AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh my God. Wait, what did he say about the café?” Maisie asks, sitting up with a wide-eyed look on her face.
“We both know you're not shy when it comes to staring,”I mock, repeating his words while covering my beet-red face in embarrassment.
“You’re kidding, he did not say that!” Maisie replies with arched brows. “I wonder why he gave you such a hard time. He seemed fine before you showed up,” she adds with a puzzled expression.
“Yeah, well, for some unknown reason, he hates me. Lucky for him, the feeling is mutual,” I snark.If only I didn’t think he was the hottest man alive. “Anyways, I’m gonna try to go to bed. He’s making me run before practice tomorrow as punishment for being late.” I stand from the couch to head towards my room.
“Wait, have you eaten dinner?” Maisie shouts from the living room.
“I stopped and got something on my way home,” I lie. I’m too tired to eat, and my body is already starting to ache. I’m both mentally and physically spent.
“Night, Maisie,” I call out before closing my door and falling face first into bed.
* * *
The next dayseems to pass by in a haze. I’ve been fighting sleep, making it difficult to pay attention in class. As tired as I was, I slept like shit last night. I’m on my third coffee of the day, and I feel like the previous two did nothing to up my energy levels. I decided against taking a nap after class, in fear of not waking up in time for practice. I just hope the copious amounts of caffeine I’ve consumed gets me through today's workout before I crash and burn.
Per Coach Moore’s request, I arrive an hour early to the athletic facility. I knew today's workout was going to be killer, so I decided to wear a black sports bra paired with matching shorts, the CCU Athletics logo stitched on them. All athletes are given activewear, embroidered with the official university emblem to wear during practice or when traveling to away games. My sports bra even has the logo pasted on the back in the middle of the racerback design.
Lacing up my running shoes, I think about how grateful I am that the track is indoors not outside in the stifling Florida heat. I’ve been feeling lightheaded all day, running on little to no sleep. I’m sure my lack of food is also to blame for my fatigue. I usually love to run in the heat and get a good sweat going, but today, I feel like I would pass out if I tried. Thankful for the air conditioning, I get to my feet and make my way to the track.
“Two hours; you can make it through two hours,” I whisper, giving myself a pep talk.
“Look who decided to show up on time today,” a familiar voice sounds from a distance. I immediately recognize its owner, the most infuriating man on the planet. I despise the way his husky voice sends heat waves surging through my body.
“Yep, on time and hoping you’ll let me run my hour in peace,” I reply. I have no energy to deal with his bullshit today.
“Put this on,” he commands in a stern tone.
I feel a light-weight material hit my back before it falls to the ground. I turn to see what he’s referring to and spot a gray t-shirt lying on the track. I slowly lift my eyes from the shirt to where he stands, no more than six feet away. His amber eyes roam the length of my body, stopping on my chest for longer than I know he intended. He immediately shifts his gaze back to my face, and I notice he looks just as exhausted as me. His thick black hair is disheveled, and small bags have formed under his eyes that weren't there yesterday. He’s wearing black joggers that highlight his long legs, paired with a CCU shirt.
“Excuse me?” I argue. “Are you seriously asking me to put a shirt on? I’m wearing a sports bra that covers more than a swimsuit. It’s entirely appropriate and not to mention, designed for working out.”
“It doesn't follow CCU Athletics dress guidelines. Put it on, Phoebe,” he replies, flexing his jaw as if he’s grinding his teeth.
“Oh really?” I scoff. “Can you give me a copy of these guidelines? I’ve seen plenty of men walking around here half-naked.” Done with his misogynistic ass, I go for the jugular. “You know what? I thinkyoumay be the one with a bit of a staring problem,Coach. Afraid you can’t keep your eyes off my exquisite…”
“Phoebe! That’s enough.” He raises his voice, cutting me off before I can finish my sentence. “Put the damn shirt on. End of discussion.”
I wish I had the motivation to fight back, but I just don’t have the energy today. I want nothing more than to get this over with and go home. Arguing with him will only further hurt my cause. He’s my coach, and at the end of the day, I have to listen to him. I cast a furious glance his way and swipe the shirt off the floor. Slipping it on, I turn my back and begin my run.
An hour later, I look down at my Apple Watch to see I’ve run six miles. Legs shaking, I notice my t-shirt is drenched in sweat. I try to steady my breathing, but my lungs feel like an inferno. Too drained to move, I sit down on the track and fold my legs against my chest. Resting my head and arms on my knees, my chest rapidly moves up and down with exhaustion.Breathe in, breathe out.I just need five minutes to catch my breath.
“Hey, practice starts in a few. You good?”
Chest heaving, I look up to see a girl with ebony eyes and curly, chestnut hair pulled back into a ponytail. She’s wearing a CCU practice uniform, so she must be one of my teammates. Smiling at me sympathetically, she extends out a hand.
“Thanks,” I manage to say, still out of breath. I take her hand as she helps pull me to my feet.
“No problem. I’m Sasha,” she says with a soft smile. “Maisie told me all about you. I have a few classes with her, and I’m sure you know she loves to talk,” she laughs before a serious expression crosses her face. “What happened to you yesterday was out of your control. Coach shouldn't have punished you like this.”
“Well, I did call him an asshole and basically told him to go to hell,” I reply with a smirk, still in shock that I spoke to my coach that way. It isn’t like me, but I just couldn’t stand his egotistical attitude. “So, I guess some of my punishmentiswarranted, but I don’t know what his problem is. It’s clear that he has it out for me already.”
“Something’s definitely bothering him. He’s been blatantly glaring at you since I got here half an hour ago. I honestly can’t tell if he’s pissed off or enamored with you,” she jokes with a lighthearted smile.
He’s been watching me this entire time?I swear, if he didn’t hate me so much, I would think he’s attracted to me. I’ve started to notice that every time we lock eyes, his seem to betray him. He tries so hard to keep his gaze fixed on my face, but he can’t help the way they quickly drink in my body every time I’m near. When he grabbed my arm in the weight room, his eyes snapped up at me in utter shock, like he had never touched a player before. It’s as if he has no control when it comes to me.
“Anyways, will you be able to make it through practice today?” Sasha asks, breaking my trance. “I don’t mean to be rude, but you look beat.”
