Pinned by the Team Captain - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Heat flooded my cheeks at his words. Without thinking, I flicked his forehead—just like I used to when we were kids—to snap him out of his ridiculous train of thought.
"Stop overthinking. Just focus on getting better."
Since it was late, I decided to stay the night. But the second floor? No way was I stepping foot up there again.
Luckily, Ethan wasn't badly hurt. By morning, he was already itching to get back to town.
Since he couldn't walk yet, he asked Ryan Lowell to drive me home.
I recoiled like he'd suggested I jump into a lion's den. "No need! Captain Lowell must be swamped. I'll just take the train—"
Ryan cut me off with a tone that brooked no argument. "I'm not busy. Listen to me. I'm taking you back."
There was an edge to his voice—frustration, maybe—that made me swallow my protests. I climbed into his SUV without another word.
Being trapped in that car with him made my chest constrict. I twisted my sleeves between my fingers, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Captain Lowell, you can just drop me here. The train station's right—"
The car jerked to a sudden stop. He pulled over sharply, his handsome face darkening into something downright terrifying.
I froze, pressing myself against the door, every muscle coiled tight.
"Sophia," he gritted out, "why can't you just let me do something nice for you?"
The words didn't compute. But what came next? It rewired my entire understanding of him.
Ryan exhaled hard, squeezing his eyes shut for a second before meeting my gaze in the rearview mirror.
"The truth is, I liked you the moment I first saw you."
My lips parted.
"Ethan wouldn't shut up about you—how you were the best sister in the world. I didn't buy it. My own sister and I barely talk."
"So I wondered—what kind of person could deserve that kind of devotion?"
"Then I saw you, and I just knew." His voice roughened. "I'm not good at this. Forgive me for being blunt. But let me take care of you."
Ryan… liked me? My pulse pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears as I stared at his dead-serious expression.
This was my first confession. My brain short-circuited. No words. No movement.
This had to be a joke. There was no way.
When I didn't respond, Ryan shook his head and started the car again. Time blurred until we pulled up outside the bubble tea shop in town. I sat there, numb, still trying to process everything.
Only when I spotted Chloe Evans lounging at the entrance, her eyes gleaming with malice, did reality snap back into place. I stepped out of the SUV under her razor-sharp glare.
Chloe looked me up and down before letting out a mocking laugh. "Sophia, rolling up in a car like that? Don't tell me you've become some rich guy's plaything."
Her voice carried, drawing curious glances from passersby who pretended not to eavesdrop.
I ignored the cheap shot.
But then Ryan stepped out, lingering by the car like he had more to say.
Chloe's sneer deepened. My silence only pissed her off more. She grabbed my arm, her nails biting into my skin.
"Answer me, Sophia. You little—"
Before I could react, a blur of motion yanked her away, shoving her back hard.
"Let her go!"
Strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a protective embrace.
It was Ryan.