Page 2 of The Defender

I jerked my head up. “What?”

“Legends. You down?”

“Um.” I tried to think through the buzzing in my ears. It was funny how a single reminder could flip my mood upside down. “Nah. You guys go. I’m calling it a night.”

Asher’s brows pulled together. “You okay? You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine, just tired. Adrenaline crash, I think.”

He didn’t look convinced. “Tell me if you’re about to have a heart attack or something. Scarlett would never forgive me if I let you die in the middle of the street.”

I cracked a small smile. Besides being our team’s star striker, he was also my sister Scarlett’s boyfriend.

Asher and I were once massive rivals, but we developed a begrudging friendship after he transferred to Blackcastle from Holchester and started dating my sister. I was convinced she used him to spy on me sometimes because, well, she was my sister, and sisters were universally nosy.

“I promise I’m not going to drop dead.” I reluctantly handed Truffle back to Stevens. I’d adopt him for the weekend, but I’d already “kidnapped” him from Stevens’s parents earlier when Stevens took them around to meet the team. “I’ll see you guys on Monday, okay? Enjoy Legends.”

The other players groaned and complained good-naturedly about me abandoning them, but they didn’t stop me from hailing the next taxi home.

I sank into the back seat and gave the driver my address. Thankfully, he either didn’t recognize me or didn’t make a fuss of it because he simply started driving, no questions asked.

THE DAY (Do Not Contact).

I rubbed a hand over my face. I couldn’t shake the reminder from my brain, and I hated how much power it held over me after all these years. More than that, I hatedmyselffor giving it that power in the first place.

My phone vibrated. I shot upright, my heart rate skyrocketing to dangerous levels. It was completely improbable, but maybe?—

No. It was just Scarlett.

I wiped a hand over my face again and took a calming breath before I answered.

“You picked up.” Her surprise was evident over the laughter and what sounded like a truck backing up in the background. “I thought you’d still be out with the team.”

“Nah.” I forced an even tone. “They went to Legends, but I wasn’t feeling it so I’m going home.”

“Since when do you turn down an excuse to party?”

“Since I’m not twenty-one anymore.”

“Please. Don’t act like you’ve grown upthatmuch when you spent two weeks in Ibiza over the summer.”

“Hey, you don’t know what I did in Ibiza. Don’t assume.”

“Everyone knows what you did, Vincent. It was in the tabloids.”

“Yeah, because tabloids are famous for being the arbiters of truth.”

Scarlett scoffed, but her voice softened with her next question. “How are you holding up?”

My shoulders bunched. Of course.Thatwas why she called. She was the only other person in the world who knew about my fixation on October third.

“Fine,” I lied. “I barely thought about it. Too distracted by today’s match.”

To her credit, she let my blatant lie slide. I don’t think she expected me to tell the truth; she just wanted to make sure I knew she was there if and when I spiraled.

“Good,” she said. “I’m here if you need me.”

“I know. Love ya, sis.”