Page 15 of Ice-Cold Obsession

I freeze and move closer to the door.

“I don’t know, man,” Leonardo says. “Coach just said you’re sitting out? And he didn’t give you a reason?”

“That’s bullshit,” Zyair snaps. “I’ve been playing fine. Better than fine, actually. Why the fuck would he bench me?”

“Did he say anything to you?” Taj asks.

“No. Nothing. He just said I’m out for the next game, and when I asked why, he told me it’s his decision and I should focus on staying ready for when I’m back in.”

“That’s fucking weird,” Cory says.

“Yeah, it is,” Zyair mutters. “I don’t get it. Did I do something wrong?”

“It’s probably just a technical decision,” Gabriel says. “Coach does this sometimes. He tests guys to see how they handle being benched. It’s not personal.”

“It feels personal,” Zyair says.

“I get that. But you can’t let it derail you. If you freak out or start questioning him, it’s only going to make it worse. Just stay calm, keep working, and show him you’re ready whenever he needs you.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one getting benched for no reason.”

“I know. But trust me, this isn’t about you messing up. Coach has his reasons, and he’s not going to explain them to everyone. You just have to roll with it.”

There’s some grumbling, but Zyair doesn’t argue. I can hear the frustration in his voice, but he seems to be accepting what Gabriel is saying.

I step back from the door and lean against the wall, my mind racing.

Huh.

Gabriel convinced Coach that Zyair needed time off because of family issues, and now Zyair is benched and he has no idea why.

This isn’t a coincidence.

Gabriel must have lied to Coach. He made up a story about Zyair struggling so he’d get pulled from the game, and now he’s pretending to be the supportive captain and telling Zyair to stay calm.

But why? What does Gabriel get out of benching one of his own teammates?

I think about the recording. He sounded like he truly cared, but he doesn’t. He manipulated Coach into benching Zyair, and now he’s covering his tracks and faking to be supportive.

This is exactly the kind of shit I expect he would do. Control the situation, manipulate the people around him, and make himself look good while doing it.

I don’t know what Gabriel’s endgame is, but I’m not letting this go.

He’s hiding something, and I need to find out what.

Chapter 8

SCARLETT

I FIND ZYAIR NEAR THEtraining room. He’s alone, sitting on a bench and scrolling through his phone with his jaw clenched. When he looks up and sees me, he forces a smile.

“Hey, Scarlett.”

“Hey. Do you have a minute?”

“Yeah, sure. What’s up?”

I sit down next to him and set my camera bag on the floor. “I wanted to check in with you. I heard about the benching.”