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I hadn’t gone out of my waytosee her, though. The whole car surprise went about as bad as it could have. My goal was to make her feel good about coming to me for car issues in the future and avoiding people like Tony.
I thought I did a good thing, a nice gesture. Somehow, she had taken it the wrong way. I wasn’t mad about it. Deep down, I was just glad her car was fixed and safe to drive. The way Tony had it when I left the shop wasn’t safe at all. She would have driven for a few weeks and ended right back in there.
But I crashed and burned, and I probably ruined any chance I had with her. I couldn’t see a way that she would want to get to know me now.
As soon as I thought that, my mind flashed back to Coach Andersen a few days after the announcement of his daughter hit.
“I’m sure you know what I’m about to say, boys,” he had said, standing in front of us with his hands on his hips in the locker room. “Yes, it’s true. Una Nielsen is my daughter. She didn’t want anyone to know so no one would treat her different.”
Navin had snorted at that comment, but it had only taken one sharp glance from Coach to shut him up. And an elbow to the side from me.
“But, she spilled the beans, so to say. Now I have to have this uncomfortable conversation with you all.” He had scrubbed his face with his hands, pushing them over his short, buzzed cut hair. He and Una looked so much alike, I had been mad I hadn’t noticed it before.
Then again, there was absolutely nothing that connected the two before she had said something.
“Look, I was a teenage boy once too,” Coach said. “I know… things. I know how you work. What your brains say and what your… you know, wants you to do. All I’m saying is don’t do or think any of that withmydaughter, understood?”
A few guys had whispered behind their hands, but not me. My eyes had been trained on Coach, my heart beating fast.
She was the coach’s daughter and now completely off limits.
I knew it wouldn’t be an issue with most anyone else on the team. It really was just myself I was worried about. Having had that opening, to be able to talk to her, to be around her… it feltright. It gave me the confidence I hadn’t had over the years when I had first realized how much I liked her.
She was like a worm on a hook and I was the dumb fish being teased.
“I should clarify,” Coach had added at the end. “Allgirls should be off limits right now. We have to focus on the playoffs. Kiss your girlfriend’s goodbye and tell them you’ll see them at the end of the season. Hopefully with a huge trophy in your hands. They’ll understand when they see the results, I promise.”
And that had been that. He hadn’t said another word, but the message had gotten across.
Dad also took every opportunity to remind me to focus on soccer and not let anything get in my way of that. Between him and Coach Andersen, I knew I needed to get my priorities straight.
And that meant no Una.
Practice today was rough. Extra sprints. Extra drills. Extra everything, it seemed like. What we did to deserve the punishment, I wasn’t sure, but it had to be something. We worked our butts off, sweating like pigs.
As soon as practice ended, I hit the showers, needing both the cool off and the soap. Everyone at my house was out for the night, which meant I wasn’t in any rush to get home, anyway. Dad and Mom were at some charity gala, and Kit was sleeping over at a friend’s house. Going home to an empty house depressed me, so I chose not to when I could.
After cleaning up and throwing on some clean clothes I kept in my bag, I headed out to my car, debating which restaurant I wanted to hit for dinner. There was Tremaine’s, which always had good burgers and fries. After the calories I spent today, I could even throw in a milkshake.
Or I could hit the pizza place. A nice, thick slice of pepperoni sounded great.
La Madrina was also in the running.
By the time I got in my car and closed the door, I still hadn’t decided. I would let the car make the decision for me. Wherever I ended up subconsciously driving would be the place I went.
I threw the car in reverse, but before I stepped on the gas, the cameras beeped, alerting to someone behind me.
Swiveling my head, I found a car blocking me in. It wasn’t passing by. Whoever it was literally parked perpendicular behind me, making it impossible to move.
I sighed, not wanting to deal with the nonsense someone was trying to pull. I was starving, tired, and completely out of energy for the night.
After putting the car in park, I opened my door, planted one foot on the ground, and started on a tirade. “Look, whatever the deal is, I’m really not in the — Una.”
Seeing her stopped me in my tracks. Since the last time I saw her, she redid her braids. Gone was the blonde, black, and purple. Now she had multiple shades of blue, with the lighter colors closer to the top, blending in with what I assumed was her natural dark brown, and the darkest blues at the bottom.
She looked amazing. Like a goddess of the sea.
“My friends are all pissed at me,” she said, closing her driver’s door and leaning back against the car with her arms over her chest. Her face screamed serious, while her outfit, a pair of black leggings and a large hoodie, said casual. It didn’t seem like typical clothes for her—she usually wore her black cargo pants and a tight shirt.
