Balance (Off Balance 1)

He peered up through his full black lashes, his head barely tipping up. I had gotten better at reading him and could tell I was starting to irritate him by defying his orders. Good.

“You have always been Adrianna to me.”

I cocked my head to the side, arching a brow. “That’s such a fucking lie and you know it.”

“That is beside the point and has nothing to do with right now or my choice. As you can see, I am working here,” he waved a hand over his desk, then pointed silently to the door, dismissing me.

Heart pounding, blood roaring through my veins, I walked over to his desk and threw everything off with a swipe of my hand. Kova went rigid, his knuckles a pasty white. His cold demeanor rocked me to the core and I fed off of it.

His jaw flexed and his nose flared. “Very childish, Adrianna. Stop acting immature, it does not suit you.”

“Fuck you, Coach,” I said with sarcasm, walking around to the side of his desk. The last thing I should’ve been doing was cursing at my coach, but I couldn’t control myself. Kova was more than a coach and he knew it. Tears were burning behind my eyes and I was devastated over this change.

“You have no reason to hold me back.”

In a blur, Kova stood, hooked a hand around my neck and yanked me to him. He was breathing heavily, his eyes piercing me with a mixture of rage and something I couldn’t put my finger on. I shimmied up closer to him and he hadn’t loosened his grip on me. Guiding me backward, he pressed me against the wall, his beige filing cabinet cutting into my arm.

Hovering over me he said, “Fine. You want answers, you will get them. Want to know the real reason why you are not going to compete?”

A sugary smile tipped my lips. “I knew it had to be something else with you. There’s no way it had to do with my routines.”

He fisted my hair, his mouth a mere centimeters from mine. I could feel the heat radiating off him as I stared into untamed eyes, waiting for the truth to spill from his lying lips.

“You broke the rules,” he whispered.

I pulled my head back and it hit the wall. Glaring at him, I retorted, “I broke no rules.”

Kova tilted his head to the side. “Oh, but you did. In fact, you signed the agreement when you first came here.”

I wracked my brain trying to figure out what rule he was talking about as I stared deep into his eyes, but nothing came to mind. He huffed, a sardonic smirk spread across his handsome face.

“No boyfriends. I said there were to be no boyfriends, yet you defied my orders. Therefore, I have more power over you than ever. Your punishment is not to compete at the meet. Maybe next time you will listen.”

My mouth dropped with my heart into my gut. I was going to be sick.

“Boyfriend?” I whispered, perplexed. “What boyfriend?” I was so confused. I hadn’t been with anyone but him. “But you told my mom I wasn’t ready to compete.”

“Of course I had to lie to your mom.” Coach loosened his hand on my nape, dragging it to my jaw where he slowly caressed my face. “You and Hayden. I told you,” his gaze dropped to my mouth, “No boyfriends. I recall telling you to get rid of him.”

“But…I…” Caught off guard, I stammered, unable to form words. I gripped his wrist that was still on my face. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Do you think I was born yesterday? I saw him come out of your building. I saw the smile on your face when he pulled away in hi

s car, the way you looked at him. I knew there was more going on when he had to call in for you when you were sick.”

“You were spying on me?”

He shrugged.

“He came over to watch a movie and that was it. You can’t prove anything.”

Hayden helped keep me focused. My friendship with him was really important and any time I was feeling too lonely, he was always there for me. He was the male version of Avery and nothing more, and I didn’t know how to get Kova to understand that.

“That is the beauty of it, I do not have to. I am the coach. No one will question my word.”

I shoved at his chest, tears filled my eyes and I could barely see clearly. “He’s not my boyfriend. I haven’t been with anyone other than you. I swear on my life, I haven’t. Don’t do this to me, please.”

“It is done.”