Clipped by Love (Bellevue Bullies 2)

“Yeah, for sure,” I agree before sitting down to take my gear off. When she comes out, she passes by without looking at me but acts like nothing is wrong. As she combs out her hair, she jokes with the guys, teasing Markus for puking and also giving him shit for having to make her bed and fold her clothes. Chummy, those two have become and I would be jealous, but I can see it in her eyes, she’s completely beating herself up on the inside.

Shaking my head, I head into the showers to clean up. When I come out, she’s gone. I was hoping to talk to her, maybe even see if she liked the gift and note, but obviously that will have to wait.

“Sinclair, when you’re dressed, come see me, please.”

Nodding my head, I say, “Sure, Coach.”

He nods and then disappears into his office as Markus says, “Dinner?”

I shrug. “Depends if I can move after moving into my captain suite,” I say with a grin.

“I get to share it with ya, right? Like Jude and you did?” Jace asks, and I nod.

“Yeah, bro.”

“And Baylor will have the other room?” Markus asks, and I look over at him as I pull my shirt down.

“That’s the plan. Why? You got a thing for her?”

He holds his hands up, his face breaking into a grin. “Whoa, Jay, simple question. I don’t want her upstairs with the other juniors.”

I nod then, looking away as I pull my shorts up. “I agree, and she won’t be.”

Eyeing me, Markus says, “If you like her so much, why don’t you do something about it instead of walking around and pissing all over her, marking her as yours, without her knowing?”

Scoffing, I roll my eyes as Jace starts to laugh. “Yeah, Jay.”

“Fuck both of you, and keep your mouths shut,” I say before sliding my shoes on. “Jace, be ready to go in a few.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he says as I head into Coach’s office. When I enter, he looks up and shuts his phone off before laying it on the table.

“You did great today, Sinclair.”

I grin as I fall into the seat in front of his desk. “Thank you.”

“I wanted to let you know that you had the position all along. Even if you had bowed out ninth today, it was yours.”

“Really?”

“Yup, it was yours Saturday night when you carried my daughter home after she puked on you.”

I grin as I nod. “I’d do it for anyone.”

“I know. That’s why the choice was easy.”

“Well, thank you,” I say. “That means a lot coming from you.”

“It’s easy to say. You lead this group with ease, you are a force to be reckoned with, and I’m proud to have you as my captain.”

I’m a little stunned by that. Sometimes I don’t think he likes me, and it pleases me to hear him say that. “Thank you, sir.”

“Now since you are the captain, you need to find a way to get along with Moore and keep your brother in line.”

“No problem at all.”

“You think so?”

“I know so,” I say confidently.