Burke’s Little Secret

C-5 P-5

The heavy metal door of the locker room hissed open, and the familiar scent of damp turf, sweat, and body spray washed over me. I walked in, tossing my gym bag onto the bench, but stopped dead in my tracks when I heard the low, tense voices coming from the far corner by the showers.

Noah and Levi had Carter cornered against a row of lockers.

The twins stood side by side, their massive frames completely eclipsing the sophomore wide receiver. It wasn't an official team meeting; it was an interrogation.

"I'm just saying, man, we saw you hovering around her in the kitchen last night," Levi said, his voice dropping into that quiet, dangerous register he used when he was dead serious. He crossed his arms, stepping an inch closer. "We let her do her own thing, but that doesn't mean we aren't watching. What are your intentions with Annabeth?"

Carter held his hands up in a placating gesture, though he didn't look particularly shaken. He shifted his weight, a casual, lazy smirk touching the corner of his lips. "Whoa, chill out, you guys. She’s definitely hot, I'm not denying that. But I’m not gonna break bro code for a girl. We just talked. It's not that deep."

A sudden, sharp heat flared up the back of my neck. My hands balled into fists inside my hoodie pockets.

She's definitely hot. The casual, dismissive way the word left Carter's mouth made my jaw clench so hard my teeth ached. He was talking about Annabeth like she was just some prize to be won or a checklist item, completely oblivious to who she actually was. And the comment about 'bro code'—as if the only thing keeping him away from her was some unwritten rule among guys, and not her own choice or her own value.

I took a step forward, the urge to slam my locker door shut to break up the conversation nearly overwhelming me. I wanted to walk over there, shove myself between them, and tell Carter to keep her name out of his mouth completely.

But I forced my feet to stay glued to the floor. Noah and Levi were already handling it, and if I jumped in now, showing exactly how much Carter's comment irritated me, the twins would immediately turn their suspicion on me. I had to play it cool, even if every instinct I had was screaming at me to defend her.

Levi didn't even flinch at Carter's excuse. He stepped into Carter’s personal space, his eyes narrowing into cold slits as he leveled a look at both Carter and me.

"I don't care about your bro code," Levi said, his voice dropping into a lethal, quiet whisper that cut right through the locker room chatter. "Both of you listen to me right now. You stay away from Annabeth. If either of you messes with her head, or makes her feel uncomfortable, the upcoming game is going to be the absolute least of your worries. Am I clear?"

The threat hung heavy in the air, thick and unyielding. Carter’s smirk finally vanished, his posture going rigid against the metal lockers. I kept my face entirely blank, forcing myself not to react, even though my heart was hammering against my ribs. Levi wasn't just warning Carter—he was sending a direct shot across my bow, too.

Before anyone could say another word, the heavy door to the coaches' office slammed open.

"Alright, listen up!" Coach yelled, his clipboard smacking against his thigh as he marched into the center of the room. "Quit standing around flapping your jaws. We've got tape to watch and drills to run. Pads on in five minutes, let's go!"

The tension broke instantly as the rest of the team started scrambling, pulling jerseys over their heads and slamming locker doors shut. Noah and Levi gave Carter one last lingering look before turning on their heels to head toward their own lockers.

I let out a slow, quiet breath, grabbing my helmet. The interrogation was over for now, but the warning was ringing loud and clear in my ears. The stakes had just gotten a whole lot higher.