The crowd around them buzzed with post-game energy, but Kimi felt disconnected from it all. She watched Kolton's tense shoulders as he stood near the bleachers, cigarette smoke curling around his silhouette.
"I'm not here to go home," she said when he finally acknowledged her presence. "I wanted to be here."
Kolton's jaw tightened. His dark eyes swept over her face before he deliberately looked away, pulling his phone from his pocket with sharp movements.
"What are you doing?" Kimi's voice caught when she glimpsed a familiar contact name on his screen.
"Calling your brother. He can come get you."
Her stomach dropped. "Why would he need to get me? I came here on my own."
Kolton's thumb hovered over the screen. Without meeting her eyes, he scrolled through his contacts with calculated indifference. The silence stretched between them like a taut wire.
"Fine. I'll call Malachi instead. He can tell your boyfriend to pick you up."
