I mentally take in the distance before I take a deep breath. Then I let it go as I start to run.
Twisting my body, I throw my hands forward, letting my body follow the momentum. Over and over my body turns and twists until I stop on the other side of the court. I’m breathing a little heavier now, not quite used to the workout, but it came back to me just like I knew it would. It’s second nature to me at this point.
I hear claps, turning to find some of the boys on the court staring at me. Their teacher yells at them, making all but one take their eyes off of me.
Nate.
I knew he was there, but he hadn’t bothered to glance in my direction. Now his eyes hold anger, and heat?
Is that heat?
Can’t be. I must be imagining it.
I break the connection, making my way back to the team. Tiffany has a nasty look on her face while the other girls gush about my performance.
Once I make it back to them, Tiffany hushes them.
“You have skills, sure. We could use those, but I’m not sure you can commit.”
“You don’t know anything about me now, do you?”
“I know that you could have requested an audition when you moved here, but you didn’t. Why was that?”
I grit my teeth.
Because I don’t want to be on the team. I don’t want to be doing this.
“My parents had just died. I transferred schools in the middle of the year. My mind wasn’t in the right place, but it is now,” I lie.
“Hmm. This team takes complete dedication. That means you show up to each and every practice. We go to every party. If I call, I expect you to drop everything and come running. If I give you an order, you do it without question or complaint. Are you willing to do that?”
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from snapping at her. The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth. After a brief stare-off, I answer her.
“Yes, I am.”
“What about your little loser friend?”
“She’s a non-issue. She’s so far stuck up Rocky Rockford’s ass that she can’t see straight.”
A sinister smile spreads across her face. “She dropped you like a hot potato, huh?”
I scoff. “More like I dropped her. If she wants to run off with her boyfriend and get tied down, that’s on her. I don’t need that in my life.”
“Tell us how you really feel,” the deep voice makes my blood freeze.
Fucking Nate.
Of course he’s eavesdropping.
Tiffany’s smile only gets bigger as I turn to face the man in question.
“Fine. You and your brother are nothing but trouble. Willow wouldn’t have ever been hurt had she never met you two. Now that he has sunk his claws into her, she’s not like the old Willow. She’s weak. Dependent. She’s not the girl who was my friend.”
His eyes narrow. “We put her in danger? I think you might be a little confused about everything that went down. Don’t worry though. You no longer matter to us. I’ll be sure to tell Willow exactly how you feel about her.”
There is anger in his eyes, but there is also disappointment. I think that cuts deeper than the hatred I expected to find.
I force out a chuckle, my stomach twisting in knots. “Please do. She’s dead to me.”
