Page 98 of Grizz

“How could you know?”Elias asks, rhetorically but no less firmly in my defense.

“The second the words left my mouth, it was like I watched him disappear,” I whisper.“Like he went somewhere else completely.And then he looked at me and said I sounded like his father and—” I break off, pressing my lips together hard.“I would never do that to him on purpose.Ever.”

Elias’s expression softens, his voice low.“I know.”

“I keep replaying it,” I say, the ice cream untouched in my lap.“Wondering if I should’ve said something different.If I should’ve just let it go.Part of me feels awful, like I opened a locked box inside him that he’s spent his whole life trying to keep sealed.”

“I think you’re being too hard on yourself, Daisy.You couldn’t have known that his dad said those same words.He needs to cut you some slack.”

I nod, because I know deep down, Elias is right.I know even deeper down in my own heart that I never meant to hurt Grizz.“I was doing my job.Ihadto intervene.That’s what Julian hired me for.That’s what the team expects.And now it feels… messy.Maybe I’m both right and wrong at the same time.”

Elias finally reaches over, taking the ice cream container from my hands before it thoroughly melts, and sets it on the coffee table.

“Daisy,” he says, turning.“Listen to me.”

My gaze drops to my wineglass for a moment before lifting to lock onto him.

“I know who you are,” he continues.“I’ve known you for a very long time.You don’t manipulate people.You don’t exploit their pain or weaponize trauma.”He holds my gaze, unwavering.“You were doing right by all parties.By the team.By the league.And yes—by Grizz, even if he can’t see that right now.”

My eyes sting and I blink rapidly before any tears can form.

“You didn’t cause his pain,” Elias adds.“You ran into it.That pain was already there, long before you ever opened your mouth.”

I look at him, my dear friend, who knows me better than I know myself sometimes.“Thank you.I think I know that, but it helps to hear you say it.”

“And you absolutely cannot carry the weight of his father’s damage on your shoulders,” he says firmly.“That’s not your burden.Regret will eat you alive if you let it, and you don’t deserve that.”

He softens again, squeezing my knee.“This doesn’t make you cruel.And it sure doesn’t make you careless or wrong.It makes you human, doing a hard job in an impossible situation.If Grizz is half the man I think he is, he’s going to come to that same conclusion.”

I let out a shaky breath, just enough to ease some of the hurt.“You really think it will be okay?”

“I do.And I don’t think you should be consumed by this.Grizz has to find his way through that on his own.”

I nod slowly, clutching my wineglass with both hands.We sit there in the dim light, the city humming faintly outside my windows, the mess of it all finally existing out loud.

Elias sets his glass down with intention, the sound soft but grounding.

“Okay,” he says gently.“We need to level-set.”

I hate that he’s right.I hate that I feel wrung out, frayed at the edges.I barely recognize myself.

“I don’t want to see you like this,” he continues.“This isn’t the Daisy I know.The Daisy I know and love is a strong woman who doesn’t spiral or disappear into regret.”

I swallow.“I’m done spiraling.And I refuse to regret this.”

Elias leans forward, forearms on his knees.“We need a game plan.And it starts with one question.”He holds my gaze.“What do you want, Daisy… deep down.What do you actually want?”

I stare at my wine for a long beat, watching the light catch in the glass, buying time because once I start, I know I won’t be able to stop.

“I couldn’t stand him,” I say finally, a faint, incredulous smile pulling at my mouth.

Elias laughs.“That’s not where I thought this was going to go, but okay… I’m listening.”

I offer him a half-hearted smile.“When I first met Grizz, he was everything I detested.He was volatile.Arrogant.The league’s favorite problem child who got away with things because he could score and sell jerseys.”I shake my head.“He represented power without accountability.”

“The exact system you’ve spent your career pushing back against,” Elias says.

“Exactly.I thought he was lazy with his humanity.Reckless with other people.”My smile shifts—softens, turns inward.I look my best friend dead in the eye.“And I was wrong.So very wrong.Once I got to know him, he wasn’t everything I hated.He was everything I was scared of.”