Page 11 of Make Me Yours

She’s barely able to take her eyes off Knox long enough to meet my stare. “Sure. I know who all of you are.”

“Perfect,” Knox says. “How’d you like to?—”

And that would be my cue to leave.

I rise from my seat before the question is fully out of his mouth. The last thing I need is pity sex.

Little do these clowns know that it’s been way more than a few weeks since I slept with a woman.

Try eighteen months on for size.

I drag a hand down my face, unable to believe it’s been that long.

“I’m going to grab another beer from the bar,” I mutter,wanting to get away from this conversation. None of these guys understand the depth of my feelings for Lilah. Once I finally came to terms with it myself, there didn’t seem much point in getting tangled up with other women.

Even if it’s just to blow off a little steam.

“Come on, Sanderson, don’t run away like that,” Knox calls after me, humor simmering in his voice.

I flip him the bird and keep on moving.

3

LILAH

The scent of beer, fried food, and something sweet—maybe caramelized onions from the kitchen—wraps around me as I push open the heavy wooden door of The Rail Yard.

Normally, it’s comforting in a way that feels like home.

Tonight, the sights and sounds around me barely register. My legs feel like lead, and my body is running on fumes as my mind replays the moment I walked in on Devon. My hands shake as I bury them in my jacket pockets, not to ward off the chill but to keep my emotions in check.

Any second, I’m going to crumble.

I scan the crowd inside. It’s not a surprise to find the place packed. Game nights are always like this. All the diehard fans want to celebrate with the team.

For just a moment, my heart clenches with the fear that he won’t be here.

What will I do then?

Even though I’ve been operating on autopilot, I need to find Steele. When my world is falling apart, he’s the only one able to comfort me.

It never crossed my mind that I might not be able to find him.

Or that he might be otherwise engaged. That thought settles at the bottom of my belly like a heavy stone. It’s enough to have bile rising in my throat.

I pause as my gaze lands on a few of his teammates. The first is Laiken, the Railers’ goalie. He’s older, probably around thirty-three or thirty-four. He’s handsome in a gruff way, and quiet. I’ve always found the scruff on his face attractive. He’s the kind of guy who likes to keep to himself. It’s actually a surprise that he’s here since he has a young daughter who’s the focus of his life. If that doesn’t melt your heart, then you’re made of stone.

Then there’s River Thompson. He’s blond, blue-eyed, and muscular. We didn’t attend the same college, but his twin sister is married to Maverick McKinnon, one of Steele’s former college teammates from Western University. River’s deep in conversation with Knox McNichols as a handful of women vie for their attention.

No surprise there.

I can only imagine that both of their apartments are a revolving door of females.

Oliver—“the big O” as he’s known by the Railers fans—Van Doren and Jaxon Wilder have their heads bent together as they laugh. A few groupies hang on their arms.

Just when I consider turning around and walking out of the bar, I catch sight of Steele. There’s a frown on his face as he stares down at his phone. Laiken claps him on the shoulder and points in my direction. Steele’s head snaps up before swiveling toward me.

As soon as our gazes collide, everything inside me loosens.