POV: Ethan
Ethan's pulse hammered as the silence stretched after Alex ran. Mateo's words replayed in his head, each one striking harder than the last.
He doesn't need to know.
Need to know what?
Alex had avoided his eyes, shoulders drawn so tight they looked painful. Lips pressed into a line like speaking might physically hurt. And Mateo had stood like a guard between them, steady, unflinching. Protective in a way that went beyond teammate loyalty or even whatever had happened between them in that dorm room.
They're hiding something. Both of them know something I don't.
"Fine," Ethan bit out, his voice coming out rougher than he intended. "Keep your secrets. But don't expect me to trust either of you."
He turned before they could answer, before he said something he'd regret. His feet carried him past the gates that led out of the athletic complex, away from the parking lot where everything had just fallen apart.
