At First Hate (Coastal Chronicles)

“Marley,” I said, shaking his hand.

“She danced at Alicia’s studio,” Amelia filled him in.

“I see it’s paid off if you’re dancing for Duke.”

I flushed at the praise. “Thank you, sir.” My drawl coming out slightly to match his. It always did that around other Southerners.

“She got a full ride!” Amelia added.

“In academics,” I said quickly.

“Sharp girl,” he said with a head nod. Doug straightened up, and his smile brightened. “Hey! There he is. Good game, son.”

I startled at the words out of his mouth. I didn’t know why, but I’d always assumed that Doug Ballentine was sort of an asshole. He had a new, pretty, young wife. He’d insisted on Derek going to UNC. He’d always seemed the type. But he was congratulating Derek on that game? He must have been all right.

“Thanks, Dad,” Derek said. He’d changed into a regular jacket and khakis to come outside. Ditched all of his UNC gear to talk to his family. He’d probably be a target otherwise. He hugged his dad and then Kathy and Amelia. “It wasn’t my best.”

“You went out there and tried. Today wasn’t the day. You’ll still dominate in the postseason,” Doug said confidently.

Derek smiled at his family and then turned to face me. “Hey.”

“Derek, you remember Marley? She danced circles around me in high school. Her friend dated Ash Talmadge.”

For a second, all the air was sucked out of the world as he looked at me. As he was introduced to me by his sister. Amelia must not have heard the rumors about me in high school. She didn’t know about me and Derek. I waited on bated breath to see how he’d play this.

But before he could say anything, Kathy laughed. “Of course he remembers her—they dated.”

Amelia nearly choked on the water bottle she’d just taken a sip from. “What?”

“No,” I said quickly. “Um, no, we didn’t date. We were just friends.”

Everyone looked at me dubiously. Maybe they also all knew that Derek didn’t have female friends.

“Yeah,” Derek agreed. “Just friends. We’ve seen each other around.”

“Oh,” Amelia said with a furrowed brow. “Well, that’s cool. Marley asked if I could go out with her tonight.” She looked at her dad. “Is that okay, Daddy?”

“Sure, sweet pea. Just don’t be late for your flight home tomorrow.”

“I won’t.”

She kissed her dad’s cheek. They all hugged, and then Doug and Kathy headed back to their hotel, leaving the three of us alone.

Derek ran a hand back through his wet hair. “I’m supposed to take the bus back with the team. So, I should head out.”

“You could come out with us later,” Amelia offered.

He chuckled. “Nah. I’m too recognizable on this campus.”

“He’s right. It might be dangerous.”

“I’ll go home and meet you in the morning for breakfast, Mia.”

Amelia sighed and nodded. “Okay.”

Derek tipped his head to the side. “Can I talk to you a minute?”

I glanced at Amelia. Her head was buried in her phone, as if she’d known this was coming. Well, she must have known Derek’s moves.

“Sure.”

We stepped away from his sister and back toward the darker alcove between Cameron and Wilson. It had been a late game. I was tired, but I wasn’t at the same time. I had a jittery energy from our win. Derek clearly had the opposite reaction.

“Does this mean I won?” I teased.

He looked down at me with that half-smile on his face. “Whoever gets further in March Madness?”

I laughed. “You really can’t handle losing, can you?”

“I can handle losing.” He paused and considered it. “A basketball game. I can lose at basketball. I won’t lose against you.”

“And why not?”

“Because somehow, you’ll find a way to ruin my next relationship.”

I snorted. “I didn’t ruin the last one. And anyway, does Derek Ballentine do relationships?”

His half-smile turned full blown at the question. “What do you think?”

“I think everyone bores you,” I answered honestly before I could stop myself.

“Yeah?”

“Except me, of course.”

He took a step closer. “You’re right. You don’t bore me.”

I swallowed. “Which is why you don’t want to lose to me.”

“You’re right,” he said evenly. “That is not what I want to do with you.”

I had no response to that. None. No quick comeback. Nothing at all. I stared up into his gorgeous face and knew that things were getting wholly and truly complicated. Because I was supposed to hate him. I was supposed to be disgusted by his behavior and tired of all the shit he’d caused me. I wasn’t supposed to be thinking about the shape of his lips and the way the light caught the curls in his hair or the heat coming off of him in this March evening. Or wondering what it would be like to give in to this instead of fighting it.

He tipped my chin up to look at him. “Marley…”

“You should probably get back to the team,” I said, not trusting myself to say anything else.