Licking my lips, I look off. “Sorry, Coach.”

“Sorry,” he muses. “That what you’d tell the scouts if they asked?”

“You mean the ones that didn’t exist?” I look back to him, unsure of why I threw that out just now.

The creases at the corner of his eyes deepen slightly. “I told you, I called them off.”

“You also told me I was out fucking off, but I was with the boys. And you, the way they tell it.”

His brows cave. “I didn’t say you were doing anything other than what you just repeated. It’s not my problem if you read into it differently.”

Unease stirs in my gut, and I nod.

Maybe he’s right. Maybe I’m so used to doing stupid shit that I jumped to conclusions my own damn self.

His features tighten, and he licks his lips. “You got something to say, son, say it.”

“Last night and this morning felt off.” I shrug. “I meant to be back to my hotel early. I didn’t plan on getting fucked up.”

His eyes narrow farther. “Then I guess it was no different from every other night for you, huh?” I pinch my lips together, unsure if the indignation I’m picking up in his tone is real or in my head. “You go out and get fucked up, break all the rules I set, and then you call me to clean up your mess. And then you repeat yourself. I’ve done it more times than you remember, but all of the sudden, you’re upset with me for wording things the way I did when I was helping you out?” He kicks off the wall, his arms crossing over his chest as he studies me.

Guilt and a nasty sense of embarrassment sweeps over me. I haven’t gone off like that in a while, but it’s not his fault he’s unaware of the changes I’ve made in myself. He can only base my behavior on what he’s seen, and he’s seen a lot of bullshit from me over the years.

“Sorry, Coach,” I tell him, meeting his eyes with the respect that he deserves and hoping he can read my honesty for what it is. He is there for me and has had my back more times than I can count. I can always depend on him to do what’s right by me and I shouldn’t have let my emotions get to me today when I thought Meyer bailed on me.

Same goes for last night. I never should have allowed any of that to happen, and that’s on me, not the man that gave me a place to sleep it off. I would have been angrier with myself had I gone back to Meyer like that, loud and unaware of what the fuck I was doing.

After a second, the man pulls me into him and pats my back.

As he steps away, he squints. “You know you can tell me if there’s something going on, something you’re worried about … maybe someone?”

My lips curl, but I drop my eyes to the ground before looking back up. “I’m good, Coach.”

He raises a brow, but I shake my head.

I’m not ready to share anything with anyone, not yet. She tripped out at the thought of being caught up in the media before, so it’ll only get worse.

Xavier steps out of the locker room, Neo and Echo right behind him.

They slow as they pass us, nodding their chins and saying bye to Coach.

“I need to get to the airport,” he says, a small frown written across his forehead as he digs into his pocket, pulling out two more of the pills he gave me this morning, the ones I must have forgotten in his room. “Here, take these, now, get some electrolytes back into your body and get some rest on the ride home.”

I toss them in my mouth, washing them down with half of my Vitamin Water.

He nods, scowls, and then pats my shoulder as he begins to walk away, but he pauses after a couple steps, turning back to me with a grin. “Hey, uh, what’s ‘no lie’?”

A laugh leaves me, and I lick my lips. “A message for a friend.”

“Right ...” His mouth twitches. “Check in with me after your exam on Thursday, huh?”

“Yes, Coach.”

Damn near bouncing on two feet, I wait for the man to hit the exit, and then I cut in the opposite direction.

A half hour later, I’m walking through the hotel lobby, and out into the garden that leads to our rooms, but as I’m making my way over, my eyes are called to the left.

I pause where I stand, and something in my chest tightens.

Meyer sits on a towel in the grass, Bailey lying on her back in front of her. She leans over her, making it easier for Bay to play with the length of her mama’s hair.

Tags: Meagan Brandy Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net