Until the next week…
“We’re playing basketball. You’re coming,” Scotty tied his shoelaces then looked at me.
“Oh. Umm…I’m just not in the mood.”
“That’s too damn bad.”
“I have homework.”
“On a Saturday?” he asked incredulously. “We both know you do your homework as soon as you get home. Come up with a better lie than that.”
“I…I don’t feel well.”
“You told me you were going to head to the store later.”
Damn, was this guy a detective? “I don’t want to, okay?”
“That’s an excuse I won’t accept. Now get dressed.”
But…”
“Don’t argue with me.”
“Ugh.” I knew it was pointless to argue with him. “Fine.”
“I’ll be there the whole time. You’ll be fine.”
“Whatever.”
After I changed, we got into his car and drove to the basketball courts.
“So you trust these guys?” I asked hesitantly.
“I do. And I’ll be there the whole time. Just relax. Concentrate on the game and have fun.”
“I’ll try…”
“No, you’ll do it.”
Scotty could be such a hardass sometimes.
When we parked the car, the guys were already on the court. They were making shots and warming up. One girl stood on the court, wearing a sports bra and spandex shorts. She had a perfect stomach and gorgeous legs.
“You can hang out with Adrianna if that makes you feel better,” Scotty said.
“I guess.”
“She’s very nice.”
“Okay.” I didn’t get out of the car for a moment. I just watched everyone have fun.
Scotty opened the passenger door. “Come on.”
I sighed then got out. I wore a baggy t-shirt and my running shorts so I wouldn’t look attractive, not like Adrianna at least. She looked like a cheerleader for the LA Lakers.
“Hey, guys,” Scotty said. “Keira wanted to play with us.”
“Cool,” Bran said. “With Adrianna, we have perfect teams.”
I clung to Scotty, practically stepping on his shoe.
“I have to warn you,” Scotty said. “Keira is actually pretty good.”
“Cool,” Bran said.
The larger guy came to the group and stared at me. He didn’t look at Scotty once. The intensity in his eyes made me want to run and scream. I couldn’t remember his name… “I want her on my team, then. Bran sucks.”
“Hey!” Bran said. “I’m better than Adrianna.”
“What a good comeback,” the guy said. He rolled his eyes.
The laid-back atmosphere of the group made me feel a little better.
“You’re doing great,” Scotty whispered to me.
“Okay…”
“Let’s break into teams,” the guy said. “I got Keira.”
I felt my heart accelerate.
Scotty came to my rescue. “I got dibs. I brought her.”
The guy didn’t look too happy about that.
I decided to talk to Adrianna. If I was forced to make friends with anyone, I preferred her. “Hey. I like your shoes.”
She glared at me. “Thanks…”
Did I do something? Or was I horrible at this friend thing? “You play with the guys a lot?”
“I play with Liam a lot. He’s my boyfriend.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know who she was talking about. It didn’t seem like she was with anyone. “Who’s Liam?”
“The hottie in gray.”
He was the one that kept staring at me. Now I felt better he had a girlfriend. Then he was looking at me just because I was weird. “Cool.”
“So back off.” She marched off without another word.
Did I miss something…?
We started the game. I did as Scotty said and concentrated on the moment. I kept reminding myself Scotty was there and there was no reason to be scared. I was just being paranoid. No one wanted to hurt me. I didn’t deserve to be hurt.
Scotty threw the ball to me as soon as I got open. I was fast, so Tony had a hard time covering me. I dribbled the ball to the net then made the shot. It went in.
“Damn, she is good,” Liam said in surprise.
Adrianna glared at him.
I ignored the comment then jogged to the other side of the court. I was too fast for Tony and he had a hard time blocking me.
“I got her,” Liam said. “You stay on Bran.”
Tony dashed off.
When Liam stood in front of me, trying to block my path with every step I took, I felt my heart accelerate. He was so much bigger than I was. At a height of six feet, he could squish me like a bug.
I faked to my left then dodged around him. I picked up speed long enough to get open. Scotty passed me the ball then I dribbled to the hoop. I made another shot.
“Yes!” Scotty said. “Go, Keira!”
Proud of myself, I passed the ball to Scotty then jogged to the other side of the court. When I got involved in the game, it was actually pretty fun. The guys were competitive so it made it a challenge. My small size and ability to maneuver through the other players was my greatest asset. Liam had a hard time squeezing by without knocking anyone over because he was the size of a mountain.
At the third quarter I was drenched in sweat. I knew my forehead was shiny, and my clothes were soaked. But I didn’t care how I looked. There was no point in being vain when playing a serious sport.
I stood rooted to the spot while I caught my breath. Liam stood in front of me, prepared to block me as soon as I made my move. My hands were on my hips, and I was breathing through the tension in my lower stomach.
Liam’s short brown hair was ruffled from the game. Sweat dripped down the sides of his forehead. Even his arms were slicked in it. His wide chest was twice the length of mine. He was definitely an opponent I’d never want to face, even if I were a guy.
