Page 67 of Crew

“Crew,” she breathed.

My throat went dry. “Hey.”

Her gaze drifted to Knox, then back to me. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Just got in a few hours ago.”

She adjusted her purse that was slung over her shoulder. “Well. Welcome home.”

My gaze dropped to the boy. He wasn’t squirming or fussing, just sitting there with his snack. Then he looked up at me.

And I froze.

I knew those eyes.

Because they were mine.

27

CREW

Four Years Ago

I didn’t thinkmy palms could get any sweatier, but there I was, wiping them on my shorts for the hundredth time while I was losing my damn mind. The living room of the apartment I shared with Mallory was packed with people. My mom, my brother Finn, Mallory (of course), my Florida State coach, and a few teammates who had become family were all with me to see how draft day panned out.

ESPN2 was on the flat screen, muted for now, cycling through pre-draft coverage and analysis. The main event wasn’t set to start until later that evening, but the anticipation was already thick in the air, reminding me that tonight might finally be the night everything changed. No guarantees. No certainty. Just hope, nerves, and the biggest what-if of my life hanging in the air.

I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and turned just in time to see Mallory slipping out the sliding door onto the back patio.She’d been quiet all day, barely touching her bagel at brunch and now nursing a glass of orange juice. Not a mimosa. Just juice, and not like her at all.

Huh.

A weird little wrinkle formed in my brow as I watched her step into the Florida heat. She wasn’t staying at the apartment for a few days since there wasn’t enough room with my mom and Finn crashing at our place. Mallory had offered to stay at her friend’s apartment nearby. The night before, she sent me a text:

Can we talk tomorrow? It’s important

I’d responded:

Of course. After the draft

She replied with a simple:

Love you

I hadn’t thought much of her message in the moment. I figured she just wanted to talk about logistics, about what would happen if I got picked by a team on the other side of the country. Maybe she was nervous. I was.

But what really caught my eye about Mallory’s behavior was the not drinking. The weird vibe I was getting from her. And the something in her eyes when she looked at me, like she wanted to say more but couldn’t.

My gut twisted.

Finn nudged me with his elbow and passed me a bottle of water. “You okay?”

“Just nerves.”

“You? Nervous? Thought you were Mr. Cool?”

“Not today.”

My phone rang on the coffee table, and everyone in theroom jumped. I grabbed it off the table. The caller ID showed a Denver number. I swiped to answer, my hands shaking as I put it on speaker phone. “Hello?”