The final whistle blew, and the crowd erupted in cheers, but the noise barely registered in Layla’s mind. Her heart was racing for entirely different reasons. She stood by the edge of the pitch, eyes darting between the sea of players celebrating on the field. Aaron was nowhere to be seen.
A knot tightened in her chest. Where the hell is he?
She scanned the groups of players shaking hands, trading jerseys, and catching their breath, but Aaron wasn’t among them. Layla clenched her jaw, the rising panic catching her off guard. She knew she shouldn’t feel this way—Aaron was a grown man, and he’d been through worse on the field—but the fact that he’d disappeared without a word unsettled her more than she was willing to admit.
Her hand twitched, ready to approach one of the players. Mayb
