End Game

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Nate

I slammed the weights down, the clang rattling through the empty gym. The sound echoed, sharp and unforgiving, but it didn't clear my head. Nothing did. The night before kept replaying on a loop—confusion, tension, jealousy—it was all tangled, and no matter how hard I pushed myself, I couldn't sweat it out.

I'd gone to Aurora's dorm after the pub, still burning from the way she left me standing there with that look over her shoulder—like she wanted me to follow, like we weren't anywhere near finished. I thought I knew what was coming. I'd pictured it on the walk over: her pulling me inside, our hands on each other before the door even shut. Picking up where we left off in the bathroom, letting that fire consume us again.

But when the door opened, my fantasy shattered.

There was a guy in her room. Standing too close. Too comfortable. Every part of me went on high alert. My first reaction was pure instinct—a white-hot urge to put him on the floor. My fists actually twitched at my sides.

Then Aurora's voice cut in, sharp and fast, like she'd seen the storm building in me.
"This is my brother, Daniel."

Her brother.

The haze of jealousy thinned enough for me to actually look at him—same auburn hair, freckles scattered across his nose, the same dark brown eyes as Aurora. And suddenly I felt like an idiot. I'd been about half a second away from throwing a punch at her brother.

But the relief didn't last. Because the second he looked at me, I knew. He didn't like me. Hell, he hadn't even tried to hide it. His eyes narrowed just slightly, sharp and assessing, like he was measuring me up and already finding me lacking. "So you must be Nate," he said, and it wasn't a greeting—it was a challenge.

That one sentence hit heavy. Not because of the words, but because of what was behind them. Like he'd already heard about me and decided I wasn't worth his sister's time. Like he was daring me to prove him wrong.

And it made something in me burn hotter.

I added more plates to the bar now, gripping the steel tighter, but I couldn't shake the feeling of his eyes on me, searching for cracks. If he thought he could stare me out of Aurora's life, he had another thing coming. Still, the thought wormed into my head—if Daniel already knew, did her parents know too? Was I already a problem in their perfect little world?

And the worst part? Aurora's face when she introduced us. The way her eyes darted to me, nervous, like she was bracing for impact. Was she worried I'd lose it—or was she worried about Daniel's opinion? About what her family would think of me?

I pressed through another set, gritting my teeth. But the weight didn't feel lighter, and my chest didn't unclench. Aurora was there in my head, relentless. And deep down, I knew last night had shifted something. Whether Daniel wanted to stand in my way or not, I wasn't letting her go. But the doubt whispered anyway—that her world might be further out of reach than I wanted to admit.

I was grinding through another rep when I spotted Coach heading over. Big guy. Salt-and-pepper hair, thick mustache, all business. He didn't usually stop to talk unless there was a reason.

"Nate," he called, voice gruff as he came up beside me. "Got a minute?"

I racked the weights, grabbed a towel, unease creeping up my spine. "Sure, Coach. What's up?"

Coach crossed his arms, watching me like he was waiting to see if I'd flinch. "Just got a call from Sanders down in Florida. Says he hasn't heard back from you about that summer program. It's been over two weeks since you got the letter. What's going on?"