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Chapter Sixteen

Gavin

Practice is rough all week. The coaching staff have kicked up the intensity every single day as we prepare for a stretch of away games. Their expectations are high, and their demands are getting to everyone.

A sophomore second-string lineman collapsed on the field near the end of practice this afternoon because he was dehydrated, and that was on him. We were all aware he was partying at his frat last night since he posted it to his stories for everyone to see. Coach Porter wasn’t amused, especially when he specifically requested that we watch what we eat and drink the next few weeks. Nothing but protein and water, and carb loading before practice and the game. No junk food, no alcohol. They want us lean, mean fighting machines.

And we’re all keeping up with it, save for the younger guys. They don’t take it as seriously as the rest of us, and unfortunately, that means we’re all punished for their slipups. I’ve never run around the track as much since I was a freshman. I’ve lost five pounds over the last week, and I’m pretty sure I’ve shed it thanks to sweat. Doesn’t help that the temperatures have been warmer here lately. Fall is actually the warmest season in Santa Mira since we get so much fog here during the summer.

“Fuck me running, I’m exhausted,” Nico complains to me in the locker room.

“Same,” Coop mutters, stripping off his cleats and then his sweaty-ass socks. A pungent odor immediately fills the air, and Nico starts bitching.

“Damn, Coop. Your feet should be fucking illegal.” He pinches his nose and waves a hand in front of his face like he’s eight and just smelled a fart. “What the hell is wrong with them?”

“Nothing.” Coop grabs one of his smelly shoes and threatens to throw it at Nico, who dodges behind me, using me as a human shield. Chuckling, Coop drops the shoe in the bottom of his locker.

“Bro. You should take that shoe home and wash it. That’s what I’d do,” I tell him, keeping my voice low. Trying to show our friend a little respect, unlike Nico.

“Good call.” Coop dumps his shoes in his bag, glaring at Nico like he’s daring him to complain. Surprisingly enough, Nico remains quiet.

They’re roommates and love to give each other constant shit. It’s part of their relationship, and I suppose I’m used to it. Still bugs me sometimes, though. I don’t like it when someone gives me shit.

At all.

Does that make me a sensitive little flower? Perhaps. That’s what my dad used to call me when I was younger, and that would piss me off like nothing else. God, my father was a dick. He still is.

He’s tried calling me over the last few days, but I’ve ignored him every single time, letting the calls go to voicemail. I don’t need his negativity getting in my head and ruining my game play. Screw that.

“You coming to yoga tonight?” Dollar asks me as he approaches.

Nico makes a dismissive noise, and I ignore him. He’s sexually frustrated because his cute roommate is hosting yoga sessions in their backyard for some of us guys on the team. I finally went to one a few days ago. It was great. Just what I needed after a rough practice. Helped me stretch my aching muscles and clear my head. I call that a win.

Of course, I also stepped in it after the yoga session. Sienna was there, and I was trying my best to ignore her while we were in the backyard and she was right next to me. But fuck me, she looked extra hot in her workout gear, showing off her curvy body in a pink sports bra and matching tight shorts where her ass cheeks were hanging out. Ass cheeks I’ve cupped in my hands. Ass cheeks I came all over last Sunday morning. It took every ounce of strength inside me not to look, but come on.

I looked. And I wanted another go at it—at her. The woman was obviously trying to get my attention. Or someone’s attention, and that thought filled me with jealousy. That’s what set me off, my irrational reaction to her possibly trying to get with someone else, which I know wasn’t her intent. She’s into me, even though I’m sure she’s still pissed. But I overreacted and ended up calling Everleigh wifey material . Which only pissed off Sienna, and she left when we were all going to have dinner made by Everleigh together—hence the wifey comment. That made Nico angry at me too.

He got over it, though. He can never stay mad at me for too long, and I feel the same way about him. Sienna, though?

Pretty sure she’s still pissed. Not that I’ve heard from her. And not that I’ve sought her out. I’ve been too busy. Between school, practice, extra weight training in the morning, and yoga sessions in the evening, I’m beat. By the time I get home at night, I take a quick shower, jerk off, and collapse into bed, where I also might jerk off. I haven’t washed the pillowcase Sienna used yet. I can still smell the scent of her shampoo on it. Oh, and I found the red panties crumpled in a wad under my bed last night. They distinctly smelled like her pretty little cunt. Did I use those to jerk off?

