AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ll deal with mom.”
We say goodbye, and I text Stan before I take a nap to recover my energies.
Me: I’m safely home and with a new phone—same number.
Stan: Good. I’m going to sleep for a while. Txt you later.
Stan: BTW get some sleep.
Me: tsk, I will since SOMEONE didn’t let me sleep.
Stan: I DIDN’T LET YOU SLEEP? Bree, you kicked me a thousand times and stole my sheets.
Me: Oops?
Stan: but even then, I miss your ass in my bed.
A smile draws on my face as a warm feeling blooms in my chest. I also miss being on his bed—with him.
Chapter Twenty
Monday morning, coach Hennig makes us wake up at dawn for practice, forcing us to get in shape for the upcoming season. We have five months left, and he typically lets us free during the first semester, but every once in a while, he summons us to make sure that we’re not slacking.
Lacrosse is a spring sport, so we’re not active during fall and winter, and usually, our out-of-season practices are inside. Today is one of those days where not only did he choose to bring us together to practice, but we’re also on the field freezing our asses. Even with the compression wear under the uniform, I can still feel the cold sneaking in, making chills run all over my body. I’m a Florida guy, and I’m not used to the cold.
Coach makes us do warmups, and apparently, he’s in a bad mood because it’s a suicide mission. We stretch, run backward, and side to side. We make squats, burpees, jumping jacks, and lunges. By the time that coach blows the whistle, I’m panting and sweating, no longer feeling the cold air hitting my cheeks. Ryder’s face is as red as a tomato from the physical effort.
“Oh, God, I hate him. Ireallyhate him,” Ryder drags the words, leaning over and putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
We haven’t been slacking. Ryder and I make sure to hit the gym a couple of times a week to stay in shape, but this practice has been intense. For some reason, there’s tension in the environment.
Kaleb Fitzgerald—one of the defense players—is lying on the field, recovering from the warmups when Coach stands next to him and starts to scold him. He gets up with a mortal glare, still panting.
“Is this what I’m counting on for the season?” Coach speaks in a cold and firm tone. His raspy voice is even raspier after yelling at us through the course of the warming drills. “I’m sure that the ballet dancers from the academy downtown can do this without sweating.”
“Then he can call the fucking ballerinas,” Kaleb grunts as he gets in line with the rest of us.
“Cora would kick our asses,” Ryder comments, and I do my best to avoid laughing. I don’t want to get on Coach’s lousy side today. “I’m serious. Have you seen her legs? They’re stronger than the two of us combined.”
He’s not wrong, though. From what Bree has told me, Cora has been dancing ballet for over a decade. The strength she must have in her legs is more than what we need to play lacrosse.Hell, I don’t even know why I’m required to train this hard.I’m a goalkeeper. I’m not strictly obligated to do everything my teammates are doing because I’m not running around on the field following a ball and tackling other players. That’s something that players like Carter and Ryder need to do.
But Coach wants us to do the same amount of work.
“What are you two gossiping about?”
I jump and straighten when I hear Coach’s rough voice behind us.
“Nothing, Coach,” we respond in unison.
“You better. Moving your tongues is not part of the practice,” he warns.
Ryder turns his gaze to me and rolls his eyes without Coach noticing. I want to do the same thing, but I’m on Coach’s radar.
Fuck, I might need new lungs after this.
After warmups, we start the shooting drills, and I put on the protective gear that covers my throat and chest. Grabbing my stick, I stand in front of the net.
“Weiss, be the defense for now.”
