Page 17 of Broken Rivalry

I grit my teeth, frustration coursing through me. “Who?” I demand, my voice a low growl.

Liam shrugs, dismissive. “Not sure, don’t care. Now get your head out of your arse because if you don’t, I swear to God, neither of you will get the captain spot next year. Understand?”

I send a last withering look to Cole before grabbing my towel and toiletries. Cole barks something to the rest of the team and then walks to the shower beside mine, the separation stopping at the waistline. I ignore him as I lather shampoo on my head but notice after a couple of minutes that as players exit the shower, no one takes their place.

“I asked for a few minutes alone with you,” Cole says gruffly, not looking at me.

“A secret rendezvous, naked in the showers. Stop it, people will talk,” I sneer.

“After we fought about pussy like hormonal teenagers?” he scoffs. “I don’t think so.”

I go back to my shower, ignoring him.

He’s silent for a second, then quietly mutters, “I’m not a predator, Ethan. You, of all people, should know that.”

I do know that. I’ve been to tons of parties with the man, parties where half-naked, drunken girls threw themselves at him, and he refused them because they were too intoxicated. He has never pressured anyone into anything, never been violent with a girl, even the crazy ex from high school who keeps showing up unannounced.

I look back at him, and Cole’s eyes hold mine, a silent plea lingering in them. I exhale slowly, the anger seeping out with it. But the unease remains, a shadow lurking in the back of my mind.

I sigh. “Then leave her alone, man. Seriously, she is scared.”

Cole grunts. “She’s not scared, she’s… confused.”

I stop showering and turn toward him, water still running on me. “Do you hear yourself? She’s confused?”

“Just… Just trust me on this, okay? I know what I’m doing, and what if I told you to leave Curly alone? Would you do it?”

He has me there and he knows it. “It’s different,” I reply lamely.

“How?” he challenges.

“Poppy is not scared of me; she loathes me.”

Cole laughs. “God, we’re pathetic.”

I wish I could deny that, but I can’t.

“You’re my best friend, asshole,” he mutters. “I don’t want to fight with you, but…”

My throat tightens as I nod, accepting his unspoken apology. “I know. Just… ease up?”

He nods. “I can try.”

I turn off the water, a silent invitation for the other players to hit the showers, and as I wrap my towel around my waist, Cole proves once again that he knows me by heart.

“Bring me back a Meat Feast from Pizz-tachio,” he calls after me.

I don’t answer. I simply walk to my locker like a man on a mission. Whoever that basketball player is, he’s not going to stand in my way. Not this time. She was the one who got away in high school, and even now, she lingers in my thoughts, an unclaimed desire; the only difference is that I am not a boy anymore, and I am claiming what is mine.

The neon sign of Pizz-tachio flickers as the night starts to fall, casting an erratic glow on the pavement.

Who’s the predator now? I think as Poppy exits the pizzeria, still in her uniform and clutching a pizza box tightly in her hands. My heart’s doing this weird hammering thing as I observe her. Hidden in the shadows of my car. It’s concern, not obsession. It has to be, right?

My stomach twists into a knot, a weird ache that only comes around when I see her.

Who’s the predator now? Cole’s voice chimes in my head.

She’s always been untouchable, even back in high school when I’d watch her from afar. But here I am, years later, still trapped in her enigmatic pull, still wanting things from her that I can’t quite name.

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