Page 52 of Too Far

She’s still side-eyeing me, looking both skeptical and unimpressed. She’s throwing major shade for such a little thing.

“Kendrick is my boyfriend. I also have special relationships with Kylian and Nicky.”

“What about Uncle Ducky?” Jade presses, finally letting her curiosity show.

I stifle a laugh. “Uncle Ducky, too. I care about all of them.” I shift against the cold metal of the bleacher, looking from one sister to the other. Solemnly, I vow, “Your brother knows how I feel. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt him or to break his trust.”

“We know, Jojo,” Jade rushes to reassure me. She links her arm through mine and rests her head on my shoulder. She’s so sweet and unassuming. I could gobble her up. I fight back the urge to kiss the top of her head—something her brother does to me often to show affection.

Cautiously, I look to Emilia.

She’s the more cynical of the two. She’s so much like Kendrick in that way. After holding eye contact for several seconds, she shrugs and turns away, dismissing the conversation.

Jade comes to my rescue once again. “Millie, don’t be rude. Kendrick hasn’t been nearly as grumpy as usual lately and you know it.”

She keeps her gaze on the field, muttering under her breath as the Crusaders set up at the line of scrimmage. Finally, she turns back to me and gives me a once-over. “That’s true.”

“If you have more questions, you could ask your brother,” I offer.

Her eyes go wide with something that looks like horror as Jade bursts out laughing.

The laughs quickly become cackles that force the bleacher seat beneath us to vibrate.

Wiping tears out of her eyes, she finally calms enough to speak. “Yeah. No.” She sucks in a breath. “We’ll take you at your word, Jojo. You might be K’s girlfriend, but you haven’t experienced him at his grumpiest until you’re his little sister pestering him about girls.”

Chapter 22

Josephine

TheCrusaderswon.Thecelebration at the end of the game was far more subdued in the stands than it is in the thick of things on the sidelines.

That anticlimactic vibe has shrouded us all night.

Nothing is wrong, but nothing feels right, either.

We’re all quiet as we trail up the dock. Kylian leads the way to the house, and I follow. Nicky and Kendrick are behind me, with Decker bringing up the rear, a physical barricade separating us from the cameraperson trailing him.

A familiar cameraperson, I realized the moment we stepped off the boat.

Red Hat Grabby Hands is on duty tonight. With each step I take across the beach and up the stairs with him on our heels, my stomach twists into tighter knots.

We made the right call, allowing him to stay. He hasn’t made a comment or so much as glanced my direction the few times I’ve noticed him with the crew.

He’s terrified of my guys, and rightfully so.

The normal postgame party is on tonight, according to Kylian, even though the game was away. Part of me dreads the chaos, but at least the commotion of a victory party at the Crusade mansion will ensure there are plenty of other targets for the cameras and likely far more interesting scenarios.

But the atmosphere around the five of us grows warier the closer we draw to the house.

It’s like the hum of humidity in the sky before a storm. Or the smell before rain.

It’s unsettling and unnerving.

I shudder from the unease. I’m not cold. I’m just… confused.

The lights are on, but there’s barely a sound coming from the house. From here, the water lapping against the dock and the boats is audible. On party nights, those subtle noises are drowned out by music and chatter.

I turn back and scan the lake, only just realizing that the ferries aren’t running.