Page 76 of Penalized Love

I nod because I know she’s right.“Let me walk you to your car. After all, since Coach has already seen us talking, that shouldn’t look too strange.”

Not to mention that this was an evening practice, and there’s no way I’m letting her walk out to her car by herself when it’s dark outside.

Isla agrees with me.“Okay, let’s go.”

As we walk out of the arena, I notice the air has become significantly cooler than when I arrived. The parking lot is nearly empty, with only a few cars scattered under the dim streetlights. I keep a respectable distance from her, but my body is dying to close the gap by pulling her into my arms.

We reach her car, and she turns to face me. I fight the urge to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.“Thanks for walking me out. I’ll see you in a few minutes?”

“I’ll be there soon.”

It takes me a few minutes to walk to my car and get settled before I head over to Isla’s. The drive feels longer than it should, but I’m sure it’s because I want to be with her right now.

After parking, I don’t bother texting Isla to let her know I’m here. I just grab my phone, lock my car, and sprint up the stairsto the entrance because someone is holding the doors open, so I don’t have to worry about calling Isla to let me in. As I’m about to knock on her door, I can hear muffled voices on the other side.

I hesitate for a split second, unsure if I should knock or wait. But before I can make up my mind, the door swings open, and I find myself face-to-face with a tall brunette. Her eyes widen as she takes me in, and a slow, appreciative smile spreads across her face.

“Well, hello there,”she says, leaning against the doorframe.“Is Asher Bennett really standing outside my door?”

It clicks who she must be. I clear my throat, feeling slightly uncomfortable because of the look she’s giving me.“Uh, yeah. Is Isla here?”

The girl’s smile widens, and she steps aside, gesturing for me to enter.“She sure is. I’m Tessa, by the way. Isla’s roommate.”

When I step into the room, my eyes land on Isla. She’s standing near her desk, a tight smile on her face as she watches my interaction with Tessa. It’s obvious that she’s annoyed by all of this, and I get it—especially because she doesn’t get along with Tessa and was expecting her to be gone.

“Thanks,”I say to Tessa, trying to keep my tone polite but not overly friendly.“I just need to talk to Isla for a moment.”

I watch as Tessa studies my face before her eyes drift down my body.“Of course,”she purrs.“You’re welcome here anytime, Asher.”

I fight the urge to scoff at her comment. Isla clears her throat, and Tessa rolls her eyes before grabbing her purse from the nearby chair.

“Well, I was just heading out anyway,”she says.“You two have fun.”She brushes past me, and given that there is enough room for her to walk by without touching me, I know it’s on purpose.

The door closes behind her with a click, leaving Isla and me alone. She lets out a heavy sigh, her shoulders sagging.“I’m so sorry. She’s usually not around and?—”

I cross the room to get to her, and my hands find her waist. I pull her closer to me.“Hey, it’s okay. We’re alone now.”

Isla leans into my touch, her forehead resting against my chest. I can feel the stress leave her body as I hold her.“That we are, and now I have to worry about her telling people about… whatever this is.”

I tilt her chin up, making her meet my gaze. “You mean our relationship, sunshine?”

She raises an eyebrow at me.“Is that what this is? You’re trying to lock me down already?”

I can’t fight the chuckle that slips out.“Locking it down would be asking you to marry me, wouldn’t it?”

I can feel Isla’s body stiffen in my arms at the mention of marriage.“Wait, what?—”

“I’m not there either… at least not yet.” I give her a reassuring squeeze.“But I think what’s going on between us is a relationship—unless you think differently?”

Isla bites her lip before she speaks.“No, I... I want this to be a relationship too.”

“Good. Glad we agree on that.”

“But this is complicated.”

I stare at her for a moment, searching her eyes for where this might be leading. If it’s where I think it’s going, it’s something we should talk about, even though I hoped that the time we’re spending together could just be about us and not external factors.“Are you referring to your dad and the team?”

Isla nods.“Yes, because if what is going on between us gets out, it could cause problems for both of us.”

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