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“Force, no. Pressure, yes.” She wipes at her eyes. “But it wasn’t even that he was just… rough. He was inconsiderate of my feelings and body.” She swallows thickly. “The last time we were together we were just hanging out in my dorm. Nadia was out and we were watching a movie. Everything seemed fine and we started making out.” Her fingers twist in my shirt. “He wrapped his hands around my throat. I freaked out. I don’t know. I think I didn’t trust him, and I just wanted him off of me. The last thing I remember is his eyes changing. Like, a switch flipped.”

“What do you mean the last thing you remember?”

“I woke up on the bed. Alone. Bruises on my throat. I passed out and he left.”

Blood pounds in my ears. He choked her out and left her there? Unconscious? That’s why she freaked out when I tried to touch her neck. “Did he do anything else?”

“No.” She shakes her head. “My clothes were still on. I think he scared himself and took off.”

“Jesus Christ, Twyler.”

“Nadia came home and knew something was wrong. She tried to get me to report it, but he’d just fucked with my head so badly that at the time I thought I’d asked for it somehow. Over the two years we were together he stripped away so much of my identity that I had no idea who I was or what I thought.”

“Sunshine, I am so fucking sorry this happened to you.”

“It gave me the guts to break up with him and cut him out of my life for good. I eventually told Ruby, who looped in my mom. Things got bleak for a while, but I was stronger than before. I had friends and family and the resources to get back on track.”

“And you gave up on men—other than through work.”

“Pretty much.” Her shoulder lifts in a shrug. “It wasn’t hard. None of the jocks were interested in me. It was a safe place to hide.” She smiles. “Until you ran into me at that coffee shop.”

“No regrets, babe.” I take her hand and bring her knuckles to my mouth, kissing the ridge. “I really,really, want to go beat his ass for hurting you and making you doubt yourself.” I catch her eye. “You’re amazing, Twyler. Kind, smart, tolerant of all the bullshit we put you through for your job…” She laughs and I run my thumb over her cheek. “You’re beautiful.”

Her skin turns pink. “Thank you for saying all that, but I don’t need you to beat anyone up and risk your position as captain or even as a member of the team. He’s a loser and not worth it.”

I don’t agree. At all, and the only thing keeping me from going off and tracking his scrawny ass down is the girl in this bed.

“You’re worth it.” My eyes dart to her mouth and I repeat what I said earlier, “I like you.”

“Still?” Her expression is incredulous. “Even after dropping all that trauma on you?”

“Even more, maybe,” I confess. It may scare her off after all of that. She may not want to be with anyone yet. This started off as a game—safe.I understand that better now. But my feelings have only intensified.

“I like you, too,” she admits, twisting her fingers in my shirt and pulling my face down to meet hers. “A lot.”

21

Twyler

It’s not the first time I’ve been in bed with Reese Cain, but it’s the first time he’s been inmybed, and I just revealed to him how my entire life is one giant dumpster fire.

Yet, he’s still here.

I’d gone to the bathroom, washed my face, and changed into a soft pair of shorts and my favorite stretched-out T-shirt. When I come back, I see he’s kicked his shoes off and is stretched out on the bed waiting for me.

“If you need to go back to team bonding night, it’s okay. I understand.”

“The other seniors can handle it. I’m done playing dad for the night.” His eyebrows rise. “I’m firmly in supportive secret boyfriend mode.”

I ignore the “boyfriend” comment and crawl in the bed, sliding under the covers. His feet hang off the end, and it’s a double, so with his broad shoulders the two of us barely fit.

Barely.

“Thank you for coming after me. I promise one of these days I’ll stop running.”

“Doesn’t matter, Sunshine. If you run, I’m pretty sure I’m just gonna keep chasing you.”

Telling Reese about Ethan feels like taking off shackles that I’ve been wearing for the last two years. It’s liberating. And it makes me bold.