Page 199 of On the Breakaway

Liam spots me and stops walking, placing a hand over his heart. His eyes glint, and even I can resist grinning as he sighs dramatically.

“You didn’t tell me. My soul sister lied to me.”

I wipe the lingering tear from my cheek and shove him.

“I’m sorry.”

“The betrayal. The disrespect.”

A laugh escapes Harper, and even Nathan looks amused.

“I had to find out from Wyatt that you're sleeping with Grayson? You could’ve warned me.”

“I’m literally apologizing.”

Liam points at me and whines. “What does he have that I don’t?”

I smirk, eyebrow quirking. “You really want me to answer that?”

A chorus of ‘no’s’ rings out around me, louder from Sloane and Katie as expected.

The smile falls from my face as the mood sobers.

“How is he?”

“Not great,” Nathan says. “Probably best to give him a minute.”

I stare at the locker room doors, knowing that Grayson is right on the other side. My mind flashes through every single time he refused to let me run. Every time he waited for me or came after me when I tried to push him away. If he hadn’t done any of it, we would’ve never made it past a grocery store run-in.

So, maybe he does need space. And he can have it right now, but when he walks through those doors, I’m going to be right here.

“You guys should go.” I motion to the door.

“You’re not coming?” Wesley asks.

I shake my head. “He waited for me. So, I’m waiting for him.”

Harper smiles, but something about it seems heavy.

A line of hugs later, and I’m left sitting alone on the bench. The hallway gets quieter until even the arena staff disappear. The TVs mounted overhead stop showing post-game coverage. The cleaning crews begin making their rounds.

And still, I sit.

The locker room door finally opens again, nearly an hour later.

My heart jumps into my throat, but then plummets to the ground.

Wyatt’s suit jacket is slung over one shoulder, tie loosened around his neck as he walks out of the locker room. His eyes land on me right away, and aside from looking more irritated than usual, he doesn’t seem surprised to find me here.

I push to my feet. “Is he okay?”

Wyatt lets out a laugh that contains absolutely zero humor.

“What do you think?”

I wince. “Right.”

He stares at me. “If you’re planning on giving him a harder time tonight, can you not? He’s being hard enough on himself.”