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“You didn’t even like me at first,” I say, scrunching my nose.
He grins. “Doesn’t mean I wasn’t enamored simply by your presence.”
I swallow down the emotion building in my throat. “For the longest time, you were like this… god. This water polo god that I looked up to. Then you were at my college and you werecoaching me, and nothing I did seemed to be good enough. And now you’re here in my bedroom, it just doesn’t feel real.”
Fallon’s face softens. “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel you weren’t good enough. You’re the only reason I accepted this job, I’ve been following your career for a while. I’ve known about you a lot longer than you think. I never expected to get involved like this, but it’s real, Sage. What we have, it’s real.”
I press my hand against his, cradling my face closer to his hold. “Okay. So then what are we doing?”
“Whatever we need to be together. It’s me and you.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Fallon
I knew the day was going to be a load of bullshit as soon as I saw Eli’s sullen face waiting for me in my office. And my first thought was that I only got one singular night with Sage before it all went down the drain. My body aches from the wasted time over the past few weeks when I was too scared to further our relationship.
My brother doesn’t say anything as he leads me to a separate building on campus away from the aquatic center, but within the athletic department. I recognize the athletic director as a couple more people start to take their seats across from me, Eli included.
“Do you know why this meeting was called?” the director asks.
Flashes of Sage’s slick skin, hot mouth, and tight pussy run through my mind, but I shake my head. “No idea.”
“There’s been a concern raised by a fellow student that suggests you are awfully close with one of your athletes.”
I tap the wooden table. My heart shrivels in my chest; everything I’ve been worried about is happening faster than I wanted or predicted, but I keep my emotions buried deep, cocking my head to the side, not looking away as my eyebrows knit together. “Close how?”
“Close enough for someone to feel it's inappropriate.”
“In what way?”
The director pauses, glancing at the woman to his left, and clears his throat. “One of a sexual nature.”
I clench my jaw, trying to calm my panic and seem more annoyed than anything. “Has someone accused me of that? Sometimes as coaches we have to get close to our students to correct their form. If someone thinks I’ve touched them inappropriately, I wish to rectify that because it was never my intention.”
He shifts in his seat. “There haven’t been any full accusations, more along the lines of an observation of concern. We’ve spoken to the student in question and they’ve refused any involvement with you, but you understand we still have to look into it.”
Nodding, I lean back and cross my arms. “So what’s the plan? Do you want me to step back?”
“No, just be more conscious of how certain actions can be interpreted,” he says.
Eli sighs. “My brother is a world-class athlete. Do you think he’s really interested in college students?”
I am. I am very interested in one college student. My cock twitches thinking about being buried inside Sage again. I’m already addicted to her presence, her smart mouth, and her passion for our sport. Now I’m desperate for more time as I feel it starting to be ripped away from us.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s not. Perception is everything, especially to investors. They can pull funding if they think we’re allowing our coaches to have inappropriate relationships with our students,” the director says, throwing my brother a hard glance.
I sigh. “Whatever you guys feel is best. I appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me so far, but I understand if you need to let me go.”
Eli scoffs. “Look at the vast improvement of the team in the small time he’s been here. You fire him, you can kiss a championship goodbye.”
The director blanches. “Your termination is not on the table, especially with the student denying the claim. This is simply a courtesy meeting to inform you and allow you to make the appropriate choices to combat whatever convinced the complainant of the false narrative.”
“Have you told Coach Amber of this?” I ask.
He shakes his head and Eli looks at me, the approval at the suggestion turning my stomach. I’m not as close to my family as I was growing up, but I know they would be disappointed in me for pursuing my nineteen-year-old student.
“Well, maybe we should. She can add an extra layer of security. We won’t split the practices, I won’t be alone with any of the girls in my office,” I suggest, wanting to be done with this entire conversation. My chest hurts knowing what I have to do next. I don’t want to, but Sage and her well-being will always come first.
