His nose was slightly crooked, like it had been broken once and never properly set, but it only added to the brutal sort of charm he carried.
The sharp cheekbones, cast in shadow, and those hazel eyes — part green, part gold — seemed to flicker with restless energy.
Why did he have to be so freaking hot?
He lied to you. He lied to you. He lied to you.I chanted in my head, even as a little voice in the far corners sowed the first niggling of doubt by whispering,But did he really?
I wanted to shake my head to clear it, to get back to a point in time, where everything was in order. Where everything was the way it was supposed to be, and I wasn’t second-guessing myself or the people around me all the fucking time.
As soon as he pulled up in front of our building, I unbuckled, intending to haul ass out of here, but once again, he was one step ahead.
“Ella, give us a minute.”
His tone left no room for argument. But Ella poked her head through the gap between the two seats again and raised a challenging eyebrow, shooting me a questioning look.
Reluctantly, I nodded. As much as I hated it, I wanted to know what he had to say. Ella’s door shut firmly behind her, he looked at me with a soft smile.
“I know you’re gonna try to run, Goddess. And while I’m giving you a little head start, don’t think for one second that I’m not coming for you. I’llalwayscatch up with you.”
Quick as lightning, he leaned in, capturing my lips in a searing kiss. When he pulled back, he straightened up and shot me one of his wicked grins.
“Sleep tight, Darlin’. You know the drill by now.”
With a scoff, I shook my head and climbed out of his truck.
My thoughts were jumbled as I tried to come to terms with the fierce desire flaring up inside of me — the desire to stay. Fuck.
***
My phone went off on my nightstand, the display flashing in the semi-darkness of my room. Still half-asleep, I groped around blindly until my fingers finally closed around it.
Unknown number, but a familiar Colorado area code. With my curiosity piqued, I leaned up on one elbow and swiped the screen to accept the call.
“Hello?” I said sleepily, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Hey, Sierra? This is Coach Angevin from USA Volleyball here. Got a little surprise for you. There’s an opening in our upcoming training block, and we’ve decided to offer you a spot. You’ve been on our radar for a while, and we want to see if you’re ready for the big leagues.”
I almost choked on my own spit. “Wait … really? Are you serious?”
A chuckle sounded through the line. “Absolutely. Not everyone gets this call. It’s a short window, but if you’re ready to compete at the next level, I want you in. Can you be in Orlando next week?”
Next week?It was already Saturday! Phone still pressed to my ear, I scrambled out of bed, tripping over the edge of the plush, soft rug that had curled up in one corner again.
“Next week? Like, the day after tomorrow next week?”
Now I was in a full-on panic. Was this really happening?
“Yeah, it’s a quick turnaround, but we think you could be a great fit.” Coach Angevin confirmed, pausing for a moment, and then added, “If you perform well, there’s a chance we’ll extendyou into a longer camp immediately after, so this could be a pretty big opportunity if you impress us.”
“A longer camp?” I echoed, breathlessly, a weird fluttery sensation forming in my stomach.
This was fuckinghuge. This was the kind of call you only get once, the kind of call I had been hoping for all summer.
“It could be another week or more. We’re bringing in a select group of players for that second phase, but the first one’s a good chance to make your mark. Are you in?” I heard some papers rustling.
In my head, Coach Angevin shuffled through an endless pile of candidates, ready to take my place at a moment’s notice should I fuck this up.
“Absolutely. I’ll make it happen.”
