Page 22 of Crossing the Lines for Love

“Trell, please don’t make me repeat it.”

“We just got off the phone, and you were pretty adamant about staying away from him. What the fuck happened?”

“I don’t know.”

“Oh, you know, and I want to hear every detail.”

“I’m not telling you every detail. Just know that I’ve very likely fucked up my life. I’m gonna lose my job—hell, I’m probably gonna losebothof my jobs, and my parents will surely disown me. Can I live with you until I get back on my feet?”

“Slow down. No one else knows about this, so what makes you think any of that will happen? Did he threaten you?”

“No, but I told him to forget it happened, and he said he couldn’t. He’s acting like he wants to pursue something real, even though he knows that’s impossible.”

“Really? So this ain’t just about sex for him?”

“Apparently not, but that’s his problem. I got my rocks off, and now I can move on. I just hope he does the same.”

“Was it as good as you imagined?”

“Trell, I have no words. That man sent me to the moon and back in ten minutes, and we were on a hard-ass desk. I already miss his dick.”

“Wow. Okay. Umm, this is serious. I’ll pray for you.”

“Prayandfast. I need it all.”

I blew my whistle. “Did you see that?” I asked Coach Crawford.

“Yeah. Patrick was in the perfect spot to pass it to Cliff but went for the goal instead.”

“He missed by a long shot, and this is the third time he’s done it today. What’s he trying to prove?”

“Not sure. Patrick, bring it in,” Coach Crawford shouted across the field.

“Everyone else, I want four laps, and you can head inside. Good practice,” I told the rest of the team.

I listened to Coach Crawford all but curse Patrick out, interjecting when I found it necessary. His excuse for every goal he attempted when one of his teammates was in a better position was, “I thought I had it.”

Although Patrick was a great athlete, he was also overconfident in his abilities. Sometimes, that got in the way of his success on the field. He was only a sophomore, and if he learned to listen, he would be a true asset to the team.

As I walked toward the building, I felt my phone vibrate. The message was from an unsaved number, but as soon as I read it, I knew who it was from.

Unknown:

I want to see you tonight.

Just the thought of being with Niko again made my pussy thump. It was tempting, but I had to be strong. I ignored the message, slid my phone back into my pocket, and continued into the building.

Once inside my office, I began to gather my things to leave. It had been a long week, and I was ready to relax. I sat at my desk momentarily to get something from one of the drawers, and my phone vibrated.

Unknown:

Meet me here at 7:30.

I read the address, and it was located in a city on the outskirts of Black Elm, about forty minutes away. I shook my head, telling myself that meeting him was out of the question.

I’d thought about the sex I had with Niko morning, noon, and night since I sped out of the parking lot last Friday. All week, I only engaged with him when it was necessary, and I didn’t trust myself to look into his eyes. I was exhausted from avoiding him.

Unknown:

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