The Captain's Rule: She's Off Limits

OL

feel like if Jace Donovan looked at

t night wasn't pa

d everything would magically fall into place. But reality? Reality is heavy. It's a pounding heartbeat, wet

over the keyboard. I've been trying to read the same pa

concrete awning. I feel the burning print of his hand on my waist. I see

e screen just to do something. You're totally reading too much into it. He was just

how hard I try to rationalize it, a deep

nts, her hair pulled back into a slick ponytail. She crosses her arms, leaning against my desk. "You've

knees up to my chest. "Just...

intuition. "You look like you're having an existential crisis.

I've kept my feelings about Jace locked away in a dark corner of my heart for years, too embar

whisper, my

ractically dives onto my bed, her jaw

voice!" I hiss,

oice dropping to an aggressive whisper. "What hap

," I stammer, a hot flush creeping up my neck. "It was raining.

nd

. "He held onto my waist. And for a second... Mia, it didn't feel like he was just being my brother's friend. H

"Shut up. Jace Donovan almost kissed you? The 'I am

ng so weird," I groan, bu

ller said. But the second his eyes landed on me walking out of Alder Hall, his laughter died. He stiffened, his entire posture turning completel

. It's like he's trying to erase last night from e

clares, nodding firmly.

jection hitting my gut. "He realizes he almost crossed a line with his best f

hat because they're horrified," Mia c

I blink, pulling my hands away from my face to look at the screen. An

ia asks, leaning

en. My eyes s

ve been assigned to the Men's Varsity Hockey Team for the Fall semester. Your duties include managing study-hall logs, tracking player elig

letely catches

whisper, starin

g across her face. "You got the athletic scholarship w

ught I'd be filing papers for the swim team or tracking tennis rackets! Mia, I can

t it forces me directly into Jace's orbit. There will be no avoiding him. No hi

ur own identity and stop hiding? Well, now you're an official part of the W

veins. She's right. It's a job. It's professional. I can handle this. I just have to keep my h

o ground myself. "He's Jace. He has everything to lose. The draft, his friendship with Liam,

l, teasing expression completely leaves her f

lem is that you're falling for

wing at her tone. "The

creen, her eyes locking onto

hink Jace Donovan might