He held my gaze while he watched me breathe through my cramps. I felt like a scrap of meat on a plate. He was going to snatch me up and swallow me whole. “You’re really good.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t expecting that. I guess I suspected he would threaten me or yell at me.
“Oh?” he asked with a laugh. “I just complimented you.”
“Oh. I mean, thank you.”
He smiled. “Did you play in high school?”
“No…just with Scotty.”
“Cool.” He grabbed his shirt and pulled it off. He wiped his forehead then tossed the shirt outside the court.
Yowza. His chest was carved and defined. Just one pectoral was the size of my head. His stomach was tight with lean muscle. His eight-pack cast long shadows in the valleys of his muscles. He had a V-shape around his hips. His happy trail moved into his shorts and disappeared. I realized I was staring then looked away.
Liam studied my face but didn’t comment.
I had to get out of there. I sprinted to the right then dashed across the court. Scotty threw the ball at me and I caught it while in a dead run. I dribbled to the hoop then made the shot before Liam could catch me. I had to get away from him. Seeing his naked chest made me uncomfortable. If he wanted to crash my skull in, he could do it with a single punch.
“Shit, you’re fast!” Liam finally reached me, his chest rising and falling. “You’re faster than me.”
Scotty came to my side and patted my shoulder. “I told you.”
I smiled then stepped away.
Scotty pulled me to the side for a second. “You doing okay?”
“I think so. Liam is a nice guy, right…?”
“He’s a perfect gentleman. Now stop being scared of him.” He clapped my shoulder again before he walked away.
I concentrated on the game again and forgot about the two hundred pound guy chasing me down. It was good practice for me anyway. Even though it seemed impossible, I wanted to return to a normal life. I wanted to be around people a
gain.
We continued the game, and my ass was so sore, I thought it would fall off. When I was running across the court, I was suddenly pushed to the concrete. I fell down and scraped my elbow and knee.
“Shit, are you okay?” Liam kneeled down next to me then placed his hand on my leg.
I freaked out and pushed his hand off. “I’m fine.”
Liam looked pissed. Was he offended I pushed him away? He stood up and glared at Adrianna. “What the fuck was that?”
“It was an accident.” She shrugged. There was no contrition on her face.
“I saw you push her!”
“Whoops.” She put her hands on her hips and sauntered away.
“Bitch,” he mumbled. He came back to me. “We should get you washed up.”
Get the hell away from me. I got to my feet and moved away. “I’m fine.” I looked for Scotty and saw him come to my aid.
“You alright?”
“I’ll be fine.” I felt a million times better now that Scotty was near and Liam was a few feet away. “It stings a little but I’ll get over it.”
“You want me to take you home?”
“No, we can finish the game.”
“Good.” He smiled at me. “Such a tomboy.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.” Scotty walked away and I rubbed the dirt off.
“You sure you’re okay?” Liam asked when he came near me.
Absentmindedly, I held my hand up and stepped back. “I’m fine.”
He eyed my hand then didn’t come any closer. “Okay.”
I was relieved when he didn’t touch me again.
We started the game, and I forgot about the pain. I didn’t see Adrianna push me, but I definitely felt a hand shove me. It didn’t seem like an accidental elbow or arm.
When Scotty made the winning shot, we jumped up in excitement.
“Yes!” I said. I stopped running and caught my breath. I could be competitive in sports, so winning was always a satisfying reward. I wiped my sweat away and basked in my accomplishment. I successfully played basketball with a court full of guys I hardly knew. I barely freaked out and I actually had some fun. It was a good day, and the most progress I made in a really long time.
“Good job,” Liam said with a smile. He raised his hand in the air, his palm moving toward me.
I staggered back. “Stop!”
He stilled, his eyes wide. He lowered his hand slowly.
“Get away from me.” I fell on my backside then got back to my feet. I backed away, feeling the panic course through me. I couldn’t breathe or see. I was scared for my life. I started to run when Scotty grabbed me.
“Stop,” he said into my ear.
“I was just going to give her a high-five,” Liam said. “I…I don’t know what happened.”
Scotty kept his grip on my arm then looked at him. “Don’t worry. You’re fine.” He turned back to me, his chest against my arm. “Breathe, Keira.”
I kept my gaze away from the guys. I didn’t want to look at them, and I didn’t want them to look at me.
“He wasn’t trying to hurt you.”
“Well…it looked like it.”
“Calm down, okay?”
“I’m trying…I’m trying….”
He put his hand around my shoulders. “We’re going to get some water,” he shouted to the guys.
They stayed on the court and watched us walk away.
When we reached a bench, Scotty handed me a water bottle. I took it then downed the cool liquid.
Scotty stared at me but kept his mouth shut.
I felt better when it was just he and I. I stared at my running shoes then took another drink.
“Feel better?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Ready to join the group?”
“Can we just go home?”
“No. You will push through this. Now is the perfect time.”
I sighed in annoyance. “I just want to get away…”
“It would be easy for me to give you what you want, but I can’t do that. Even if you hate me, despise me, I will do the right thing. I’m going to put you back together. Life is precious and you shouldn’t waste it living in constant fear.”
