Page 6 of Ruled Out
I pull myself off the ground to make my way towards the exit, purposely avoiding eye contact. Before I make it to the door, he steps in front of me, blocking my exit.Dammit.
“I should make you do another set for being late,” he says, staring down at me. “Do you always breathe this hard, or are you justthatout of shape?”
He’s clearly trying to get under my skin, and I’ll be damned if I give him the satisfaction of knowing it’s working. I’m in phenomenal shape, and he knows it. If I would’ve started the workout with the team, I easily would’ve been one of the first to finish.
I keep my eyes glued to the ground, refusing to look at him.
“Phoebe, look at me.” My head snaps up at my name coming from his lips for the first time. I hate that I love the sound falling from his smug mouth. “We both know you're not shy when it comes to staring,” he continues.
And there it is.As if belittling me for being late isn't enough, he also feels the need to embarrass me by bringing up the café. Any hopes he’d forgotten about me ogling him at the café went completely out the door with his statement. Once our eyes are locked, he continues his interrogation.
“I’m sure you have an excuse, so let’s hear it. Why were you late?” he asks.
“I had a flat tire. If you don’t believe me, go look at my car. It’s in the parking lot; the donut adds a nice touch to my ride,” I quip, referring to my spare tire. I arch my brow, my lips turning up in a smirk as I wait for his response.
“You think you’re funny?” he asks and narrows his eyes at me. “You were just late to your first collegiate workout and you’re making jokes? If you don’t want to be here, then don’t show up tomorrow. I have no time for ungrateful, disrespectful little shits. Do you know how many people would die for this opportunity? To be part of this team? I’m glad you can laugh off your mistakes,” he scoffs while shaking his head.
“You’re exactly right,Coach.” I draw out the last word for emphasis. “It was amistake. You’re acting like I rolled up half an hour late with a Starbucks in my hand. Jesus Christ, I had a flat tire. I got here as fast as I could and busted my ass once I did. I don’t know what else you want from me,” I say, not breaking eye contact.
“Watch your mouth,” he grits out.
“You certainly don’t watch yours,” I argue back. I shouldn’t be fighting with him, shouldn’t be arguing like he isn’t my superior, but I can’t help it. He’sinfuriating.
“I want you to act like you care. Instead, you’re cracking jokes about being late. Show some respect,” he growls, lowering his voice and stepping closer to me. We’re only inches apart as he closes the distance. He’s so close, I can feel the heat radiating off his body.
“Respect works both ways,” I add softly. His closeness is suffocating, my words coming out as a whisper.
“Respect is also earned,” he replies. “As of right now, I owe you nothing. Tomorrow, you will show up an hour early and run laps at the track until practice starts. Make sure you leave with plenty of time, in case another ‘accident’ happens. Don’t be late again.”
Done with this conversation, I step to the side and try to walk around him to leave. Before I make it past his large frame, he grabs my forearm and glares down at me. I should be pulling away, but all I can think about is the electricity running through my body from his touch.
“Oh, and Phoebe,” he continues. “Don’t think this is just about you being late. I heard your ‘asshole’ comment, loud and clear. You think I’m an asshole now?You have no idea. I like to think of the off-season as a time to weed out the weak. This is college. Mommy and Daddy aren't here to win your spot for you anymore.”
That was a low blow. I feel angry tears start to build behind my eyes, but I refuse to let him see me cry.
“I’m guessing that’s your Mercedes out there,” he says, looking through the glass wall, gesturing towards the only vehicle in the parking lot with a spare tire. “Looks like you’d get along just fine without your athletic scholarship.”
God, he’s such a dick.
“Go to hell,” I respond, not caring anymore that he’s my coach. He doesn’t know the first thing about me, or what kind of family I come from. I can’t hide the lone tear that slides down my cheek at his stabbing comment. I yank my arm from his grip and head for the door, not stopping to look back.
He might be the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on, but his personality is rotten.
FOUR
PHOEBE
Exhausted and pissed off, I slam the door of my apartment and plop down on the couch with a loud exhale. I’m still in shock over how Coach Moore treated me. I’ve had plenty of strict coaches who weren’t pleasant to work with, but never has a coach talked to me the way he did.Who the hell hired this guy?
When he grabbed my arm and glowered at me… his glare made me feel things I shouldn’t have felt about mycoach.I keep asking myself why I didn’t instantly pull away. In some sick and twisted way, I liked the way he held on to me, how his large hand wrapped around the entirety of my forearm. Did he notice the goosebumps that peppered my skin when our bodies connected for the first time?
“Finally!” Maisie shouts as she barrels out of her room. “I’ve been trying to call you! What the hell happened, Pheebs? Showing up late to our first practice was a bold move.”
I groan loudly. “I don't want to talk about it. My day has been a complete shit show. I just want to go to sleep and forget it ever happened.”
“You think I’m letting you off the hookthateasily?” she replies, rolling her eyes. “You’re not going to show up late to practice, come home moping, and not tell me what’s going on. Not to mention, I had to find outalonethat our coach was the man you drooled over yesterday. I will literally sit here all night until you talk. I’ve got plenty of time,” she continues, leaning back and propping her hands behind her head, like she has all the time in the world.
“Fine, but I’m giving you the short version,” I reply with a deep sigh. “I don’t have the energy to live it all over again. To make a long story short, I had a flat tire, called a random guy from class to change it, and Coach Moore ripped me a new one because I was late. Basically, he called me ungrateful, disrespectful, entitled, and the list goes on. He also made sure to let me know that hedefinitelysaw me checking him out at the café. So yeah, my day has been complete shit.”