Page 74 of Offside Attraction

The way he speaks, you’d think we were teammates who respected each other. Like he wasn’t the same guy who shovedme into lockers, threatened me in hallways, pushed every boundary he could find.

But his parents are eating it up.

Even Mom and Mark smile, nodding along as if Hayes Griffin is some gracious captain welcoming me into his world.

I grip my fork tighter.

He’s playing the room.

And he’s winning.

I grit my teeth, forcing a tight smile. “Yeah,” I say, my voice colder than I intended. “Hayes has been really helpful.”

Hayes glances at me, and for a split second, the mask slips. Our eyes lock, and there it is—that familiar edge, that quiet warning simmering beneath his calm exterior. He knows exactly what he’s doing. Playing the golden boy for our parents while needling me just enough to remind me he’s still in control.

Kim chuckles, clearly entertained. “Well, I’m glad to hear you two are getting along so well. It must be nice having a new teammate shake things up a bit, right, Hayes?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Hayes replies smoothly, leaning back in his chair like he owns the room. “Dakota’s really brought something new to the team.” His gaze flicks to me, quick and deliberate. “Keeps things… interesting.”

Harper giggles, like he’s just said the funniest thing in the world. I swallow the urge to roll my eyes.

Interesting.

Yeah. That’s one word for it.

Inside, I’m boiling. I want to rip the mask off him, tell everyone at this table exactly who Hayes Griffin really is. How calculated. How cruel. How good he is at pretending.

But I don’t.

Not here. Not tonight.

I inhale slowly, fingers curling into my palms beneath the table, grounding myself. Hayes keeps playing the charmingcaptain, his parents glowing with pride. My mom smiles too—completely unaware of the tension stretched tight between us, like a wire pulled too far.

And Hayes?

He’s enjoying this. Every second of it.

But I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how deep he’s gotten under my skin.

Not tonight.

CHAPTER 17

Thenightairiscool against my skin as I step outside the mansion, already pulling a cigarette from my pocket. I hate how much I rely on these things now, but after that dinner, I need something—anything—to take the edge off. Sitting across from Hayes for hours, pretending we’re just two normal families having a pleasant evening? It’s enough to push anyone toward bad habits.

I light the cigarette and inhale deeply. The burn fills my chest, familiar and grounding, far better than the suffocating tension I left behind in that dining room. The Griffin estate stretches out before me, perfectly manicured, every inch of it screaming wealth and luxury. It’s beautiful. Immaculate.

And it makes me feel completely out of place.

Footsteps sound behind me.

I don’t turn around. I don’t need to.

That presence—heavy, intrusive—has become impossible to ignore lately.

“These things will kill you, you know?” Hayes says casually, leaning against the stone railing a few feet away. Close enough to feel. Not close enough to touch.

“Yeah,” I mutter, exhaling smoke. “Just like a million other things.”