Page 28 of Beneath the Stands (Sugarlake 2)

My jaw clenches and I nod. “Yeah. Okay.”

She pushes past me. My stomach twists. I grab her wrist, her pulse jumping under my fingers.

She stops, sucking in a breath. “Let me go.”

“Shit.” I drop her arm. “I just… can we try and be friends? There’s no rule against that, is there?” I’m grasping at straws and I’m confident we both know it, but I can’t go back to the way things were. Not now. Not after this.

She gazes at me, chewing on her lip, those fingers playing in her strands of hair. I shove my hands in my pockets to keep from grabbing her face and kissing her.

She finally nods, a small grin peeking out. “You wouldn’t be the first asshole I’ve been friends with.”

Something that feels a lot like relief pours through my veins, loosening the knot in my stomach and dousing the lump in my throat.

“I’ll see ya later.” She cracks the door and slips into the crowd.

A girl bursts through, scoffing when she sees me. Maybe I should be embarrassed. It’s obvious what we were up to. But I can’t find it in me to care, so I give her a big smile and squeeze by.

Connor and Sarah are in the same spot I left them. Both of their heads snap in my direction as I walk up.

Connor’s eyes widen as he looks me up and down, a smirk lining his face. “Hey, buddy. Where ya been?” His voice is loud, straining over the sound of the music.

I paste on a grin, not caring how obvious it is that my hair is damp from sweat and my clothes are wrinkled. “Just needed some air.”

; Sarah leans over, resting her hand on my arm and speaking into my ear. “I ordered you another drink.”

“Thanks.” My nerve endings are sensitive from being burned by Becca’s touch, and I grit my teeth to keep from jerking away from Sarah’s.

I thought fucking Becca would get this need out of my system. Let me regain some damn sense.

It wasn’t like this back when we were kids. Or maybe it was and I was too focused on the ball to notice. Either way, it doesn’t matter. I indulged in the temptation, and now I need to take whatever this feeling is and tamp it down. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am. Being involved with a student will definitely mess that up. Only... she doesn’t feel like a student to me. She feels like more. I shake off the thought, reminding myself that she’s out of reach.

But it doesn’t stop my eyes from scanning the room, searching for a hint of fire.

It’s finally practice season. Thank God. I’ve been busy preparing drills all day, and I’m looking forward to my schedule being busier. No downtime to focus on impossible things. D1 basketball is no joke, the crème de la crème in both coaching and players. There’s no time for distractions.

I’m repeating that fact like it’s a damn mantra when I see her. I’m in my office, the glass windows looking to the outside, and she’s walking by with Jeremy. She’s grinning wide—a genuine, toothy smile. My chest twinges, wishing that smile was mine. I watch them until they disappear, the green slime of jealousy dripping down my heart.

Shaking it off, I try to focus. It works for a few minutes, but before long, my mind strays back to the couple on the sidewalk. Tossing my pencil onto the desk, I sigh, searching my computer until I find his profile.

Jeremy Higgins

Senior

I stop reading. What the hell am I doing?

My exhale puffs out my cheeks. I need to get over my issue with him. He’s the point guard. The “floor general.” The de facto leader of the whole damn team. I won’t let my petty feelings get in the way of coaching him to his full potential.

I walk onto the court floor thirty minutes later and the nerves take over, washing away the remnants of my jealousy. Players are spread out, some stretching, others shooting hoops. The smell of basketball is in the air.

Coach is standing off to the side talking to Becca. My stomach jumps as I make my way toward them.

“Eli, how ya doing?” Coach asks.

My eyes glance at Becca. I was worried things would be awkward after my dick had been living its best life inside her, but she doesn’t seem phased by my presence. “Feeling great, Coach. Ready to get this season started.”

He slaps my back, bobbing his head. “I’ll introduce you to the team then let you do a little speech. Get the boys ready to go. Let the freshmen know this isn’t high school ball.”