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Violet’s throat tightened as she watched Alaric break away from his team, approaching her in strides. His pure, unguarded smile, so full of trust and excitement, made her stomach twist painfully.

Shame clawed at her, threatening to overwhelm her entirely. He didn’t know—he couldn’t possibly know. Her chest felt heavy with guilt, and for a brief moment, Violet thought she was going to be sick.

"Hey," Alaric greeted her, his voice warm and boyish, carrying the kind of unfiltered joy that only made her feel worse. His smile was the kind of thing people fought wars to protect, and she was about to shatter it.

"Hey," Violet replied, her voice shaky as she fought to calm herself. She tucked her trembling hand behind her back, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

Alaric stepped closer, cupping her face with a tenderness that nearly broke her heart.

"Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I was almost tempted to have Richmond arrested if you didn’t show up after this."

It was clearly a joke, one meant to make her laugh, but Violet could barely muster a smile. She forced her lips into a weak curve, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Her stomach churned as Alaric chuckled at his own humor, his eyes crinkling in the corners.

"I, um... I had an emergency," she lied smoothly, fidgeting under his gaze. "But it’s fine now. I’m fine."

Alaric studied her for a moment, his nose twitching. "You smell like you were tossed into a tank of perfume but If you say you’re fine," he replied, leaning in to kiss her.

Violet hesitated, every fiber of her being screaming at her to pull away. But she didn’t. Instead, she allowed his lips to meet hers, their kiss gentle and familiar. She hated how right it felt, hated how much she was betraying him with every second she let it continue.

When Alaric pulled back, his smile widened, radiating the same unguarded joy that had first drawn her to him. But Violet’s heart twisted painfully, her own smile fake. She felt like a betrayer, a liar, and the weight of it was almost too much to bear.

He deserves better, Violet thought bitterly. He deserves someone who won’t hurt him like this. Someone who will love him without this guilt hanging over them.

But now wasn’t the time to break his heart.

This wasn’t the moment to tell him the truth, not when he needed to focus on his games, even if it was just training.

And she couldn’t possibly do it here, in public, where everyone could see.

Alaric didn’t deserve that level of humiliation, not from her. Neither was she that cruel.

"That was just a kiss to temporarily satiate my hunger," Alaric said with a husky voice as he leaned close to her ear. "We’ll spend more time together at the party later, my little minx."

His words were loaded, but Violet had no choice but to play along. She forced a playful smirk onto her face, hiding the anxiety inside of her. "I can’t wait, thunderboy."

The nickname made Alaric’s grin widen, and for a moment, she swore she saw a flicker of lightning in his eyes. The air around them suddenly felt charged, static dancing along her skin.

"Alaric Storm!" Coach Harrington’s voice bellowed across the field, snapping them out of the moment. "I’ll shove a thunderbolt up your ass if you don’t bring that said ass back to this field right now!"

Alaric burst into laughter, and despite the guilt gnawing at her, Violet couldn’t help but laugh too. It was impossible not to, even as her heart ached. Before she could blink, Alaric stole another kiss, this one brief yet deep, leaving her breathless.

"See you later, minx," he called over his shoulder as he jogged back to the field, his laughter echoing behind him.

The crowd, clearly entertained by their interaction, cheered and whistled, feeding off the playful energy of the moment.

Violet felt her cheeks flush, but her focus was on Alaric as he ran back to his team.

She caught herself watching the way his ass moved.

Really good ass... nope, not going there, she scolded herself.

Violet didn’t even know she was still smiling until her eyes connected with Asher’s across the bustling field and the emotion immediately died off as if the very life had been drained out of it.

His expression was completely unreadable, but the intensity of his stormy gaze was unmistakable.

It pierced through her like a blade, cutting through the brief joy she’d felt.

Violet’s scowl deepened, but Asher didn’t flinch.

He simply held her gaze for a moment longer before looking away, turning his attention to the coach.

Violet let out a shaky breath and turned away, only to find Natalie watching her with a scrutinizing gaze that nearly made her jump. The girl’s stare was unnervingly sharp, as though she could see straight through Violet’s carefully constructed facade.

She ignored her and sat down. They both stayed in silence for a moment before Natalie broke it.

"You and Alaric are well-suited for each other," she said, her tone casual yet pointed. "Your chemistry is explosive."

"Thank you," Violet replied stiffly, her gaze fixed on the field.

"But there seems to be trouble in paradise, doesn’t there?"

Violet’s head snapped toward Natalie, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You seem awfully interested in me," she said, her voice edged with wariness.

"Only because you’re interesting," Natalie said with a shrug, her tone light. "Not many people hold my attention like this."

"Hold your attention?" Violet mused over those words, her brows raised as she studied the girl’s expression carefully. "The way you speak, I almost think you’re the Oracle. The gossipmonger also seems quite interested in me."

Natalie’s eyes gleamed with amusement at the accusation, her lips curving into a sly smile. "The question is... am I?"

Both ladies locked eyes, the tension between them intense. Neither of them spoke, but the challenge and suspicion hung in the air.