Page 104 of Player Problems

“Hockey was pretty big in our high school,” Isla points out. One of the reasons we do recognize so many faces.

Wells tsks at her. “And yet neither you or Torryn were fans.” She shrugs, unaffected by the teasing. They had their doubts about the sport, but they’ve seen the light of day. She can’t argue that it’s boring any longer.

“That makes nine,” Beau counts. “Knocking Baylor out of the running and making Kanyon the closest.” The kid grins, puffing up his chest with pride.

“We still have a lot of book left,” Isla warns. She bet we’d find twelve familiar faces and Kanyon guessed ten. The pool only adds up to less than twenty bucks. But the honor of being right is priceless.

Through the rest of the book, we only find one more person we recognize, one of the librarians who works at Westbrook is apparently one of the Gray’s neighbors and how Torryn got into tutoring. The more you know. Kanyon fist pumps as he wins and I high-five him.

As we sit back and eat the pie Torryn and her grandma served, Rayne entertains us with the new gymnastic skills she’s learned. No one cheers louder for her than Torryn, making the little girl burst with joy. I snap another photo when she wrapsher little arms around Torryn’s neck and kisses her cheek, thanking her for signing her up for her classes.

My brow raises, but Torryn brushes past it and it’s clear she doesn’t want to talk about it. Changing the topic, I compliment how impressive her back walkover was and she excitedly tells me about the recital she’s going to have for one of her dance classes this year.

The guys overhear and instantly start pumping her up just as much, if not more than they did for Kanyon and football. And just like that we have another event to add to our social calendars. Torryn leans into my side and I wrap my arm over her shoulders, settling her against me more comfortably.

Someone’s phone starts vibrating on the coffee table and Rayne picks it up. “Is this yours, Ryn?” I haven’t said anything, but I really love the way her family shortens her name. The little smile she gets every time they use it. I may have to steal it. Rayne holds up the phone and the back of the clear case has the first polaroid I ever put up in her room of both the kittens.

Torryn grabs it out of her hand with a thanks and I see it’s a private caller again. I crack my neck in irritation, wishing it was possible to reach through a phone and punch someone. Whoever it is has taken to calling her multiple times every day. Every fucking day. As if he hadn’t stolen enough of her peace of mind, now he’s even harassing her on Thanksgiving.

She silences the phone, slipping it back into her pocket without answering it. She did the first few times, but all that could be heard was heavy breathing. He never spoke. “Who was that?” her grandma asks, a sharper note in her tone than I’ve heard this whole time.

Torryn waves her off. “Just spam.” I know she’s not telling them about the stalker, and I even understand why, but at what point does she no longer have a choice? He’s already caused herto have to move and get a new car. What’s next? Does she also need to get a new phone number? Transfer schools?

As nice as the cops were, they have no evidence, no trails. They’ve been next to useless since the whole thing started. When they couldn’t find any suspects for the break-in or vandalizing her car, they essentially gave up. Even the lead Tor gave them about the advisor led exactly nowhere. A part of me really thinks the stalker got smart after he saw their reactions. That he figured out he can cause Torryn to lose sleep, to invade her safety and harass her in ways the cops really don’t care about. In ways they pretty much ignore.

“Spam doesn’t call from a private number,” her grandma accuses, making Torryn rear back in surprise.

The way Torryn lifts her brows as she stares her grandma down makes me nervous and they aren’t even pointed in my direction. “Would you like me to call them back and verify for you?”

Oh my fuck.

I’d be popped in the mouth. If not by my mom, surely by one of my brothers.

“Don’t you sass me, Torryn Elaine Gray.”

Not the middle name coming out. How did I not know her middle name was Elaine though? That’s so cute. It fits her so well. Elaine.

“Well, Grandma,” Torryn snarks. Damn girl. What is it like to have that level of confidence? I’m not the only one captivated by the exchange, everyone in the room is following the conversation as if it were a tennis rally. “I didn’t answer the call. How am I supposed to know who it was?”

“Is she always like this?” Beau whispers to Kanyon and I’m glad someone asked because I want to know too. As she bickers with her grandma, Isla and Tor’s siblings don’t seem fazed at all by it. Though Kanyon watches it with the anticipation only ayounger brother could, waiting to see if Torryn is about to get in trouble.

Rayne nods her head dramatically. “Grandma always says Ryn is the incarnation of all her good karma and all of her bad karma at the same time.”

I snort at the description, but it’s easy to see why her grandma would say it. Though we can all agree it’s definitely more good karma than bad that made Torryn. Even if her grandma looks like she wants to smack her upside the head at the moment.

Her grandma finally huffs her defeat, throwing her hands up and muttering about where Torryn gets her bullheaded attitude from under her breath. Torryn, on the hand, leans back against my chest with a satisfied smirk.

“Trouble,” I murmur and she pinches my side where no one can see her. This is exactly how she earned the nickname. Rayne moves closer and I catch sight of a necklace hanging from her neck. Torryn still looks like she’s about to stir up more trouble any second, so I take the lifeline and change topics. “That’s a cool necklace.”

Rayne beams as her fingers reach up to wrap around the gold pendant in the shape of a knot. “Thank you,” she whispers, her cheeks turning red, but Torryn stiffens at my side. What the fuck happened? What’s wrong with complimenting her sister?

Their grandma also smiles warmly, her eyes looking misty and I can’t even begin to understand where it is that I fucked up. “She’s worn it every day since you sent it to her, Ryn.”

Torryn smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes, her whole body is rigid next to mine even as she tries not to let her family take notice. “I’m glad you like it, Sunshine.” It isn’t even a full minute later that she’s rising from her seat and making excuses for us to leave.

If Torryn’s reaction to the necklace wasn’t enough of a giveaway, the panic and fear in Isla’s eyes would be.

Torryn didn’t send Rayne that necklace.

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