Page 48 of Beyond The Break

“Leave,” I grate through clenched teeth.

“I think I’d rather stay and hear the story of how you both coincidentally found yourselves taking a shower together,” he smirks before his eyes travel downward, “and why your dick is hard.”

I shove him backward again, before turning around and make my way toward the house.

“Hey, I can keep a secret,” he shouts behind me before chuckling to himself.

He most definitely cannot keep a secret.

“Secret?” I hear Eliana squeak.

At three in the morning,I feel the furthest from sleep that I ever have. I stare up at my ceiling, arms folded behind my head as my thoughts run wild. I’m exhausted but I can’t shake off the irritation that I feel toward myself as I replay the almost-kiss with Eliana on a never-ending loop.

I was so close to finding out what her perfect lips felt like, and whether she was really worth all the trouble she’s been causing me. But, to no one’s surprise, Zale had to ruin it, like the prick that he is.

Despite my annoyance with him, I’m also relieved. As tempting as it was to kiss her in that moment, it would haveended up being something we both would regret. I’m not looking for any sort of relationship with her, with anyone, right now. Flirting with her the night before was bad enough on my part, I shouldn’t be leading her on, but it feels like that's exactly what I'm doing.

With the Qualifiers right around the corner, and my horrible performance in today’s competition, I need to refocus myself. I can’t be lost and dazed over some girl.

Thinking about her pushes me further into a shit mood. She’s a distraction, plain and simple. A tempting one that I need to start avoiding again. Getting my teammates on the Championship Tour is all that matters to me, and I’m not going to let anything, or anyone, get in my way this time.

Especially not a 5’5” brunette girl with green eyes and freckles... I'm so fucked!

After ten more minutes of stewing over her and what almost happened, I decide to do something to take my mind off her. With a sore grunt, I push myself out of bed and take slow strides to my dresser where the SD card that I took from Eliana the other day sits.

I pick it up and quietly make my way downstairs, careful not to make any noise. As I slip into the team meeting room and find Gabriel’s laptop, I boot it up and connect it to the smart TV, his background photo of Zalea displaying on the screen. I push the SD card into the laptop and hit play on the hour-long clip, watching the footage intensely.

I immerse myself in analyzing my disastrous form and performance, noting every single misstep and flaw. It’s painful to watch because I really do look like a rookie out there. The Griffin before my accident would never look this weak or scared, let alone feel it.

By the time the footage finishes playing, I’ve compiled a long mental list of areas that need some serious work. My positioning on the board is all over the place, an evident sign thatI’m trying to compensate for the nagging pain that’s been bothering me. If I really do want to improve, I’ll have to book that appointment with the physiotherapist and make an improvement plan together.

After I’ve removed the SD card and disconnected Coach’s laptop, I glance up at the clock hanging over the door and see that there’s still another hour to go before the rest of the house wakes up. Deciding I need another distraction, I head to the kitchen and rummage through the cabinets, gathering ingredients for a team breakfast. The sizzle of bacon fills the silence, but it doesn’t do much to stop the whirlwind of thoughts that swirl through my mind.

FIFTEEN

ELIANA

As I lay in bed,the remnants of another restless night slowly dissipate. My gaze fixates on the plain expanse of the ceiling above me. The morning light filtering in through the curtains, casts the room in a soft glow while a lingering sense of unease settles within me as I think back to yesterday.

Griffin’s grey eyes, intense and unwavering, bore into mine with so much adoration that it had sent shivers down my spine. In that moment, I couldn’t resist the pull and almost gave in to the temptation of leaning in and pressing my lips to his.

Would that have been so bad?

Had it not been for Zale, bursting the bubble that had surrounded Griffin and me, we might have done something that Griffin would regret later.

After finally convincing myself to get up and get ready for the day, I make my way downstairs and into the heavenly smelling kitchen. I spot Griffin first, but he seems determined not to meet my gaze, his eyes fixed on his plate with a resolve that speaks volumes. Zale, on the other hand, fixates on me with a playful smile dancing across his lips, his eyes sparkling knowingly.

I do my best to ignore him as I grab a plate from the kitchen island and load an omelet on top of it. Taking a seat in between Maliah and Kairi, I keep my eyes focused on my plate and away from Zale who sits directly in front of me.

I'm worried if I look at him long enough, he'll take that as a challenge and tell everybody what he saw yesterday. It doesn't take long for him to confirm my fear.

“So, team,” Zale says loudly, just as I’ve put a big bite of the omelet in my mouth, “I made a discovery at the side of the house yesterday and I have to share it with you all.”

Griffin, who was taking a sip of water, spits most of it out onto his empty plate and turns wide eyes to Zale. I stop chewing, dread completely taking over as I lock eyes with Zale who’s grinning right at me. I feel the blood drain from my face.

“Oh? And what was this discovery?” Kairi asks, raising a curious brow at the way Griffin glares at Zale.

“Well,” Zale starts, glancing at Griffin with a mischievous smirk, “I shouldn’t take all the credit here since Griffin?—.”

---