He put a stop to it. Or he would’ve, if I’d been hurt or worse. The hit and run could’ve just caused minor injuries like a sprained ankle or bruising that would’ve healed quickly. But it also could’ve torn a ligament or broke a bone, putting an end to my football career. If I’d been still breathing afterwards. Marissa still was and she was three times smaller than me.

Still. They went for the jugular. So would I.

I took Sam to the hotel instead of home. She was here, but I didn’t want anyone in the football house to know. Logan mentioned later that he overheard Garrett at her house, when he went to pick her up. Her biological father had invited her to Boston over the holiday break, and whether Sam knew it or not, she was going. After what I had planned, I wanted her out of harm’s way. The farther away the better, and when she came back, we’d have to deal with whatever was going on then. Everything would be touch and go for a while, but I was ready. What I had planned could hurt me. It could do more than just take my career away, but Park wasn’t going to go away. I recognized his type. He’d keep coming. He’d want blood from me. He would want me destroyed. I intended to destroy him first.

Logan stood up when we walked inside. Skimming over us both, a smirk came to him, and he winked at Sam. “So, want to be my sister wife?”

I scowled, but hearing him joking helped lift some of the tension. “Not funny, asshole.”

Logan laughed. “What? This is typical Logan Kade. This is good material. So how about it, Sam?”

Sam rolled her eyes. She was holding onto my hand, and for a second, her hold tightened, but at his first joke, she relaxed, relief settling over her.

A door that led to an accompanying room opened and Nate stepped through. Logan stood back up and gestured to him. “Just kidding. Nate already claimed me as his sister wife, even though we’re both dudes. We’ll figure a way. We don’t need you guys. You can have your own Twosome Fearsome. Nate and I have realized our long-lost, deep…deeply buried love for each other. He’s my Twosome Gaysome. Come to my bosom, my little horny husband.”

Nate stopped, frowned at him, and looked at us. “What the fuck?”

Logan hushed him. “Don’t listen to him. We’re still basking in the honeymoon stage. He just doesn’t want you guys to be jealous since it’s obvious you two aren’t.”

Nate burst out laughing.

“Burn, bitches.” Logan beamed at us. He licked his tongue and held it to the air, then made a hissing sound. “It’s still sizzling.”

Sam groaned, her fingers still entwined with mine. “Way to be sensitive to the issue.”

“What issue?” My brother gestured to Nate, throwing his arm around his shoulder. “You two gotta duke it out over me. It’s obvious you both want me.”

Seeing the bag that Nate was holding, he held it up to me as Logan made another teasing comment. I took it and went over to the couch to look at what he brought. He’d gone with the directions to grab his stuff and get out of there. If he had something for me, there was a reason. As I started looking through it, aware of the other three watching me, I wanted to see what he had gotten for me first. And knowing this, Logan kept making offhanded comments. He was stalling for me. Well, they were all just waiting, but I knew the other reason for his jokes.

He and Sam had gotten close over the year. Now this shit of their ‘could’ve been love’ wasn’t going to help me feel at ease, but he was breaking the tension. In his way, he was trying to reaffirm that everything would be fine. I knew this. Still. The sight of them talking together, standing so close was permanently etched in my brain. I didn’t think it would ever leave. They entire image of them had seemed intimate, like I was the one intruding on them.

I found Nate’s phone and held it up.

He turned and his slight grin vanished.

A sense of gravity filled the room and everyone knew the jokes were over.

I asked, “Is there something on here?” He had included it in the bag for a reason.

He nodded and came over to sit across from me. Sam sat next to me, and Logan stayed standing up. He’d be pacing soon; that's what he did.

“I recorded something.” He took it, got it to the right recording, and hit play before handing it over. A crackling sound came out and then, “What are you doing, Monson?”

Nate’s voice came from his phone, “I’m packing. I’m leaving.”

“This is because of Kade?” The other voice scoffed. “You shouldn’t pick your side so soon.”

“What does that mean?”

“Look, we didn’t mean to hit that girl. Trust me, we’ll fix it. She’ll never have to pay her college bills for the rest of the time she’s in school. Her entire tuition will be covered; she’ll find that out in due time. You don’t need to worry about any of this blowing back on us.”

“Right.”

“I mean it. Kade didn’t see shit.”

“He saw you, Park.”

There was silence, and a laugh came from the phone. “No, he didn’t. He doesn’t know what he saw. Trust me, Monson, you’re picking too early. Put your stuff away. We can forget any of this happened.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” His voice smoothed out, becoming persuasive. “Our dads are friends.”

“Your dad is friends with Mason’s too.”

“This is between us. The sons. The fathers will stay out of this. Come on, Nate. Put everything away.”

Another few seconds passed in silence, then Nate said, “I can’t. Mason’s been my best friend since we were little. We had a disagreement, but he’s family.”

More crackling sounds came from the phone and then Park laughed. The sound was mocking. “Fine, but you’re going to regret this. Trust me. We’re going to bury your friend.”

“You don’t know Mason.”

“I don’t have to. This is my school. This is my house. He thinks he’s some big shot. Yeah, well, we’ll see about that. Remember my other football buddy? The one I know Kade was telling you about, how heartless I was with his scholarship. He doesn’t know anything about that story. That accident wasn’t an accident. I can get at anyone, even your precious Mason Kade. Trust me, Nate. Go ahead. Go to his side. It’s your funeral.”