Not yet, but I probably will. Which means I’m a sick fuck.

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I finally say, earning a smile from Dollar for my answer.

“Cool. I’ll wait for you guys outside,” Dollar says before he takes off, Nico, Coop, and I watching until the door slams behind him.

“He still hot for your roomie?” I ask no one in particular.

Nico literally growls, and I assume that’s his answer. Coop just laughs, slapping his meaty thigh and shaking his head.

“Nico, baby, just admit that you’re halfway in love with her,” Coop says.

“Hell to the no. Love? You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Nico slams his locker shut and slings his bag over his shoulder before he stalks off, exiting the locker room and letting the door slam extra hard.

Coop and I share a look. “Nico, baby?” I ask.

He shrugs. “Anything to get under his skin.”

“Halfway in love with her?”

“It might not be love, but he likes her. He can deny it all he wants, but I see the way he watches her. The way they watch each other. It’s subtle, but I notice. I don’t know how anyone can’t see it.”

Nah, he’s right. I saw it. I think that’s why I called her wifey material in front of Nico. Just to give him shit like the rest of the guys do. And in the end, I offended Sienna more than anyone else.

I’m such an idiot. Not like I can talk about it with Coop either. That would mean I’d have to confess my feelings for his sister—and are they really feelings? Yes, yes, they are, but I don’t know what the fuck to do with them. Definitely not talk about them with Sienna’s brother, that’s for damn sure. Telling him about her sweet pussy and sexy moans and juicy ass is not the way to go about it.

Not that I want to tell anyone about her sweet pussy, sexy moans, and juicy ass. I want to keep Sienna all to myself. And that’s a first.

“What about Dollar?” I ask.

“Pretty sure Everleigh spoke to Dollar and told him they could only be friends.” Coop grabs his bag and shuts his locker, turning to face me. “But that was a while ago. I thought we already discussed this.”

“Maybe we did.” I shrug. He’s probably right, but I don’t remember. I’m too wrapped up in my own shit to worry about anyone else, save for Sienna.

If I’m not thinking about football or school, I’m thinking about her. I pushed her away by calling her a distraction, and she still is. Maybe an even bigger one now.

Sienna’s beautiful face floats through my thoughts at this very moment, and I mentally shove the image away.

“No one is coming clean with their feelings around here, except for Ever with Frank. But when it comes to her and Nico? Forget it. They’re doing a little dance around each other, and neither of them is willing to take the lead,” Coop continues.

Huh. Coop nailed it.

“Nico has never been one to want a committed relationship,” I remind him, thinking of myself. Thinking of all of us, with the exception of Dollar.

“Yeah same. But from everything I see, Everleigh is a good girl. Sweet and quiet and patient with all of our asses, which says a lot. She doesn’t complain about living with us, either, and she has ample reason to complain because we’re annoying as fuck. Plus she’s been making us meals every night.”

“I thought you gave her reduced rent for the meals,” I point out.

“We do, but lately she’s making them every night when our original agreement was for three. She even got on Frank about that when we first talked about it, but now she’s just ... taking care of us all the time.” Coop rubs his cheek, the sound like sandpaper thanks to his stubble-covered face. “Nico would be an idiot to let that girl slip out of his hands. She’s practically perfect.”

I wonder if he would say the same thing about me and Sienna. Probably not. If he found out, he’d want to kick my ass.

“You sound like you have a crush on her too.” I’m teasing him, and I hope he realizes it.

“Nah. She’s great. Pretty. Smart. But I’m not interested in her like that. She’s not the girl for me.” Coop shakes his head. “We out of here or what?”

“Let’s go.” I grab my duffel, and we start to exit the locker room. “Who is the girl for you, my friend?”

“No one. I’m too scary.” He glances back at me and gives me a fierce scowl as he pushes open the door.

I laugh. “Oh, come on. You’re the nicest guy I know.”

“No one sticks around long enough to find that out. The girls I try to talk to are legit scared of me. Maybe someday I’ll find someone.” His tone is wistful, and it hits me.

Coop definitely wants to find someone. He might even have a particular someone in mind. But he sounds so damn defeated, I have a feeling he’s given up.

