Page 29 of Trick Play

“See you later.” She waved and said bye to Lo before leaving.

“She’s cute. Too bad her brother sucks.” Lo handed me my drink, and I took several gulps, needing the sugary comfort.

Haley’s words replayed in my mind. She thought Ethan breaking up with me was his biggest mistake?

I shouldn’t let myself even go down this road, but I couldn’t help it.

Did he agree?

Chapter 10

Ethan

I wasn’t normally one to allow a dark rain cloud to hang over me for long. I brushed things off and moved on. Having a thick skin and the ability to take criticism and keep working was required to get to our level.

But I was very close to my limit.

As I climbed the stairs to my dorm, each step felt heavier and heavier.

Nothing I did or said would change Kennedy’s opinion of me. It was fair. How I acted was unforgivable, but we needed to find a way to work together. So far all we could do was argue.

Coach hadn’t heard anything from Tyler Rodriquez.

I had an assignment due this week, and even though my tutor and I had worked together for over ten hours on it, I was nervous I’d fail that too. At the rate I was going, it felt like an inevitability.

I barely had my key in the door when it swung open and Reid pulled me in by the collar of my shirt.

“What the—”

“Shut up and sit down!” He shoved me down to my desk chair that was turned to face the middle of the room.

“What is going on?” I tried to stand, but he shoved me back down. “Reid! Have you lost your mind?”

“Me? Me? Me!” His voice grew louder with each word.

He’d lost his mind. When did this happen? Why?

“I don’t know what’s going on.” I kept my voice calm, hoping to diffuse whatever this situation was.

Reid stared at me with so much betrayal and anger, I waited for him to throw a punch. After a moment, he spun and reached behind me, stepping back to reveal two bottles of liquor in each hand. “What is this?”

“Whiskey?” I guessed before leaning forward so I could read the other labels. “And rum and gin? Why do you have this? We could get kicked off the team, and even out of school, if we get caught with it in our room.”

His eyes narrowed. “Ethan, you can’t keep lying.”

Wait. What? He thought those were mine?

“I don’t drink. You know that.” I’d never had a positive experience drinking, and the consequences were never worth it. I almost always got sick, and trying to train or play after that was awful. It wasn’t worth it to me.

“I did, or at least I thought so, but I don’t know you anymore. I don’t know what you’re doing or where you go. You disappear for days at a time.”

I glared up at him. “I told you. I’ve been studying, going to tutoring sessions.”

“The library closes at eleven. Where do you go after?”

“I crash at Shawn’s place because it’s closer to the library.” And sometimes I needed a break from my teammates.

How long has he had suspicions about me? If he really knew and trusted me, he wouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.