Page 73 of Courtside

In that moment, she hated herself even more than she hated him.

David shifted beside her. “Right. Well, we’ve got to get back to the hotel.”

“Think about it, Sage,” Evan said, looking right at her like it was only the two of them in the room. “It’d be great to catch up.”

Sage forced her feet into motion.

She could feel David following as she walked out the doors, shoved the balls under the bus and climbed on board. She felt him behind her as she slid into the first open row of seats, but was still surprised when he sat down beside her.

He turned his body toward hers as the bus began to move, his knees pressing against her thigh. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Fine.”

His brows pulled down over his eyes. “I don’t believe you,” he whispered, his voice sandpaper in the darkness of the bus.

“That’s not my fucking problem,” she hissed back at him, losing a bit of the stranglehold of control she’d had over herself.

Immediately, she wished she could take the words back. Everything around her was falling apart except for the man beside her who refused to accept her lie. Shame curled in her stomach, and she turned, pressing her forehead against the cool window.

She heard the rustling of fabric as David got up, obviously moving to another seat. Obviously moving away from her. And when she pulled out her phone and found his number, the shame that burned hot and violent inside of her raged unchecked.

Courtyard Marriott.

The text from Evan came a moment later.

See you soon.

* * *

The elevator doors slid open with a ding, and Sage walked out into the lobby.

She wore jeans that were too loose and a thin camisole she’d packed to sleep in. She knew he wouldn’t like it, but when she’d packed for this trip, Evan White was the last person on her mind.

As she’d stood in front of the floor length mirror in her room, she’d felt like a battle was waging inside of herself. The Sage Fogerty who went to Southeastern, bought herself flowers, and had a best friend who read books with her and brought her soup wanted to tell Evan White to fuck all the way off to a dark sewer somewhere in Europe where human excrement had been piling up for centuries.

But equally as loud was the Sage from five years ago who wanted nothing more than the approval of the blue-eyed man who was so much more than her coach. It was all she’d ever wanted.

So, in spite of herself, Sage was going to see him.

Stepping into the lobby she stopped, her breath catching in her throat.

David sat perched on the edge of one of the couches, his long fingers fiddling with the brim of his hat. His hair was mussed, his mouth drawn into a frown. He still wore the sweater and slacks he’d worn to the game.

She took a few steps toward him.

His head jerked up. Something like pain flashed across his face as he looked her up and down.

He cleared his throat. “Are you going to see him?”

Sage found that she couldn’t form words, so she nodded.

He rubbed his palms over his face as he exhaled roughly. “I don’t like it, Sage,” he said, his voice muffled by his hands. He dropped them down into his lap, picking up the hat again and resuming his fidgeting. “There’s obviously something going on…” He trailed off, clearly hoping that she’d jump in and clarify the situation.

But she couldn’t. Not when she had no fucking idea what she was doing. She didn’t know how to explain to this man who was sogoodwhy she was about to walk out into the cold Baltimore night to see another man. A man who was decidedlylessgood in every way that mattered.

It was one of those moments where she felt like her life was living her. Like at some point she’d given up the reins and now she was barely holding on and just trying to stay alive.

Sage shook her head, pushing her loose hair back over her shoulder. “I just…I have to go,” she finally said.

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