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"Alright then." She is so independent that she can't accept she was getting herself in over her head and she needed me. "What's going on with you tonight, anyway? You're not yourself."
Realizing our hands are still intertwined, she releases mine, tossing her long hair over one shoulder and combing her hands through it. It looks so pretty tonight with it out and wild. I would like to run my hands through it and hold a handful as I fuck her from behind. A vision of us on that hotel balcony comes back to me, and I have to force it to the back of my mind. I can't be thinking about her like this anymore.
"How would you know how I am usually, anyway?" She assesses my face, and I can't tell if she likes that I care or not.
"Andy, I have watched you and how you interact with others pretty much every day for two weeks now. I know more than you think, and tonight you weren't celebrating like the others. You were sulking."
"I wasn't sulking." She pouts.
I give her a sideways look, eyebrow raised, likeyou definitely were. "And that guy, what was that? That doesn't seem like you."
She rolls her eyes. "You really have no idea about me at all, Brad. None. Why are you paying so much attention to me, anyway?" she sasses.
"I care that you're okay, that's all. I don't like seeing you unhappy, and tonight you are clearly miserable."
She gives me a look that tells me I'm spot-on, then sighs loudly. "Fine, I'll tell you, but it stays between us. I don't want you trying to fix anything, I have it under control. Okay?"
I don't like the sound of this. What would I need to fix? She gives me a stern glare like she won't spill until I agree to her terms. "Alright, just tell me what's going on."
"It's the fucking jealous bitches on our team," she huffs.
I knew there was something going on with her. This is the first I've heard about any jealousy within the team; I thought they were a tight group, supportive of each other. "What's happened with these other girls?"
"After the game, when I was in the shower, I overheard two of them talking about me." She says it calmly, but I can see how upset she is about it. Her entire body is stiff and she looks uncomfortable.
"What did they say?"
"It's not important, they just pissed me off, judging me and shit. I hate girls like that."
We're just out front of the hotel, and I put my hands on her shoulders, stopping her from walking so I can look at her properly. She's really upset about this. Whatever they said, it must have been bad. She doesn't seem like the type to be so easily affected by what others say about her. "What did they say about you?"
Pale blue eyes blink up at me from behind long dark lashes. I brush the hair out of her eyes, tucking the stray strands behind her ear. She's such an attractive girl, her long hair framing her oval-shaped face. I want so badly to bring her lips up to mine and kiss her, tell her just how much I think about her and the night we shared. This moment could be perfect.
She sighs. "That my ego is inflated, because I'm doing well, scoring high."
I look at her, confused. "There's nothing wrong with that. I used to get people saying that about me all the time. Just own it, don't let them upset you."
She looks at me even more intensely, as if willing me to read her mind so she doesn't have to say it out loud. "It's not just that." She hesitates, nibbling her bottom lip nervously. "They think I have all the coaches wrapped around my little finger, Mitch and now you. They made a bet that I was already sleeping with you, because in their words,I'm such a slut."
And the flinch from earlier when that dickhead called her a slut makes more sense now. I feel the anger wash over me. I know I said I would just listen and not try and fix this, but this type of bullying shit is not on with my team. These girls need to be called out for this. "Are you fucking kidding me? Who said it, Andy?"
She takes a step back from me. "Nope, I'm not telling you that. I don't need you going in and saving me from them, it will only make all of this worse. I'll deal with it, Brad. Promise me you won't say anything to anyone. Not even Ava, okay?"
I cross my arms across my chest and glare at her. I'm not angry with her; I'm annoyed she won't let me help. This needs to be dealt with. But I can see she's not going to back down with this one. "Okay, I won't," I huff. "But it's bullshit. You shouldn't have to put up with bullying like this," I say, trying to keep my frustration at the situation under control.
"Yeah, but I do. See, that's the difference between men and women. I bet you get celebrated because you're confident and have a healthy sex life, but girls get shamed for the same thing. And we can't be good at what we do, because it's always just assumed that we've slept with someone to get to the top. They all just think I'm chasing you to get an advantage. That's why I walked away last weekend. I have to walk away from you."
She's right, no one ever questioned me. I could sleep with whoever I wanted, and before I got married, I did. And now it makes more sense. She walked not because she wanted to but because she was worried about the consequences on her career if it ever got out. "It's so unfair," I say softly.
"Yeah, but it's reality in our society." She smiles sadly, and I wish I could make her feel better. But after what I just heard, I need to be even more careful about keeping my distance from her. "Thanks for walking me back. I better go before anyone sees us together and starts more rumors. I'll see you tomorrow."
She turns to walk away, and I can't help it, I have to let her know how I feel about her. Even if it can never go any further than this. "Andy, just so you know, if things were different, it would be me chasing you, not the other way around. And you get the game time because you work harder than anyone else. You put in the hours and have more talent. Don't let them get to you."
She offers me a small smile. "Thanks for saying that." She pauses, blinking back at me. She wants to say something else but she's not sure if she should. "Brad, if things were different, you wouldn't have to chase me. I'd already be all yours." She offers a small, sad smile and wanders through the sliding front doors of the hotel.
My heart actually hurts hearing her says those words. Watching her walk away is hard when all I want to do is comfort her and show her exactly how I feel about her. Part of me wishes I didn't take this job, but I needed my fresh start, and this really is a good opportunity for me to have that. I just have to get my feelings for her under control, so I don't mess up her career or mine.
Chapter Eight
