CROSSFIRE

Episode 2

Knox's POV

“Wake up, asshole. The coach wanted your ass in his office an hour ago.”

I groaned before I even opened my eyes.

My head throbbed so badly like someone had taken a bat to my skull, and my mouth tasted like whiskey. For a second, I just lay there, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, trying to remember where the hell I was.

I wasn't in my apartment, or my bed, definitely not somewhere respectable.

Then I felt warm skin on both sides of me that made me go still.

Slowly, I turned my head.

A brunette was curled against my left side, her lipstick smeared, one leg thrown over the sheets like she’d paid rent there.

I looked to my right, a blonde, bare shoulder, smudged eyeliner and my hoodie on her.

I closed my eyes again, trying to process everything.

Jesus Christ!

“What the hell,” I muttered.

Laughter broke out somewhere in the house, followed by the heavy sound of male voices and a hockey game blasting from a downstairs TV and that was when it clicked.

Mason's place. He was one of my teammates and we had won last night. There had been drinks, noise, girls and a blur of hands and someone yelling about a keg stand. After that? Nothing.

I scrubbed a hand down my face and sat up, the movement making both girls stir.

“Good morning,” the brunette purred, stretching like we were in some kind of rom-com.

“It’s not,” I said flatly. “And you both needed to go.”

The blonde blinked at me, still half asleep. “Wow. You really knew how to make a girl feel special.”

I swung my legs off the bed and stood, ignoring the fact that I was in nothing but sweatpants and a hangover. “That would’ve mattered if I’d promised something special.”

The brunette sat up too, frowning. “Are you serious? After last night?”

I grabbed my shirt off the floor. “Especially after last night.”

The blonde let out a huff and slid off the bed. “You literally asked for my number again.”

“I was drunk.”

“You called me back after I left the room.”

I paused, shirt halfway over my head because that sounded like me, unfortunately. Still, I just shrugged. “Then drunk me had terrible taste in decision-making.”

The bedroom door swung open before either of them could say more, and Mason leaned against the frame with zero shame and all the annoyance in the world.

“f**k face, coach called again,” he said. “And if you don’t get downstairs in the next thirty seconds, I’m telling him you died doing what you loved.”

I pulled my shirt down with a snort. “He wouldn’t believe that.”

“True. Too many women survived the night.”

One of the girls cursed him out on her way past, the other muttering something about me being a jackass as they gathered their things and left.

I reached for my phone on the nightstand and stared at the text I had gotten last night from Nia, a cocky smile plastering on my face.

It said; “Can you come get me? Please don’t leave me here with him. I can’t do this tonight, Carter.”

I headed downstairs, but Nia’s text kept replaying in my head with that smug smile.

She'd sent me a text meant for Carter..

My brother had been a lot of things over the years—charming, talented, selfish, manipulative—but last night? Last night he’d been worse, because I had seen her face at that party.

Seen the way she looked at him like he was still the boy she'd thought the future with, even while he stood there making a fool out of her with Lila hanging off his arm.

But I guess, Nia changed.

She wasn't the girl I knew anymore and she was honestly the cause of my drunkenness last night.

By the time I got to campus, I was already in a foul mood as I pushed her thoughts away.

I shoved a hand through my hair as I got into the athletic building, walking towards Coach Miller's office, expecting another lecture about attendance, grades, or how ‘image’ needed work.

What I wasn't expecting…was Nia.

She was standing outside the office in jeans and an oversized cream sweater, books gripped against her chest, her dark hair tied in a bun. She looked tired with no makeup or a smile.

But still beautiful enough to make my thoughts derail for half a second.

She looked up when she heard my footsteps and froze as well. That soft, stunned look only lasted a second before her face hardened.

Then she turned and pushed open the office door while I followed her in.

Coach Miller looked between us and sighed like he was already regretting every life choice that had led him here. “Perfect,” he said. “Both of you, sit.”

“I’m not sitting,” Nia said immediately.

