He released my hands and took a small step back. Part of me was glad for the distance. Maybe now, my brain would start working again. But the other part of me was sad to see him go.
Squinting my eyes until they were nothing but slits, I did what he instructed and used the momentum of my body to shoot. It was too nerve-wracking to watch. With my fingers plastered over my eyes, I peered between the cracks. The ball hit the rim and bounced back and forth. On the fourth heart-stopping bounce, it tipped and fell into the net, scoring me my very first goal. A shriek of happiness left my mouth and I did a little dance in celebration.
“I did it!” I grabbed the bouncing ball and swung around to beam at Mason. “You’re officially an amazing coach. The very best in the world!”
Amusement danced in his eyes as he placed his hands on his narrow hips. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone get so excited over a single goal before.”
Nothing Mason could say or do in this moment could dampen my excitement. He seriously had no idea what a miracle that goal had been. If he’d polled my last ten years of gym teachers, he’d understand what a hopeless cause stood before him.
“Well, don’t you know, I was going for total world domination,” I said, biting back a grin. “And my one weakness was my lack of basketball skills. Now, thanks to you, I can rule the world.”
“Well, in that case, I’m glad I could help.”
He stepped closer, until the only thing separating us was the ball in my hands. The look — that very same look he’d given me before we starting welding — was back. It was serious and heavy and made my stomach jump into my throat. He reached for the basketball, his hands covering mine. I trembled as the pad of his thumb stroked softly along my finger, causing fire to burst up and down my arm.
“What’s...what’s your secret weakness?” My voice came out like a whisper. I couldn’t look away from his face. He had me frozen like a deer in headlights. “You know mine. It’s only fair that I know yours. That is, if you have any.”
He snorted and looked away. “Trust me, I’ve got weaknesses.”
I had a hard time believing that. For a guy as confident and strong as Mason, there wasn’t much he couldn’t do.
“Like?”
His gaze flicked back to mine and then sank to my mouth. I watched as his tongue darted from his mouth to wet his lips. “I’m not sure if I should tell you.”
Nerves exploded in my stomach. It was the same kind of feeling I got whenever I even considered breaking curfew. Like I wanted so very much to be naughty for the first time in my life. “You can tell me.”
“I’m impatient.” His dark eyes flashed. “I’m moody. I don’t always play well with others.”
Soft laughter spilled from my lips. “That’s not exactly a secret. I already knew that. And besides, those don’t sound like weaknesses. Try harder.”
His grip tightened on my hands and the basketball underneath. “I really, really, really hate it when I can’t have what I want.”
There was a hidden message in Mason’s words. I knew it was there by the way his jaw tightened. It made me wonder what exactly it was that Mason wanted so badly. Could it be the state basketball championship? Or Polly? Or something else?
For a single moment, I allowed myself to wonder what it would be like for Mason to want me. Only me. And there was no Polly or Project Happiness. At the same time, I wondered what it would be like to give into that heat building in my belly. If I were Audrey or Mandy, I’d reach up and kiss him right here on the basketball court. They were much better than me at taking what they wanted. There would be no hesitation. His hands in my hair, our bodies pressed together—
“Trina?”
I snapped out of my daydreams and blinked up at him, my cheeks burning. Hopefully he wasn’t a mind reader.
“Is there a chance...?” He swallowed and cleared his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the effort. “I mean, is there any reason to think...?”
I waited for him to continue, my heart urging for him to say what was on my mind. If only.
“What I want to ask is...?” He looked down at the floor, hesitation wracking his face.
The sound of footsteps approaching snapped us out of our trance. We weren’t alone. The basketball slipped from my fingers and bounced between us with a hollow thud. As a figure appeared in the doorway, I took a giant step back from Mason. It was Polly, dressed in a white tank and tiny red shorts that showed off her gorgeously long legs. She stopped when she saw the two of us, her eyes darting back and forth.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said, taking another step toward us. Her long blonde hair fell over her shoulder in perfect soft curls. For the first time I could remember in my life, I desperately wished that I could look that put together all the time. “I waited in the parking lot to talk to you after practice, but you never came out. I wanted to thank you for what you wrote in that note.”
I realized with a jolt that she was talking to Mason about the love note. Disappointment fell heavy on my chest, making it hard to take a breath. I smiled through the pain, feeling entirely undone by my violent reaction to Polly’s sudden appearance. This was a good thing. A great thing
. She was finally starting to come around. The plan was working.
“You guys obviously need to talk. I’m just going to go,” I said, pointing over my shoulder.
Mason took a step toward me, regret washing over his face. “Trina, wait—”