“You don’t understand…”
“No, I do. I’ve seen everything, Keira. Don’t say that to me again.”
“Okay.”
He patted my shoulder. “Let’s go.”
I grunted then came beside him.
When we joined the group, I looked at Liam. He was staring at me. Just staring. His eyes moved to the scar on my collarbone even though my shirt covered it. Just looking at him made me feel uncomfortable.
“Barbeque at our place?” Scotty asked.
“Sounds good,” Bran said. He eyed me but didn’t comment on my odd behavior.
Liam didn’t speak to me. But his eyes were always on my face.
“We’ll meet you there,” Scotty said.
Did we have to spend all day with these guys? I could manage a few hours, but not an entire day. I felt my heart accelerate as it tried to diffuse all the adrenaline. Hopefully, my body would become desensitized to the fear, and I would start to feel normal.
Doubtful.
When we came back to the house, we went into the backyard. Tony started the grill and flipped the patties. Bottles of beer were passed around, and the guys downed it like water. I drank more than all of them.
I clung to Scotty like a magnet.
“You can’t just socialize with me,” he said while he drank his beer.
“Then let me stand here and be silent.”
He rolled his eyes. “That sounds healthy. Look, you have this beautiful backyard, a pool, and great company. Loosen up, Keira.”
“Ugh.”
“Talking to me isn’t going to help you. You’re going to talk to someone else.”
Liam was leaning against a beam while he drank his beer. Bran was standing next to him, but it didn’t seem like Liam cared about their conversation. He kept looking at me. Then he would glance away, only to look at me again.
“Talk to him for at least five minutes.”
“What? About what?”
“Whatever comes to mind.”
“No thanks,” I said quickly.
“You need to be alone with someone else besides me.”
“But I like you,” I said immediately.
He narrowed his eyes. “Kissing my ass isn’t going to change anything. Now go.”
I saw Adrianna sitting on the patio furniture. She was looking at her nails, glancing at Liam every few seconds. “Can I talk to her instead?”
“Didn’t she push you?”
“I’m sure it was an accident.” Actually, I had no idea. But I didn’t care. She was the lesser of two evils.
“Fine.”
I breathed a sigh of relief then made my move. I sat beside her then sipped my beer. “Hey.”
She glared at me then rolled her eyes. “What?”
“I just wanted to talk…” Why was this girl a bitch?
“I’m not in the mood.” She straightened her ponytail then crossed her legs.
“Did I do something…?”
“Leave my boyfriend alone.”
“Umm…okay. I just met Liam and I’ve hardly spoken to him.”
“Well, knock it off.” She walked back into the house to grab another beer.
Man, I was bad at this. I sauntered back to Scotty.
“How’d it go?”
I shrugged. “I don’t think she likes me.”
“Why?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
He nodded at Liam. “Talk to him.”
“Umm…nah.”
“Nah?” he asked with a laugh.
I started to get frustrated. “It’s one thing if you made me talk to a single guy on a rare occasion, but making me hang out with three huge guys and a very bitchy girl is a total overload.”
He shrugged. “That’s too bad.”
�
��I hate you.”
“No, you don’t,” he said seriously. “I’m doing what needs to be done. Now stop stalling and talk to him like a normal human being.”
“What do I say?”
He glared at me. “Are you an alien? Just talk to him like you would talk to me.”
“Easier said than done.”
He leaned against the wall. “The sooner you do it, the sooner you get it over with.”
I sighed. “Fine.”
He gave my lower back a gentle push. “Good luck.”
I stumbled forward slightly then approached Liam. He still leaned against the beam, staring at me.
God, this was awkward.
He changed his shirt before he came over. Now he wore a forest green t-shirt. Even though it was slightly loose, it showed his pectoral muscles and slim waist. If I wasn’t scared to death, I might actually find him attractive.
But my fear was the dominant emotion.
“Er…hi.”
“Er?” he asked with a laugh.
My cheeks reddened. “I mean, hi. Hello. I mean, what’s up?” Just stop talking. Stop talking.
He smiled but didn’t laugh again. “You’re very fit.”
I decided to seem more coherent. “Thank you.”
“What do you do for exercise?” he asked. “Run at the gym?”
“No,” I said quickly. “If I’m not chasing after a ball, I’m too bored to do anything.”
He laughed. “I guess that makes sense.”
“Sports are more fun. I’ve never understood marathon runners. Aren’t they bored to death?””
“Long distance running does seem boring.” He drank his beer then held it at his side.
Okay. Now what do I say?
He eyed my backyard. “You have a beautiful garden.”
I grew my own cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, basil, apples, and different flowers. “Thank you.”
He stared at it. “You did it all on your own?”
I nodded. “It’s a hobby.” I knew I was being short with him but I couldn’t think of anything to say. “It just keeps my mind distracted…”
“Distracted from what?”
I wasn’t expecting him to ask that. “Just school and stuff.”
“Are you at UCSD?”
“Yeah. Are you?”
He nodded. “What’s your major?”
“Math.”
Unbreakable Page 4
