Page 118 of Too Far

He’s not out.

He’sneverbeen out.

I’m so fucking mad at him for playing the martyr, for trying to fix everything on his own, for abandoning what we share because of some twisted ideal of sacrifice and love.

He stares long enough that the others turn and follow his line of sight. The energy shifts as I step into the room.

Locke holds one arm out, and I go to him. He holds me close and brings his mug to my lips so I can take a sip.

“Hey, Hot Girl. Did you sleep okay?”

Nodding, I pull the blanket around myself tighter. “It’s cold down there.”

I nuzzle into his chest and wrap my arms around his waist. Leaning against him fully, I let him take my weight, something I haven’t done for a long time because he’s been in so much pain.

“Okay?” I ask, peeking up at him to look for signs of discomfort.

“All good,” he promises with a soft smile and a kiss on the head.

“Why is Decker here?” I ask through a yawn. “And why are we fighting before breakfast?”

“We’ve already had breakfast. We saved you some.” Kylian’s eyes are set on me, but I can’t make sense of his agitation.

I need more coffee.

As I gingerly take Locke’s mug out of his hands and bring it to my lips, Kylian continues.

“Decker was just sharing some interesting revelations about his NIL deals and upcoming commitments.”

He stops there. His tone is short. Accusatory. Kylian isn’t usually sarcastic or purposely obtuse.“Meaning?” I press.

“That’s what I want to know,” Locke mutters. “What does all of that mean for us?”

Kylian raises his brows at Decker. Decker glares back in response.

Kendrick flattens his hands on the table and clears his throat. “Cap has a multiyear contract with HiDef Enterprises, which owns several big apparel and merchandise brands. They also own SportsZone, NewsAction Now, and a national sports bar chain.”

“Is something wrong with the contract?” Locke presses.

Decker pulls the chair he was just leaning on away from the table and sinks into the seat, digging his elbows into the wooden tabletop. “The whole thing’s fucked.”

He roughs a hand down his face and scans us, wearing a hard, tortured scowl.

“Once I realized just how intrusive the SportsZone feature deal was, I hired outside counsel to review my other contracts. They’re looped. All of them. Everything I’ve committed to over the last few years is interconnected in a way I didn’t truly understand when I signed the contracts at eighteen. Our monthly appearances. Long-standing brand partnerships. It’s all interlinked. If I cancel or attempt to renegotiate anything, we could lose it all.”

Kylian speaks up this time and paces to one end of the table. “He’s trapped. We’re trapped. Each deal is stacked in a way that affects the others. Ending the feature coverage early was a breach of contract. SportsZone issued a warning, like we expected they would. But what’s at stake is so much more than we realized.”

When he’s made it to the other end of the table, he spins on his heel and plants his feet.

“It’s not just his deals. It’s K’s. Yours.” Kylian nods at Locke. “All current revenue streams for the three of you will dry up if Decker is in breach of contract again.”

Kendrick looks to Decker, his dark eyes swimming with unease. “The girls’ tuition for next semester is due at the end of this month.”

Decker sits up, nodding solemnly. “I know.”

I’m not the most financially savvy person. The most money I’ve ever had to my name was the forty-two hundred dollars Alice left me when she died. But the guys have been doing these NIL deals and appearances for years.

“Don’t you have savings?” I ask. “Earnings from past deals you can use, or—”