“I’ll admit you’re getting better, but your form still needs work,” he scolds me.
“Which I already know. Hence the reason Lexi’s meeting me here later,” I remind him. “I just need a little more practice and—"
“Yeah, those plans are canceled,” he interjects, drawing a frown out of me.
“Excuse me?”
His eyes darken when they land on me. “If you fail, guess who gets blamed,” he reasons coldly, but I’m not buying his excuse. It feels like there’s some other hidden agenda.
“Mrs. C. made you my responsibility,” he continues. “So, I’m seeing this through myself. No way I’m putting my rep in Rodriguez’s hands.”
My chest rises and falls when his command frustrates me. He doesn’t even blink and I know that, regardless of whether I cancel with Lexi or not, West will be here.
“Whatever,” I say again, too infuriated by his arrogance to come up with something more intelligent than that.
“Down and back,” he orders.
I glare at him and ready myself to go again.
“And keep your head down this time.”
“And kiss my ass this time,” I mumble to myself.
It isn’t until I see him grin in my peripheral that I realize he heard that.
“Just name the place, Southside,” he teases, responding to what was never meant to be an invitation. When I meet his gaze, he eyes me in that lust-ridden way of his.
And just like that, I’m thinking things I shouldn’t be thinking, aware of the need to put space between us. So, I take off into the water, knowing his eyes are glued to me.
Keep it up, King Midas, and we’re going to get ourselves into more trouble than either of us are ready for.
Trouble I’m starting to think might be worth whatever hell there will be to pay afterward.
Chapter 34
BLUE
“Good job, Riley. The official announcement won’t be made for a few days, but in case you’re wondering, Coach Ryan and I already have our eyes on you,” Coach Dena assures me.
She pats me on the back, and it feels better than I remember being praised for my performance on the court. I’ve always loved the game, but I’d accepted there was no room for basketball this year. Guess being forced into it by Dr. Pryor is just what I needed.
I say a few words to the other girls who tried out, then grab my phone off the bench. I shoot Scar a quick text to make sure she’s at the diner doing homework—seeing as how I need eyes on her at all times now—then make my way to the locker room.
I’m exhausted, but the pushy bastard I love to hate is meeting me soon. So, I shower quickly, then get into my bathing suit for the second time today.
Exhausted, I’m dragging a bit as I close my locker before making my way to the pool. The heavy door slams behind me and my steps hesitate a moment. All because I wasn’t expecting West to beat me here, but he did. He’s sitting on the edge in his dark trunks, staring down into the water where his legs hang over the tiled edge.
I swallow hard when he peers up, because it hits me that it’s just us here this time. Historically speaking, things between us go awry when left to our own devices—the locker room, Homecoming, the Halloween party—but I’m convinced this will be different.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
I don’t say a word as I walk over and step into the pool. It’s odd being here without the chatter and splashing of the entire class. West, on the other hand, seems perfectly fine with it just being the two of us here now. Adding to the strange vibe, the tall windows along the upper half of the space have gone dark, seeing as how it’s after five and the sun has practically set.
“You’re early,” I comment, pushing my hands through the water to get acclimated to the temp. West slips into the pool next, walking toward me. I try to keep my breaths steady, but of course it doesn’t work. Never does around him.
“Just told Coach I had an appointment,” he shares.
I’m sure he didn’t mean for this to happen, but his answer makes me feel like, I don’t know. Like I might be somewhat important if he lied to be here. Then again, it could also be what he said earlier. That his grade rests on me passing, too.
“Tryouts go okay?” he asks, which comes as a shock.
“Yes, actually,” I say a little too enthusiastically. “Coach Dena hinted that I’ve already made the team, so…”
He smiles a bit. “You some kind of superstar or something?”
I feel my face getting warmer. “I wouldn’t say that, but I hold my own on the court.”
West is thoughtful for a moment and I wonder if that came out cocky. If it did, that wasn’t my intention.
“Sounds like I need to check you out once the season starts.”
My heart beats rapidly and I nod, trying not to freak out at the thought of him coming to see me play.
“Guess so.”
Things get quiet and awkward after that, leaving me desperate to change the subject, so I speak up quickly.
“Where should I start tonight?”
It’s not the smoothest segue in the world, but talking about me has gotten to be uncomfortable. While West stares, I take the elastic band from my wrist to pull my hair into a ponytail. It’s still wet from the shower, and while I probably shouldn’t care what it looks like, I do.
Because of him.
“The big evaluation is coming up,” he starts, “And … I think you should try going to the deep end this time,” West suggests, and as soon as I realize what he’s about to say, I start shaking my head.
“No way.”
Frustrated, he rolls his eyes. “Just today, I watched you swim across the shallow end without stopping, without needing to touch the bottom. Nothing’s different,” he reasons.
“Nothing’s different?” I scoff. “What about the fact that I can’t reach the bottom?”
The look on his
