Page 26

KAI

A FEW MONTHS LATER

I lean back in my chair, cracking my neck, exhaustion settling deep into my bones. The room is quiet, the only glow coming from my laptop screen. The official roster for the upcoming season stares back at me.

New transfers. Rising talent. Leadership appointments.

I skim through it absently, barely paying attention. My mind is elsewhere.

Back home.

Family.

The stress I’ve been drowning in.

My eyes flick past the assistant captain announcement—then snap back.

Dylan Porter.

Something stirs deep in my chest. The name is familiar. But it doesn’t immediately click.

It’s like a song lyric on the tip of my tongue. Something I should know. Something that should mean something.

I frown, clicking on the headshot next to the name.

I study the photo. The sharp jawline. The piercing confidence in her gaze. The way she carries herself—strong, unshaken, ready for war.

A slow, nagging déjà vu creeps in.

I know that face.

But…why does it feel different?

My brain tries to place her, but the image won’t stick. It’s like looking at a puzzle with missing pieces.

Like I should know her. Like I should remember.

But I don’t.

I exhale sharply, dragging a hand down my face. It’s just the stress. Too much on my plate. Too many sleepless nights. Too much pressure from every angle.

My heart kicked a little harder when I saw her name—but that doesn’t mean anything.

Right?

It’s just another player. Just another teammate.

I don’t know any female rugby players other than the ones at this club, and it looks like she’s coming in from out of town. She probably just reminds me of someone.

Maybe a player I’ve gone up against in a match. Maybe a face I saw in a crowded bar, in the blur of too many drinks and half-forgotten nights. Maybe nothing at all.

I shake my head, trying to clear it, trying to convince myself it’s just a coincidence. But something lingers. Something won’t let go.

I shut the laptop. Push it from my mind.

It’s nothing.

But deep down, in the quiet part of me I don’t listen to…

I know.

It’s not nothing.

That name. That face.

I’ve seen her before.

And fate?

I can’t help but think that fate isn’t done with us yet.

Ready for more rugby action? Check out the next book in this series, Rucked !