Page 50 of Penalized Love

And then we fell in love, and I fucked it all up.

However, I’ve recently had my tongue in her pussy, which tells me she’s not disgusted by the sight of me.

I take a deep breath and enter the arena, my eyes scanning the hallway for any sign of Isla. Since I don’t see her, I approach the locker room. Justas I enter the tunnel, I spot her leaning against the wall, her eyes on her phone. I notice that she has her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and has placed her camera bag on the floor beside her. She doesn’t realize that I am walking toward her because she is engrossed in whatever is on her phone.

“Hey,”I say, trying to keep my voice casual despite feeling anything but.“Thanks for meeting me early.”

Isla looks up from her phone, her eyes meeting mine.“No problem. I think you’re right and that it is a good idea for us to talk before we start this whole thing.”

I nod, shoving my hands in my pockets.“Yeah, I figured it would be good for us to set our expectations for this project. Make sure we’re on the same page.”

Isla tucks her phone into the back pocket of her jeans, her focus on me never wavering.“Okay, so let’s talk. How do you want to handle this? What are you okay with me filming? What should I avoid doing?”

I pause for a moment, considering her questions carefully.“Well, I want to keep it real, you know? I don’t want anything to appear rehearsed. But,”I run a hand through my hair,“there are some parts of my life I’d rather keep private. My family, for example. They’re not part of this, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“I can respect that. This project is about you, and although your family is a part of that, I get not wanting to drag them into it. I’ll focus on your day-to-day as an athlete, routines, interactions with the team, the fans…that kind of thing.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,”I reply, happy that we’ve come to that agreement.“And as for the rest…just let me know if something feels off or you’re uncomfortable filming something. We can always work around it.”

She nods. “Likewise.”

This almost feels too easy. I thought the conversation we needed to have would have been longer, but now I’m left standing here with her, trying to figure out what should happen next. Bringing up the bathroom incident is risky, given where we are, but I’m not sure when I’ll have an opening next.

I’m about to say something else when I hear footsteps down the tunnel. I turn to see Coach Johnson approaching, his eyes narrowing as he takes in the scene before him.

“Asher, Isla,”he greets us, his tone giving nothing away about what he’s thinking.“Everything alright here?”

“Yeah, Coach,”I respond quickly.“Just going over some last-minute details for the video project that Isla will be filming.”

“Ah,”Coach says, as if he just remembered what this could be about.“Good. Remember, Asher, this is a great opportunity,but hockey comes first. Don’t let this distract you from what’s important.”

“Of course, Coach,”I reply, hoping my words don’t give away my true feelings about this.“Hockey is always the priority.”

As if he is satisfied with my answer, Coach Johnson gives me a curt nod before his attention shifts to Isla. His stern expression softens instantly, and a warm smile spreads across his face.

“Hey, kiddo,”he says, opening his arms. Isla steps forward, and he pulls her into a hug.“It was great having you over for dinner the other night. Mom has been talking about it ever since.”

Isla laughs softly.“I know. She already texted me a couple of recipes she wants to try next time.”

“You know how she gets when she’s excited about something. Speaking of excited,”Coach states.“I also know how you get when you’re focused on something challenging that brings you joy. Remember to take care of yourself too. I know this project will be time-consuming, and you have a bunch of other responsibilities.”

“I will, Dad.”

The two share another hug before Coach’s gaze shifts back to me.“Go on ahead and suit up. The other boys should be here any minute.”

With that, Coach Johnson walks away, leaving Isla and me standing alone once more.

“Well,”Isla says, breaking the silence,“I guess we should get started.”

“Yeah,”I agree, rubbing the back of my neck.“I need to get ready for practice. Meet me outside the locker room in ten?”

She nods, picking up her camera bag.“I’ll be here.”

I give Isla a quick nod before heading into the locker room. As I change into my practice gear, I find myself thinking about Isla instead of focusing on what drills we’ll be doing duringtoday’s practice session. I’m doing the exact thing I promised Coach I wouldn’t do, but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

I finish suiting up just as the rest of the team trickles into the locker room. Knox, who I’ve barely talked to outside of what went down with us in the kitchen, gives me a curious look as he sets his things down in his stall, which just so happens to be next to mine.

“You’re here early,”he comments, pulling his practice jersey over his head.“Trying to get in some extra practice to keep up with me?”

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