears in the doorway a second later. Still in his training kit, hoodie unzipped, hair damp from the showers. But his face… His face stops my breath.
Pale. Set. Eyes storm-dark.
I grip the edge of the counter. “What happened?”
Jacko runs a hand down his face. “We need to talk.”
He shows me the screenshot on his phone.
My vision tunnels.
The edges blur.
Cute family. Shame she forgot who they really belong to. I’m coming back. Tell your tough guy to stay out of it if he knows what’s good for him.
At first, I can’t speak.
Then I hear my voice, distant and hollow.
“He’s watching us.”
Jacko nods once. “Someone took that photo at the game. Coach is pulling CCTV. The team’s on it.”
I take the phone from him, rereading the words. Over and over. Like maybe they’ll change. Like maybe I misunderstood.
