Page 10 of Offside Angle

I blink after her, confused.

Two minutes later she comes speed-walking back out wearing one of my old, oversized t-shirts and a pair of shorts. The shirt is way too big on her — it hangs off one shoulder and falls almost to mid-thigh — but somehow she still manages to look stupidly good in it. The shorts show off her legs and the edge of a tattoo peeking out near her hip.

I short-circuit for a solid three seconds.

My brain just… blue-screens.

She looks hot. Unfairly hot. In my clothes. In my house. About to come to practice with me.

Lena stops in front of me, hands on her hips, and raises an eyebrow like she knows exactly what just happened in my head. “Well?” she asks, fighting a smile. “Am I coming or not?”

I stare at her for another beat, a little dazed, then shake my head with a low chuckle. “Yeah,” I say, slightly rougher than I mean to. “You’re coming.”

She grins, clearly pleased with herself, and grabs her phone off the counter. “Good. Because I already decided I’m coming anyway.”

This girl is going to be the death of me.

When we walk into the gym, the entire room goes quiet.

Everyone stops what they’re doing. Cole freezes mid-rep. Tyler lowers his dumbbells. Even the rookies pause. And right in the middle of it all, Damian slowly turns his head from where he’s standing near the squat rack.

All eyes are on us.

More specifically, all eyes are on Lena, looking completely unbothered as she strolls in beside me.

Elias is the first to react. “LENAAA!” he screams at the top of his lungs and launches himself across the gym with all the restraint of an overexcited puppy. He tackles her into a hug hard enough to knock a startled laugh out of her, spinning her once before setting her back down. “Lena! You’re here! You’re actually here!” he says, half-yelling.

Cole just stands there gaping in open disbelief.

Damian raises one eyebrow at the scene. Then that familiar, dangerous glint appears in his eyes—the one that says hmm… fresh meat to torture.

Lena doesn’t seem remotely bothered by the attention. She claps her hands once and points at the group with immediate authority. “Alright, enough staring at my legs,” she says, deadpan. “You’ve all seen tattoos before. Start working out or I’m telling Damian to make you do extra sets.”

A few of the guys immediately turn back to their weights, muttering and laughing under their breath. Elias remains beside her, grinning broadly.

I’m standing near the door when Shane walks over, towel around his neck, smirking. “Is that your shirt?” he asks, nodding toward Lena.

I don’t even try to hide it. I just stare after her with what I’m pretty sure is a completely lovestruck look on my face. “Mhm…”

Shane snorts and claps me on the shoulder. “You’re so fucked,” he says, shaking his head as he walks away.

Damian doesn’t waste any time. He claps his hands once, loud and sharp, and the entire gym goes quiet. “Alright,” he says. “Since we have a guest tonight, we’re doing partner work. And I’m feeling generous with the pairings.”

A collective groan goes through the room.

He starts pointing people out with zero mercy.

“Cole and Viktor. Elias and Jace. Tyler and Nico. Roman and Shane. Bellamy, you’re with Moreno again — try not to let him carry you this time.”

Then he turns to me and Lena, and that evil little smirk appears. “Rivera. You’re with Vance.”

Lena’s head snaps toward him so fast I’m surprised she doesn’t get whiplash. “Wait, what—”

“You’re working,” Damian says simply, already moving to grab a set of lighter dumbbells and a medicine ball. “Nothing crazy. But you’re not sitting on the bench watching. Get moving.”

Lena stares at him, then at the equipment he just dropped in front of her like it personally offended her. She shoots me a look that very clearly says you did this.

I just raise my hands in surrender, trying not to laugh.