Ezekiel's POV
I sat perched on my truck's hood, drumming my fingers against the warm metal surface while my thoughts churned restlessly.
Ximena's voice echoed in my head like a broken record that refused to stop playing.
Living in Anton's shadow was difficult... but living in yours was worse.
Each time those words surfaced, they hit me like a punch to the gut. I never understood how deeply my silence had wounded her. How much my cowardice had destroyed.
Voices shouting across the parking lot jolted me back to reality. Players were making their way toward the locker room, carrying their helmets casually, their conversations filled with the usual bravado and jokes. The familiar pattern. The expected rhythm.
But somehow, nothing felt familiar anymore.
That's when I caught sight of Anton.
