Page 21 of Leave Me Broken
She smiles and kisses me back. “Promise. Our dirty secret.”
I pinch her bottom lip between my teeth and nip hard enough to tease but not enough to draw blood. “Watch it, babygirl. I’ve been waiting for the same thing.” I wave my hand and she places hers in mine. I curl my fingers over hers, nearly hiding her small hand. “And my fingers are much bigger.”
7
Ash
“You’re probably wondering where the net is.” The girls nod their head. “This practice isn’t going to be a practice like you are used to. We have an important day tomorrow and I don’t want anyone sore.”
“So what are we doing here?” Alyssa snaps.
“Team bonding.” Luca steps next to me with the red blindfolds we went out and bought last night. I will not tell anyone that we got them from a sex shop or that I got a few extra items I think Payson will enjoy. I’ve done my best not to look at her for too long—like every day—so our feelings are not obvious, but fuck, after my office, it’s bloody difficult. Second time she’s ever sucked dick and she’s like a porn star now.
I take half and start on the opposite side as Luca, passing one to each girl. When I get to Payson, I accidentally drop hers, knowing she will bend over to pick it up. I bend too and lean in close. “Keep yours when we’re done. For later.” She pops up and I stretch to my full height without looking down at her. Her eyes go wide and her mouth falls open as she looks to the red blindfold in her hand.
Once all the girls have one, I tell the four girls on the right to put theirs on. That leaves Alyssa, Aubrey, and Erica without a blindfold around their eyes. “Okay, the girls without a blindfold will be paired up and I want you to wrap the blindfold around one of your legs and one of your partner’s so you are shoulder to shoulder. Coach Luca will pair you now.”
We discussed the pairs, so I stand in my place in the front while Luca moves each girl next to their partner.
“There’s three of us,” Alyssa announces like I don’t fucking have eyes to see that.
“Shannon could not be here this morning. So, both your legs will be tied. One to Payson, one to Emika. Do it now,” Luca tells her before joining me in front of the group.
She takes longer than I’d like but I expect Alyssa to fight me on everything. Payson says I favor Alyssa, but she couldn’t be further from the truth. It comes out like I am often taking Alyssa’s side, even Luca told me last night it came out that way, but that’s not how I see it. I expect what happened from Alyssa—I expect her to call Payson names. I didn’t expect the punches; I wouldn’t have let her punch Payson, but I wasn’t that surprised after I thought more about it.
Payson, I hold her to a higher standard. Maybe it’s not fair, but it does not matter what is fair. When she stoops to Alyssa’s level, I can’t just simply keep my mouth shut. Payson respects me as her coach, therefore it’s easier to stop her from doing, or saying, things she really shouldn’t. Do I disagree with what she was going to say to Alyssa? No. It doesn’t mean I want her saying it out loud in front of the whole team.
Payson is captain because she is genuinely a good person. She’s a great player and someone anyone could look up to as their role model. I respect Payson the same way she respects me. Probably more. Even if I wasn’t in love with her, I would still have chosen her as captain because the team benefits from it. If I allow her to act as Alyssa does, then eventually that’s who she will become. I refuse to watch that happen.
Once everyone is tied up, I explain how this will work. Luca and I set up the obstacle and we will time them. The teammate without a blindfold over their eyes is responsible for making sure their team makes it to the end. “Fastest team to finish the obstacle doesn’t have to run at the end of practice all next week.”
Excited mutters fill the room.
“What about the beginning of practice?” Janelle asks.
“No, the winner will still be required to run in the beginning and participate in all conditioning besides the two miles at the end.”
The excitement dies but not completely.
“And the losers?” Payson asks this time. There is a hesitancy in her voice, and I know she is thinking it will be her team. She’s already doubting their capabilities and that’s the exact reason I paired those three.
“The team to have the highest time will run double what everyone does next week and will be responsible for setting the net up every day.”
Her head drops back and she mutters something to Alyssa, who rolls her eyes at whatever was said.
“From this Friday until the end of season, we will meet in the gym at five a.m., just like today, and we will be participating in team bonding drills until the end of season or until I believe my practice will not be turned into an MMA fighting ring. Are we understood?”
Six of the girls nod. “Yes, Coach.”
“Good. Aubrey, please lead you and Monica to the blue starting line.” They waddle across the floor, and I direct the other girls to head to the sideline so they aren’t in the way. The first thing I hear is Alyssa snapping at Mika for being slow.
“If you would direct us on where to go, we wouldn’t be slow,” Payson bites back. That is exactly why Payson is captain. Instead of letting Emika take full blame, she included herself in the reason they’re being slow. That’s a team leader. Payson will make a fantastic coach one day.
I wait for them to make it before I head over to meet Luca at the starting line. “We are going to demonstrate how you are meant to do the course to the seeing teammate, so you are required to fully lean on them,” Luca tells the girls.
“Pay attention.” I bend over and fix my knee brace, making sure it won’t give me any issues.
We link arms and move our opposite ankles together. We don’t need anything tying us together because we’ve been doing this same drill for years. We could do it in our sleep. Jumping, shuffling, running, we do it all and we do it perfectly. When we reach the finish line, neither of us are even breaking a sweat. Running through the course three times before anyone showed up probably helped, but we don’t need to tell them that.