Chapter 60 Alison Releases Teaser
(Micah POV)
I should have known something was wrong the moment the locker room went quiet.
Not the normal quiet either the kind that happens when everyone is tired after practice or focused on tying their shoes. This was a different silence. Thick, wtchful like the moment before a storm breaks.
I stepped inside slowly, the strap of my duffel bag digging into my shoulder, and the conversations around the benches stopped one by one.
Someone coughed and another guy suddenly became very interested in his phone and three lockers down, two freshmen were whispering so loudly they might as well have been shouting.
“Dude, I’m telling you it’s him.”
“Shut up, he’s right there.”
My stomach tightened instantly.
“What?” I asked, forcing a laugh that sounded fake even to my own ears. “What’s going on?”
No one answered.
That was worse than if they had. Max was the first person to actually look me in the eye. He sat on the bench near the middle of the room, elbows on his knees, phone in his hands. His expression was tense, jaw tight like he’d been grinding his teeth for the last hour.
The moment our gazes met, something in his eyes shifted, concern.
“Micah,” he said quietly.
The way he said my name made my chest tighten.
“What?” I asked again.
Max hesitated.
That was the moment my pulse started racing.
Because Max never hesitated.
“Show him,” someone muttered behind me.
My stomach dropped and then Max slowly stood up.
“Maybe not here,” he said carefully. A bitter laugh came from the corner.
“Oh please,” another player said. “It’s already everywhere.”
Everywhere, the word echoed in my head like a gunshot.
“What’s everywhere?” I demanded.
Max ran a hand through his hair, then he turned his phone toward me.
“Just… look.”
My hands felt strangely numb as I took the phone, the screen was open to social media. A post from Alison, my breath caught immediately.
Her username stared back at me like a threat.
The caption was short, too short.
“Funny how some people reinvent themselves when they run away from their past, but secrets don’t stay buried forever. Tick tock.”
Under the caption was a blurred photo, not clear enough to see everything but clear enough to recognize the setting and my throat closed instantly.
“No,” I whispered.
Max’s voice was quiet beside me.
“Micah…”
I couldn’t breathe, the photo was from my old school. I knew it instantly, the hallway, the lockers, the stupid blue tiles on the floor. My vision blurred as memories slammed into me without warning, shouting and then grabbing my shirt.
Someone laughing and then a voice yelled.
“Look at him!” My fingers started shaking.
“No,” I repeated weakly.
Max stepped closer.
“Hey, look at me,” he said softly, but I couldn’t because the comments under the post were already multiplying. Hundreds of them, speculating, guessing and digging.
“Wait is that Kings University?”
“Isn’t that the new guy on the team?”
“Looks like Micah Carter.”
“What did he do??”
My stomach twisted violently.
“They’re going to find out,” I whispered. Max grabbed the phone gently from my hand.
“Not if we handle this now.”
“You don’t understand.”
My voice came out strangled.
“You don’t understand what happens if people know.” Max’s grip on my shoulder tightened.
“Then tell me.” I shook my head frantically.
“I can’t.”
The locker room suddenly felt too small,too loud and every whisper sounded like a scream. I could feel eyes on me everywhere, judging, watching and waiting. My chest tightened painfully as my breathing turned shallow.
“I need air,” I muttered.
Before anyone could stop me, I turned and walked out, actually, no. I ran. The hallway outside the locker room was empty. Thank God.
My footsteps echoed loudly against the floor as I pushed through the exit doors and stepped into the cold afternoon air. My hands were shaking so badly I had to lean against the wall.
“She promised she wouldn’t,” I whispered to myself.
But Alison never promised anything, she threatened, blackmailed, manipulated and now she had started.
The door behind me opened suddenly.
“Micah!” Max’s voice. Of course it was him but I didn’t turn around.
“Go away,” I said hoarsely.
Footsteps approached anyway.
“Not happening.” Max stopped beside me.
“You look like you’re about to pass out.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re lying.”
I let out a shaky laugh. “Congratulations. You figured it out.”