That’s kind of sad.

Nico drives all of us back to their house, and just as promised, Ever is in the backyard already setting up the yoga mats. Music is playing from a tiny pink speaker that’s sitting on the table on the patio, and the breeze ruffles the fronds of the two massive palm trees that are in the yard, giving off a peaceful vibe. Helps that we can hear the sound of the surf crashing onto the sand from the nearby ocean.

No wonder we all enjoy this. It’s the definition of tranquility.

“Hey, guys!” Everleigh’s face brightens when she spots us. She enjoys these yoga sessions, that’s for sure. “How was practice?”

“Rough,” Coop grumbles.

“I’m gonna go shower,” Nico calls from the sliding glass door, where he’s currently standing with half his body hanging out.

“Why are you wasting your time? You’re just gonna work up a sweat doing this,” I remind him.

“I stink enough already.” He glares at me and I almost laugh. This guy wants to smell good for his pretty little yoga instructor.

“I don’t think Everleigh cares. Do you?” I ask her.

She shakes her head, the single braid she has whipping with the movement. “Nope.”

“You’re an asshole,” Nico mutters as he steps out onto the patio and shuts the sliding glass door.

I’m grinning. It feels good to take the heat off me and aim it at someone else. After my little encounter a couple of years ago with Sienna, Nico lived for giving me endless grief because he saw us at the bar together. Saw us leave the bar together too. I’ve never given him too many details, but I have a feeling Sienna might’ve filled him in on what happened.

And the jackass didn’t let up on me for months about it either.

Doesn’t help that he mentioned Sienna has a crush on me a few nights ago when Ever made us dinner. Coop was shocked and questioned me a little bit about it, but I blew him off. Made it seem like it was more of a Sienna problem than my problem, which is total bullshit.

Denying my feelings as usual. I don’t know why I do this. Why I run away from emotions, especially when it comes to Sienna. I’m a complete dickhead.

“Come on, boys.” Ever claps her hands together. “Let’s get into position.”

I’m in the front row with Dollar, who watches everything Everleigh does with his rapt gaze. I glance over at the spot where Sienna was last time, remembering yet again how spectacular she looked in that tight pink set she was wearing. How big her tits were and the perfect curve of her ass.

“I’m surprised you’d show up,” Everleigh murmurs when she’s standing close to me at one point.

I frown. “What are you talking about? I’ve been here for your yoga classes all week.”

“And I’m still shocked you’re showing up when you should be talking to a certain someone and telling her you’re sorry.” The pointed look she sends me has my balls clenching up.

Great. She’s been talking to Sienna too. Makes sense. The girls have been spending a lot of time together. I wonder how much she’s told Ever.

“What is she saying about me?”

“I’m not going to tell you.” Ever glances around, that braid smacking her cheek, her head moves so fast. “But you need to apologize to her.”

“Says who?”

“Me.” She jabs her thumb at her chest. “You were a clueless jerk a few nights ago, and you hurt her feelings. She has a crush on you, and you know it. I think you like having her as your fangirl, but if you’re not interested, you should let her know. She needs to move on from you, Gavin, especially if you’re not going to do anything about it.”

Everleigh’s words make me feel like shit. But they also make me realize that she doesn’t know everything . Meaning Sienna didn’t tell her about us having sex.

Huh.

“And I know you were just playing dumb. Seems like you always are. You’re not that oblivious, are you?” She lifts her brows, and she doesn’t even have to say what she’s referring to. Her unspoken words are loud and clear.

“No.” I sigh, stretching my arms above my head and making my spine crack. “No, I’m not.”

“Then stop being such a jerk and tell her you’re sorry, okay?” She sends me an imploring look. “And after that, tell her to stop wasting her time, because that’s what it looks like she’s doing, you know?”

I’m not about to say any of that to Sienna. “And when am I supposed to talk to her?”

“How about after our yoga session?” Ever rests her hands on her hips. “If you don’t go tell her you’re sorry, I’m not going to allow you to come to the next class.”

“Are you fucking for real right now?” I keep my tone light so I don’t sound too hostile, but damn. This woman is basically blackmailing me to apologize to Sienna.

“I am.” She lifts her chin, glaring at me. “And don’t you forget it.”

Women. They’re terrifying when they stick together.