“Eric!” I shouted over the heads in front of me.
He turned around. Even in the dark hallway I could tell he wasn’t happy.
“You had to do it, didn’t you?” He poked a finger in my chest.
“Do what?” I backed up, not because I was intimidated, but because there wasn’t much space and I wasn’t interested in plowing over a row of Rio dancers.
“Her.” He glared. “I told you to stay away, but you did it anyway. You can’t keep your dick in your pants.”
“This is about Sierra?”
I didn’t know how he knew any of this shit. But I didn’t like what he implied.
“It’s none of your damn business. You’re my coach, not my boss. And you sure as hell don’t tell me who I can fuck.”
He ripped the visor from his head and threw it at me. “I said to leave her alone. I said she was off limits.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I put my hands up. Eric was ready to punch me. I could see the raging bull in his eyes. He was looking for blood.
But I didn’t think it had anything to do with a brotherly instinct. No. He was a man protecting what he thought was his territory.
“Are you in love with her?” I asked.
His eyes changed from rage to surprise. “What?”
“I asked if you’re in love with Sierra. Is that what this is about? You never had the balls to ask her out yourself and now you’re pissed at me.”
“Shut the fuck up, Pierce. You don’t know anything about her.”
I huffed. “Maybe more than you.”
“Do you know she has reindeer slippers she wears on Christmas, or that she likes pancakes only if she has bacon to eat on top? Do you know she dressed up as a black cat for Halloween in high school, or that her prom date left her after the first dance? Do you know anything about her? Do you even give a shit? Or is she just another notch on your Olympic bedpost? Another girl you won’t remember tomorrow?”
“Fuck,” I whispered. He was completely in love with her.
And I was the guy who understood why. I was the one who made it a reality. I was the one who held and kissed her. I was the one who took her under the sheets. I was the one who made her come so many times she was mine three times over.
She was fucking mine and it didn’t matter how long he had some puppy love crush on her, I was the man who had fucked her. Not the lovesick kid who passed her a note in class.
I pushed him up the wall.
“Now I’m going to say something. You stay away from her.” I held my palm against his shoulder. “She isn’t any of those things to me. She’s more.” I stared at him, holding my breath. I couldn’t believe what in the hell I was thinking. Or feeling.
“Pierce! Eric!”
Scott ran up to us in the tunnel. I quickly removed my hand from Eric so he could move from the wall.
“Everything ok?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Just clearing up some things before we face the Australians.”
“Oh, good. I need to get up to speed.”
Eric pressed his lips together. “I’ll go get my notes.” He turned for one of the many locker rooms.
“Hey, I wanted to tell you Reyna got a text from Sierra.”
“Oh, really?” My heart was pounding hard. I couldn’t believe everything that had happened.