Page 57 of The Coach

I take in the sight of my empty house. Nope, I can't do it tonight. I feel like I have been holding all this in for too long. I need to talk to someone about the shit that is my life. I dial the only real friend I've made since moving here and organize to meet her at the pub round the corner.

When I walk in, Ava is already at a table. Her face lights up and she offers me a small wave when she sees me. I hope I'm not making a big mistake by telling her all of this, but I figure she knows most of it as it is. She's worked it out. And we have gotten quite close since I moved here. She has been confiding in me, and I feel like I can trust her.

I order a whiskey from the bar and slide into the seat across from her. "Thanks for meeting up with me, I know it's late."

"It's okay, I didn't have anything else going on, so it was nice to get the call. Are you okay? You didn't sound right on the phone." I can see the concern on her face, and it's nice to know she cares so much. She's a really sweet girl.

"Not really. It's a whole big fucked-up mess, Ava," I say, talking a large gulp of my drink.

"What is?"

"My life," I huff.

"That's a bit dramatic, isn't it? Have you been hanging around a team of girls for too long?" She laughs. "Why don't you start at the beginning and tell me what's going on."

I run my fingers through my hair, the frustration and anger from tonight almost overwhelming. "I wish I was being dramatic. Okay, well, you were right. There is something going on with Andy, and it's not quite what you think." She raises a brow and sips on her drink, waiting for me to elaborate. "I met her the night I came for my interview, out at a club, and we connected. I had no idea who she was, that she would be one of the girls on my team. Fuck, at the time I thought she didn't even like soccer. I had no idea who she was. We hooked up. And then that was it until I saw her again that first night I came to training. I was shocked as shit to see it was her."

Ava's eyes are now wide as she takes in what I just told her. "I bet you were."

"Fuck, I mean, what are the chances? There are nearly four million people that live here and I slept with one of the twenty-odd on the team I'm about to start coaching."

She nods, agreeing. "Yeah, that's pretty crazy. So, what happened when you both worked it out?"

"We agreed it was a one-time thing and that we would just forget about it and stay away from each other. I thought it would be easy. But every training session got harder to stay away from her, and then one night, she was being followed and called me for help. She has like a crazy stalker or something. We're still trying to work it all out. But someone was following her, and when I dropped her home that night, she walked into her bedroom to see it had been trashed, items stolen… it was a whole thing. It wasn't safe for her to stay there alone so I invited her to stay at my place."

Her eyes look like they're going to pop out of her head. "Shit, Brad, you didn't."

"Not that night. She was scared, and I just wanted to help her. Ava, I have this crazy connection with her. Unlike anything I have ever had with anyone else."

She drops her head, looking into the glass she's drinking from. "I can see why I never stood a chance with you," she says softly.

"I'm sorry, Ava."

She looks back to me and smiles. "Brad, it's okay. I was just joking, trying to lighten the mood. We've been friends for a long time. We're okay. So, I can only assume what happened next. You found yourself falling for her and you have the moral dilemma that you're her coach. What do you do?"

"It's so much worse than that now. We crossed the line and now her stalker has photographic evidence and he's trying to blackmail her. Saying she has to break it off with me, and if she doesn't, he'll go to the club and tell them."

"Shit, are you serious?"

"Deadly. She broke it off with me tonight. She doesn't want me to lose my job because of her. The worst part is now I'm really worried we're playing right into his hands. She's now alone all the time instead of with me. He can take his fucked-up opportunity to get to her."

"This is messed up, Brad."

"I told you I wasn't being dramatic."

"Yeah, you're right about that. This is probably obvious, but have you called the authorities?"

I give her a look like is she kidding? Of course we have. "Yes, but they're doing fuck all. Her dad has installed a security system and better locks and she has a dog now, but I just really feel like she shouldn't be alone." We both go quiet, and I sit looking into my drink, hoping for some answers. I have just overloaded her with information. "Seriously, Ava, what am I supposed to do?" I feel like I have lost total control of all of this.

"I have no idea. I thought when you called me tonight it was to tell me how it went with Madeline."

"Oh, that is another whole level of fucked up. She wants to get back together so is refusing to sign the divorce papers."

She tilts her head and raises her brow. "After what she did, are you kidding me?"

I shake my head, still in disbelief after our dinner. I don't understand her at all or what she's thinking this time. "I wish I was."

She finishes her drink and places it back down on the table heavily. "Okay, well, let's look at it all logically. You told Madeline that it's over and she has to sign the papers, so I'm sure she will realize it's over soon enough and just sign them. I wouldn't worry too much about her, she'll move on to something new and shiny soon enough and won't be your problem anymore. And Andy wants to cool it for a bit. Honestly, that can't be such a bad thing for now, Brad. You have such a good opportunity coming your way with the men's team. Maybe this is for the best. Just have a break for a bit until you're not her coach anymore, then there's no need for her to be blackmailed by this crazy stalker dude."

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