Page 5 of Changing the Game

This could be a problem.

“Holy hell. That wasinsane.”My entire body is alive with excitement as we finish our set and move into the hall behind the makeshift stage.

“Heads up,” Jack calls to me as he tosses a bottle of water my way.

A bottle I watch sail past my head in slow-mo.

I was never the athlete in the family.

“Talk about an adrenaline high. I mean, I’ve sung in front of a crowd before, but that... That was intense.”

Theo wraps his sweaty arms around me and drags me in close. “Carys, that was crazy. You were amazing.” He plants a sloppy kiss on my cheek before he lets go. “You were good in practice, but that...thatwas unreal.”

“Thanks.” I step back as I wipe my damp face. There was never any real chemistry between Theo and me. It was a onetime thing after a few too many beers when I was trying to convince myself I’d made the right decision in moving across the country. It was fun... Enough.

Not necessarily a mistake.

But not my shining moment either.

I’ve definitely gotten the feeling that Jack was disappointed to not have joined us that night, but there was no way that was happening, and he’s never pushed it since.

Jack slings his arm around my shoulders. “Come on. We need to celebrate that performance.” He looks back at Theo and Lucas. “I think we’ve found our sound.”

I don’t correct him, but as much fun as that was, I don’t know if I want to do it again. Singing for fun is one thing. But these guys want to get picked up by a label, and that’s not something I’m looking for.

The four of us break down the equipment and pack it up for the night before we walk out into the main bar and spot Em in the crowd. She’s standing at the bar, laughing at something the guy on her right just said, and although he looks familiar, it’s the guy on her left who has my every nerve ending firing like the Fourth of July.

It takes a second before my brain catches up to my heart.

But there he is.

The man I followed across the country.

Even if he’ll never know it.

The man I’ve been in love with since I was fifteen years old.

A fact I’ll never tell him.

The clueless man who’ll never look at me as anything more than his best friend’s little sister or,lucky me, his somewhat newly minted stepsister. Even if it’s been three years since his dad married my mom, it still seems brand new when I look at him, and my traitorous heart skips a beat.

“Oh my God. Coop?” I take a tentative step forward, then stop, hesitating, my eyes locked on Cooper Sinclair. It’s been almost a year since the last time we saw each other.

Since the last time our entire family was together.

There’s no hesitation in Cooper’s movement when he closes the distance between us and wraps his strong arms around me, lifting me off my feet. He even buries his face in my hair when he whispers, “God, it’s good to see you, Carys.” His warm breath tickles my skin and sends my hormones into overdrive with awfully un-sibling like thoughts racing through my mind before I’m placed back on solid, albeit slightly shaky ground.

And damn... he’s never hugged me like that before.

I look over every inch of the man in front of me, from the well-worn jeans hanging from his lean hips to the broad shoulders stretching a black Kings t-shirt covered by a gray-and-black flannel—shoulders that are definitely more muscular today than they were when I saw him last summer. And those impressive muscles that make your neck look big and strangely strong while also making girls like me think stupid thoughts.

His sandy-blond locks are longer than I’ve seen on him in a while, which matches the scruff growing on his gorgeous face. And damn, he wears it well. Then again, I can’t think of a single thing this man doesn’t wear well.

Finally, I manage to get myself together and out of my lust-fueled haze enough to ask, “Do Mom and Coach know you’re home yet? Everyone started freaking out when you went radio-silent a few weeks ago. Nattie’s been blowing up the group text for days. I don’t know who she thought would be stupid enough to hold out information on her.”

“I haven’t had the chance yet.” He has the good graces to look ashamed as he answers. “We just got back today.”

I shove a hand at his chest. “You need to at least text and let everyone know you’re safe and home.” A round of snickers come from the group of guys standing behind him.

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