Max’s expression softened.
“Talk to me.”
I shook my head.
“You can’t fix this.”
Max stepped closer. “Let me try.”
“You can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because if people know what happened...” My voice broke and Max waited patiently.
“What happened?” he asked quietly.
I stared at the ground, the words refused to come out because saying them out loud would make it real again.
“Micah.” I flinched, not because of Max but because of the other voice.
“Enough.”
Dante.
I froze instantly, Max stiffened beside me. Neither of us had heard him approach but there he was.
Standing a few feet away with his arms crossed.
Watching us. His eyes weren’t on Max, they were locked on me. Sharp, focused and dangerous.
“Practice isn’t over,” he said calmly.
Max stepped slightly in front of me, protective. Dante noticed immediately. His gaze shifted slowly.
“Something you’d like to say?” Dante asked.
Max didn’t move.
“Micah needs a minute."
Dante’s eyebrow lifted slightly.
“A minute for what?”
Max hesitated.I felt panic claw up my throat again.
“Nothing,” I said quickly.
Dante’s eyes flicked back to me and he knew immediately.
“Micah.” Just my name, but the way he said it made my pulse spike.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
Max looked between us.
“This isn’t the time...”
Dante moved faster than I expected,his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. Not painfully, but firmly.. The sudden contact made me gasp.
“Hey...” Max started.
Dante ignored him completely, he pulled me a step closer, close enough that I could feel the heat from his body. My heart started pounding harder.
“Look at me,” he said quietly.
I tried not to but I failed. His eyes were intense, focused entirely on me like the rest of the world didn’t exist.
“You’re shaking,” he said.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not.”
Max stepped forward again. “Let him go.”
Dante didn’t even glance at him, instead, his grip on my wrist tightened slightly. Not painful, just… grounding like he was anchoring me in place.
“What did she post?” he asked softly. My stomach dropped.
“You know?”
His mouth twitched faintly.
“I know Alison.”
Max swore under his breath. “You knew about this?”
Dante finally looked at him. “Yes.”
Max’s anger flared instantly. “And you didn’t warn him?”
Dante’s gaze shifted back to me again. “I wanted to see how far she’d go.”
My breath caught, Max stared at him in disbelief.
“You’re unbelievable.” Dante ignored him, his thumb brushed lightly against the inside of my wrist. A strangely calming motion.
“Micah,” he said quietly and my throat tightened.
“Yes?” His voice dropped lower, dangerous and controlled.
“Tell me who’s doing this.” My chest rose and fell unevenly.
“You already know,” I whispered.
“Say it.”
“Alison.”
Max muttered something under his breath, but Dante’s expression didn’t change, but his grip on my wrist tightened slightly.
“What does she have on you?” I shook my head weakly.
“Something bad.” Dante leaned closer.
“How bad?” My voice cracked.
“Bad enough to destroy everything.” Max stepped forward again.
“That’s enough interrogation.” Dante’s eyes flicked toward him slowly.
“You’re still here?” Max scoffed.
“Someone has to make sure you don’t bully him.”
Dante’s lips curved faintly.
“Bully?” Max didn’t laugh.
“Let him go.”
For a moment it looked like Dante might refuse.
Then slowly, he released my wrist. But he didn’t step away, Instead he leaned closer. So close I could feel his breath against my ear.
“Listen carefully,” he murmured. A chill ran down my spine.
“She’s testing you.”
My voice came out shaky. “I know.”
Dante’s tone turned colder. “And I’m about to test her back.”
Max crossed his arms. “That sounds healthy.”
Dante ignored him again.
His eyes locked onto mine one last time.
Dark, calculating.
“Next time she posts something,” he said quietly, “I want you to tell me immediately.”
“Why?”
His smile was small and dangerous. “Because I want her to think she’s winning.”
Max frowned. “And then?”
Dante’s gaze flicked briefly toward the locker room, then back to me.
“Then we take everything from her." My pulse skipped, something in his voice made the promise feel very real, very terrifying and somehow, very comforting.