Page 18

CHAPTER 18

ZAIDEN

"W hat the fuck are we doing here?" Sterling's shoulders slumped forward. "I've been at Westbrook for three years, and I've never attended a football game." He twisted to face me, his jaw clenched, hands gesturing wildly. "Do you want to know why?"

I shook my head, not taking my eyes away from the field. I knew why we hadn't attended a football game. I didn't need him to explain it to me, but for the last few years, Ariella hadn't been on that field.

"Because hockey players don't go to football games," he continued. "And football players don't go to hockey games." He raised his voice with each word.

I rolled my eyes. I never understood why we didn't participate in other sports functions. It was all stupid, but it was the way Westbrook had been since my parents attended and probably even before that.

A buzzer sounded, echoing through the stadium, and the game stopped.

"You didn't have to come," I mumbled as my gaze followed the football team off the field.

It was halftime.

"Yes, I did." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Someone has to keep you from doing more stupid shit."

He turned around, putting his back to the field, staring up into the crowd. "Could we at least go to the top of the stadium? So no one sees us." Being here could be social suicide for someone who gave a fuck. I did not.

We stood at the first level; the metal bars and a short drop were the only things separating us from the field. I'd spent enough time watching her practice to know exactly where she'd be.

"Zaiden." Sterling's voice cut through the crowd noise. I kept my eyes fixed on the field.

Something heavy settled between my ribs, squeezing until each breath came shallow. My gaze fixed on the spot where Kacie should have stood. This had been her and Ariella's dream since they were little girls, practicing routines in our backyard, giggling until sunset.

And now, because of Ariella, Kacie would never get the chance.

My hands curled into fists, fingernails carving half-moons into my palms until the skin threatened to break. The pain was welcome—something tangible to focus on besides the fury pulsing behind my eyes.

Bass thundered through the stadium as the dance team emerged from the shadows of the tunnel, a flash flood of black and red. Their bodies caught the stadium lights—glittering Predators logos stretched across heaving chests, crimson streaks racing down toned legs as they claimed the field with synchronized precision.

My gaze followed the line, knowing exactly where Ariella would be.

She waved to the crowd, a huge smile plastered on her face, as she found her place. As her eyes swept across the ground-level seats, she froze. Our gazes locked.

Her smile vanished, replaced by something cold and raw.

The corner of my mouth hitched upward, satisfaction spreading through me. Let her dance, knowing I was watching. Let her wonder when I'd appear next. Let her spend the night with that itch between her shoulder blades that comes from knowing you were being hunted.

The music transitioned, and Ariella's head dropped as she got into position. On cue, her head popped up, and her show smile was back in place as her hips moved to the music.

When Ariella was in her element, she owned that field. My chest tightened with a familiar ache.

Suddenly, I was in high school again, leaning against the metal bars of the bleachers, watching her dance. I'd been obsessed with her for as long as I could remember.

But she was my little sister's best friend.

"Stay away from Ariella," Kacie had begged me. "Promise me, Zaiden."

And I tried. God knows I tried.

Ariella leaned forward before flipping her head up, her long blonde hair flying everywhere. If this had been before, her eyes would have met mine, but not this time. Now, she purposefully avoided me. She spun around to the opposite side of the field, and my gaze dropped to her ass, following as it moved with the beat.

My teeth sank into my bottom lip as heat pooled low in my body, the familiar ache of wanting someone I shouldn't. The contradiction twisted inside me—how the same person could simultaneously make my blood boil with rage and my skin burn with desire. Each beat of the music pulled her body into movements that felt like they were designed specifically to torture me.

The crowd cheered the girls on, and something about the fact that other men were watching Ariella triggered something dark inside me.

The music ended, and the girls froze, their big smiles and wide eyes staring up into the stadium.

"Can we fucking go now?" Sterling growled.

The girls ran off the field, and the announcer came over the speaker, announcing the cheerleaders.

"Yeah." I pushed off the metal bars, my gaze lingering on the tunnel where Ariella had disappeared. "Let's get out of here."

"Thank you." Sterling threw his hands up dramatically, eyes rolling toward the stadium lights. "Let's go meet the guys at Hawk's party."

"Nah," I shook my head. "I'm going home."

"To the frat house?"

"No." The bike keys bit into my palm as I gripped them tighter. "To my dad's."

Sterling's "Whatever, bro" bounced off my back as I shouldered through the heavy exit doors. His footsteps veered in the opposite direction.

The cool night air hit my face as I entered the parking lot. My phone chimed in my pocket.

I pulled it out and groaned as 'Mom' scrolled across the screen.

My thumb hovered over the phone, her name flashing like a warning. A year of these calls, and every conversation still felt like moving chess pieces between two kingdoms at war. I took a deep breath and answered, already mentally preparing myself for whatever battle she was recruiting me for this time.

"Hello." I sighed, the cool metal of my bike beneath me.

"Hey, honey." Her voice came through too bright, too chipper, the artificial sweetness crackling through the speaker.

"When are you going to be at your dad's again?"

I blew out a heavy sigh. This was what all our conversations consisted of. She wanted me to tell my dad something or find something in the house.

"I have no idea," I lied. "What do you need?" I stopped in front of my bike.

"I need you to let me know when the house will be empty." I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "I'm missing some of Kacie's things, and I want them back."

"What are you missing, Mother?" I kept my voice steady.

"It's just a few sentimental things that I thought I had, but I don't. They are probably in the garage. I would prefer to come get them."

There was nothing left of Kacie's in the house except a small keepsake box my father kept with pictures, a few things that were special to him, and one picture that still hung in his office. Everything else was gone. I knew nothing was left in the garage, which meant she wanted to start trouble with Ariella's mom and my dad.

I pressed my lips into a tight line as I decided how I wanted to handle this. "Mom, Dad and Claire don't want you in the house anymore." I honestly wouldn't care, except I didn't want to be in the middle anymore. "And I don't plan on going back to the house any time soon. You should call Dad to see if he can help you find whatever you're looking for."

I hoped that put an end to this bullshit.

"Your father ignores my calls." Her voice rose, that familiar edge creeping in. "So just call me next time you're at the house."

The same script, different day.

My shoulders sank. "Mom?—"

"Zaiden," she cut me off. "That is my house. I built it from the ground up with your father."

There was no point in telling her it wasn't hers anymore or arguing with her. I would lose. "I gotta go, Mom." I didn't bother waiting for a goodbye before disconnecting because it wouldn't come.

A part of me felt sorry for my mom and her situation. She'd lost her daughter and then found out my dad was having an affair with her best friend. What my dad and Claire did to her was wrong, but I didn't want to be in the middle of it.