Page 14 of The Coach

I'm not exactly sure what he means, but I get the feeling it's not about coaching me. I cross my arms over my chest protectively. "Navigate what? I told you yesterday, we forget what happened. It's simple."

"Is that how you really feel?"

The way he looks at me, his gaze dropping to my mouth as he says the words, I can hardly stand it. I can't have feelings for my soccer coach. I won't fucking let it happen, no matter how gooey my insides turn when he talks to me in that accent and looks at me like he wants to eat me. "Yes. Now if that's all, I need to get going." Like right now, before I change my mind and do something stupid like kiss his fucking irresistible lips.

He takes a step to the side, and I place my helmet back on. I can feel his eyes glued to me as I take off. What exactly did he want me to say, I have feelings for him after one hot night of fucking? Is that what he was getting at? It doesn't matter how either of us feels, anyway. He is my coach, and we could both get in a lot of trouble if anything was ever to happen between us again.

So it won't. Ever.

Chapter Six

Andy

The restof the week I try to ignore my new awkward situation and concentrate on improving my game, while my team carries on over Brad and how swoony he is. Insert eye roll. I mean, he's not that good. He just thinks he is. I bet they don't even realize how stupid they look sucking up to him. It pisses me off, not because I'm jealous but because we're here to play soccer, not ogle our coach. I'm completely over him, anyway. He's turning out to be a pain in my ass. All bossy and shit, and I hate that.

I stayed on a little after everyone else tonight because I needed to work on my shots at goal. The penalty kick I missed in the finals last year still haunts me. I won't let the same thing happen, never again.

I jump out of the shower, grabbing my towel and drying off. Suddenly, the lights flicker off and I'm left in complete darkness. Fuck! I wrap my towel around myself and sneak out to the front of the room, feeling for the light switch on the wall. Finding it, I try to flick it on, but nothing happens.

My heart kicks up a beat. I know it's probably just a power outage or something like that, but I hate the dark. It gives me the creeps. I hear movement from one of the other shower stalls. Maybe I'm not alone like I thought. "Is someone there?" I call, hoping it's just one of the other girls.

No answer. My mind must be playing tricks on me because of the dark. I start walking carefully back to where my bag is, feeling my way along the wall. There isn't even the slightest bit of light coming in from outside. I reach my bag and hear it again. There is definitely someone in here. I'm not sticking around to find out who, if they won't answer me.

I grab my bag and move quickly toward where I know the door is. My heart races and I hug my bag to my chest. Swinging open the door quickly, I run out and smack straight into someone. Strong hands catch me and stop me from falling over completely, and when I regain my balance, I glance up to see who it is. Brad. Of course it is.

I step back from him, frustrated that he's the one to see me all flustered. And mostly naked, just in my towel.

"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," he asks, concern in his features.

I blink up at him awkwardly. I've been avoiding him all week and he is the last person I want to see right now while I'm having my mini freak-out. "Just gave myself a scare. The lights went out while I was changing. The switch wouldn't work, and I swear it sounded like there was someone in the room with me, but I thought everyone else had left." I hug my bag to my chest a little closer, hoping I'm covered up.

His glance roams over me, his eyes staying a little longer than they should. "I think everyone else is gone for the night. I only came back to grab my phone. I left it in the office. You must have had quite the scare to run out of there like that."

"Well, wouldn't you if the lights went off on you like that?" I snap. I don't need him being a smartass right now.

"Are you afraid of the dark, Andy?"

What a stupid question. "Isn't everyone?"

He shrugs. "Come and get changed in my office, then we can investigate the light situation," he offers, and right now it's probably the best option I have. Either that or change in my car, cause I'm not going back in there.

"Okay," I say, following him into his office reluctantly. But the truth is, right now I don't really want to be alone, even if the alternative is Brad.

He flicks on the light in his office no problem at all, closing the door for me so I have privacy. The look he gives me, I feel like a silly child.

I dress quickly into my jeans and T-shirt, then throw on my boots. Tossing my towel back in the bag, I swing open the door quickly, ready to take off and avoid any more of this awkward situation.

Brad is waiting for me, leaning up against the wall. I want to slap that smug fucking look off his face. I hate that he was the one to see me vulnerable tonight. No one ever sees me panicked or out of control. Why did it have to be him here?

"Let's check out the fuse box," he suggests, and as much as I just want to take off, my curiosity is piqued as to why the lights went off in the first place, so I follow him to where the panel is located around the back of the building. He pulls back the cover, holding his phone up so he can see the switches. "That's strange, one of them is turned off." He says it like he didn't believe my story in the first place.

"I told you it was. Did you think I came running out in next to nothing just for fun?" I snap.

He raises a brow at me, then turns back to the board and flicks it back on. "I wouldn't put it past you, Andy. I know you like a bit of public nudity in the name of fun." The look he gives me. This is not the time or the place for looks like that, but I can see it, he's right back there on the balcony with me. I give him nothing. He's right, under different circumstances I would be up for it. But right now, I'm freaked out, and as if realizing just how much, his face turns serious again. "So, you really think someone might have been in there with you?"

"I don't know. I was freaked out, so maybe my ears were playing tricks on me? But it sounded like it."

"Maybe, but this is odd. If you were the only one in the room and you were just showering, you couldn't have been doing anything that would have tripped the power. Someone must have turned it off."

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