RYKER’S POV
After dropping Lila near her dorm—ensuring we parted ways a block before the main entrance to keep up the mysterious vibe—I walked back to the field house.
Before heading inside for the team meeting, I sat on the bleachers and looked at the picture one last time.
Just a hand.
A coffee cup.
Nothing special.
Nothing revealing.
Nothing dangerous.
It was exactly what Parker had asked for. A textbook soft launch.
Yet somehow...
I couldn't stop staring at it.
My eyes kept tracing the delicate lines of her fingers, the slight curve of her wrist, remembering the way she had rolled her eyes when I told her to take off her ring. She was stubborn. Sharp. Nothing like the girls who usually tried to get my attention by nodding along to every word I said.
A small smile appeared o
