Page 25 of The Coach

I shrug. "He's my coach. What happened is in the past," I say, trying to act as if I believe my own words. Maybe if I can convince them that I have no interest in him anymore, it will actually start to be true.

Jasmine just gives me a look then rolls her eyes, not very subtly. "Yeah, except she's stopped seeing anyone else or even trying to meet other people."

"That's not true. I nearly hooked up with a total babe when I was in Chicago."

Jasmine sips on her drink as she listens to my reply, her full attention on me. She's assessing me like a pet project, and I don't like it. "Oh yeah? And why didn't you? The old Andy would have." Her eyebrows shoot up in question.

I go to respond then stop and glare at her instead. She's trying to do her psychology bullshit on me, trying to get in my head so I have some grand realization or something. Well, that's not going to happen here tonight, sissy dearest. I can feel the other two watching me as well, and I need to shut this down. "I didn't feel like it, that's all."

She laughs like she has me and she knows it. "Yeah, right. My bet is Brad was watching you, all protective alpha male with his chest puffed out, and you felt guilty because… you love him."

I hit her on the arm. "I do not."

"Andy, you're totally blushing," says Amelia, grinning at me. "You do like this guy. I can see it."

I sigh and cover my face, because it doesn't matter what I say now. They're going to believe what they want to, anyway. And Jasmine is kind of right. I dolikehim, and he was the reason I didn't hook up with that guy like I normally would have.

"It doesn't matter how I feel about him anyway, because he is my coach, and it would be against the rules to do anything. So that's that." I say it with total conviction, like I believe the words coming from my mouth. But I don't. All I want to do is have another taste of him, just a little one, that no one would have to know about. The only thing stopping me is what those bitches said the other day about me, and well, the fact that he would lose his job. I don't want that on me. He's actually turning out to be a good coach, despite how I felt about him that first week. I don't want to be the one to screw that up for my team.

Cassie grabs my arm and drags me from the table. "Enough of the interrogation. It's her birthday, let her dance," she says, saving me, and I'm grateful, hurrying away with her quickly. "When has some silly rule ever stopped you before, Sis? I know you, you go and get what you want," she says with a wink as we make our way back to the dance floor.

She's right. I normally do.

My birthday party was perfect,and after catching up with my sisters, I danced until everyone else left to go home and the venue kicked me out. Now I'm wandering home alone. Darcy took off early, probably with some random hook-up, knowing her. Luna and Jasmine met brothers and left with them about an hour ago. And the rest of my family all went their own ways back off to Palm Springs.

It's a nice night out so I don't mind the short walk home, even if I feel a little abandoned by my girl gang on my special day. I can't really complain, because if I weren't pining after the soccer coach I can't have, I would have been the same as the rest of them, hooking up with a random guy who I would never see again. But I proved to myself last Friday night that I can't do that at the moment. It felt so wrong. And when Brad came out front to find me, the way he looked at me, I knew I couldn't go through with it. No matter how much I wanted to prove to myself I could, so I could just get over him.

Something huge has shifted for me, something I can't even explain to myself. All I know is no other random dude is going to do. I want Brad, and that's all there is to it.

A text message pings on my phone, and I pull it out of my bag to check who on earth it is at this hour.

Unknown Number:Happy birthday, beautiful girl!!

Okay, bit late, but nice. Slightly strange, though. I don't recognize the number.

Me:Thank you. Sorry, but your number isn't saved in my phone. Who is this?

Unknown Number:An old friend. Did you like my birthday present?

The hairs stand up on the back of my neck. This must be who sent the flowers. No one else fessed up to it today, and as much as I haven't wanted it to ruin my birthday, it's been playing on my mind.

Me:What old friend?

Unknown Number:I will reveal that at a later date. Today, I just want to make sure you have an extra special day for your birthday.

Yuck, this person is making me feel sick, and I don't have to take it.

Me:If you can't tell me who you are, I'm not communicating with you anymore.

There's nothing for a few minutes, and I continue my walk up the street at a faster pace. Hopefully they're done, knowing I'm not continuing to listen to it.

Then another text pops in. I don't even want to look, but my curiosity gets the better of me and I can't help myself.

Unknown Number:How's your SUV working? All better?

A nauseous feeling washes over me and settles in the pit of my stomach. The concern my dad and Brad had about what happened with my car being a targeted attack on me now sinks in a little further. This all might be a little more serious than I wanted to believe. Another text pings on my phone.

Unknown Number:You make a very sexy Wonder Woman. But a girl like you really shouldn't be wandering home alone. I'm getting off in my car at the sight of you.

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