Page 79 of Out of the Shadows
But Hailey was not a damsel in distress. She never had been, and I knew she always handled her own shit, independently and stubbornly. So for now, I would support her and follow her lead. I let out a harsh breath, my frustration boiling over in a way I didn’t want Hailey to feel.
“So, you’ll go?” I asked, and it took everything I had to keep my voice steady. I tried to pretend I didn’t care too much, so as not to make her feel any worse than she already did. She had priority, my feelings didn’t matter in this situation.
However, I would probably take a trip down memory lane to my high school days — there was no way I would let her go on that date without following her.
“I have to. It’s the best way. Trust me.” Her answer was short and to the point, but her tone was pained.
I squeezed her thigh again. “I always trust you.”
***
I slammed into the tackling dummy with way more force than necessary, gritting my teeth at the frustration bubbling up again. Hailey was going on a fucking date with some guy, and I couldn’t get it out of my head.
“Easy, Colt,” Coach Davidson shouted, his voice sharp. “You planning on taking out the whole team today, or just the dummies?”
I didn’t even bother to glance up at him, just lined up for the next drill.
“Dude, what’s with the attitude?” Knox’s voice rang out from the sideline. “Somebody piss in your Cheerios today?”
I glared at him, clenching my jaw. “Shut up.”
“Okay, okay,” Asher chimed in, “but seriously, you’re going to break something if you keep hitting like that.”
I smacked into the next dummy, ignoring them. “I’m fine,” I muttered. I wasn’t, but I wouldn’t admit it out loud.
Coach blew his whistle. “Channel that frustration into the game, Colt. Focus.”
I tried. I really did. But the thought of Hailey with someone else?Yeah, notso easy to ignore.
***
I shifted from foot to foot, hesitant, but finally raised my fist and knocked on the door.
“Ugh, not now!” Hailey yelled from inside.
“It’s me.”
Two dull thumps and a few seconds later, the door was flung open and a slightly out of breath Hailey stood in front of me.
“Colt?” Her eyebrows rose to her hairline. She looked stunning, her cheeks slightly flushed and her hair a little tousled as if she’d just put on the tiny dress that clung to her curves.
My eyes traced the contours of her silhouette.Goddamn it.
Suddenly, I was glad I’d come, all the doubts I’d harbored were gone. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her. I believed this was a fake date as far as she was concerned, but whoever was thrown her way, whoever saw her like this, would be a complete idiot not to try to win her over.
I was here to remind her who she belonged to.
Gently but firmly, I used my bulk to push her inside. A quick glance around the room confirmed that, lucky for her, Ella was not present. Lucky for her because I didn’t know if I could hold back.
Hailey stumbled back, and I caught her around the waist.
“What are you doing?” She looked up at me with wide eyes, her glossy lips slightly parted.
Her tight little body pressed against my front, and I looked at her for a moment in silence, savoring the sensation. The way her plump tits pushed against my chest and her petite hands rested on my upper arms.
“When do you have to leave?” I rasped.
Hailey’s eyes darted back and forth before she licked her lips. “Twenty minutes.”