The coach ignored that. “Knox, your grades are a disaster. Your attendance is hanging by a thread. And your reputation?” He leaned back in his chair. “Let’s just say if one more donor’s daughter complains about you, I’ll personally drag you off the ice.”

I dropped into the chair anyway, slouching on purpose. “Morning to you too, Coach.”

“This isn’t a joke.”

Nia stayed standing, clearly wanting out.

He then pointed at her. “Miss Bennett is one of the top students in the department. Responsible for a clean record. Tutor on the academic support list.”

I already knew where this was going and I hated how much sense it made.

“No,” Nia said before he could finish.

Coach blinked. “Excuse me?”

“No.” She hugged her books tighter. “I’m not tutoring him.”

I almost laughed and Coach Miller pinched the bridge of his noise. . “Nia…”

“I said no.”

He turned to me like this was somehow my fault. “You see this? This is your reputation. You have made yourself such a problem that the only girl on campus who doesn’t run from you still doesn’t want to be near you.”

That one landed so much harder than I expected.

He continued, “If your grades don’t come up, your scholarship is gone. If your behavior doesn’t improve, sponsorship interest disappears. You’re talented, Knox, but talent doesn’t save idiots forever.”

Sponsorships, scholarship, ice time and my future.

Everything I’d worked for since I was old enough to hold a stick suddenly felt a lot less untouchable, and responsible Nia was apparently my golden ticket.

Nia’s jaw tightened in obvious anger. “I’m leaving.”

Coach sighed. “Miss Bennett….”

But she was already gone and I was on my feet before he could say another word. “Knox,” Coach barked as he pointed at the door Nia just passed.

“She was perfect, smart, and reliable. A Good influence. Exactly the kind of student who could help clean up your image.”

Nia was halfway down the hallway when I caught up to her. She was moving fast, with her head down.

“Nia.”

But she didn’t stop.“Nia.” Still nothing.

I caught her wrist at the corner and pulled her into the empty stretch of wall beside the stairwell before I could think better of it.

She gasped, books shifting in her arms, eyes flashing as her back hit the wall.“Let go of me.”

I stepped in close, one hand braced beside her head, close enough to look inappropriate from a distance and close enough to make people stare.

And sure enough, across the hallway, Carter looked up and our eyes locked on us.

I leaned closer, my mouth near her ear, like I was whispering something filthy.“Keep your eyes on your boyfriend,” I murmured.

Her breath caught right at that instant.

“See that?” I said softly. “He’s watching now.”

“Knox…”

“If I wanted, I could make him look at you all day.”

She tried to shove at my chest, but I barely moved. From the outside, it looked like flirting or maybe more and that was exactly what I wanted.

“Get off me,” she hissed.

“You sent me a text last night.” I whispered, and I felt the shock go through her body.

“What?”

“You thought I was Carter.” I leaned in, lips brushing the shell of her ear just enough to make the whole hallway suck in a breath. “You asked me to come get you. You told me not to leave you with him.”

Her face was drained of color. “Delete it.” She snapped with fear.

“I might.”

“Knox.”

“Or,” I said smoothly, “you could tutor me.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re blackmailing me?”

“I’m negotiating.”

“You’re insane.”

“Frequently.”

She glared at me, furious and embarrassed and far too pretty for my own good.

I should’ve told her the truth—that Coach wanted her because she could help make me look less like a walking scandal. That I needed the grades, the scholarship and also the sponsorships.Instead, I gave her something else.

“You tutor me,” I murmured, still keeping up the show for everyone watching, “and I’ll make my brother want you. I know my brother. I know exactly how to get under his skin. I can make him obsess. Make him chase. Make him pant after you.” My gaze dropped to her mouth for half a second before I dragged it back up. “I can make him regret every second he ever made you feel small.”

Her eyes narrowed right that minute. “And if I say no?”

I leaned in just enough to make the entire hallway buzz.

“Then I’d let you keep crying over a man who doesn’t deserve it.”

There was a brief silence before Nia lifted her chin, stared me dead in the eye, and asked the one thing I hadn’t expected.“What makes you think I want Carter back?”