“Fine,” Coach Cassidy spat, “just stay out of the room.” He stalked toward the bedroom, snapping, “Daniel!”
Daniel pushed to his feet, following after him like a kicked puppy. No noises started up, making me hopeful that I’d put them off sex.
2
BROOKE
Trudy’s dad didn’t stay in the room with Daniel for long. He came out about half an hour later, dressed in a red tracksuit, and without Daniel. He closed the bedroom door behind him, his hazel eyes zeroing in on me.
I watched him warily. “Nice to see you finally dressed,” I said before he could open his mouth.
He grimaced. “Daniel asked me to tell you to leave.”
“I don’t believe you,” I said, getting to my feet.
“Then, ask him yourself, see where it gets you.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Remember, I can hurt Daniel worse than either of you can hurt me. Take that into consideration if you’re thinking about talking.”
“I understand perfectly,” I said, “now leave, so I can speak to Daniel.”
“As I said, he doesn’t want to talk to you, but go ahead, do as you please... as long as it’s within limits.” He unlocked the front door and disappeared out it.
Which was my cue to see Daniel. I opened his bedroom door, finding him under the bedcovers, facing the window. I climbed onto the bed and lay down, slinging an arm over him.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
He didn’t reply.
“Daniel—”
He cut me off. “Please leave,” he said, his voice low.
“No, I needa knock some sense into you. What you’re doing with Trudy’s dad is wrong. He’s not only your coach, he’s more than twice your age and married.”
“He has an open marriage, which means he can do anyone he likes.”
“To a point,” I said, more than a little surprised, Trudy’s mother not someone I thought would accept that. But then again, her husband was a massive bully. “And he’s still more than twice your age, plus Trudy’s dad. What would she say if she knew?”
He turned around to face me, the tears in his eyes making my heart stutter.
“Oh, sweetie, why are you crying?” I asked.
He wiped his eyes. “I can’t take this anymore.”
“Then, leave with me. I’ll find a way to make that bastard pay for hurting you.”
“No,” he sniffled, “he didn’t hurt me, he loves me.”
“You’re deluding yourself.”
“This still isn’t about him.”
“Who, then? Your dad?”
He wiped his eyes again. “No.”
“Zuko?”
More tears fell onto his cheeks, telling me it was.
“Oh, baby.” I pulled his face to my chest, stroking his dark blond hair. “That’s why you should forget him. He’s toxic.”
“I can’t help it, I love him.”
“But he’s bad for you, and you know it.”
He pulled back. “While Riley’s bad for you,” he said, looking me square in the eyes.
I pulled a face, knowing he was right, but still not willing to give up on my dream of marrying Riley.
“We both have bad taste in partners,” he added.
I exhaled. “What can we do about it? We love the idiots.”
He pushed up into a sitting position, leaning his back against the headboard. The cover slipped down his chest, revealing a happy trail and the top of his dick. He quickly pulled the cover up, his cheeks heating.
Not bothered by it, I sat up next to him. “What are you thinking?”
“You don’t wanna know,” he mumbled.
“I do, so tell me.”
He didn’t reply.
“Daniel—”
He cut me off, “I think you should leave.”
“No, Daniel, tell me what you’re thinking.”
“Not good things.”
“About who? And you better not say Riley, you hurt him enough.”
He shook his head. “Zuko.”
“Why? You said you love him.”
His eyes moved to me, the blue looking darker in the dim light. “How far would you go to get someone you love?” he said, his voice almost husky.
“You know that answer. I blackmailed Melissa to get Riley, blackmailed Zuko too, not to mention Riley himself.”
“No, I meant...” His words drifted off.
“You meant what, Daniel?”
His gaze shifted to the closed window, no reply coming.
“Daniel,” I said, now worried. “Did you lie?”
“About what?”
“Murdering that boy.”
His gaze snapped to me. “No! You know me, I’m not capable of murder.”
“You could’ve killed Riley with that stomp, so don’t tell me you’re not capable. You’re also acting weird. Add that to how jealous you get over anyone touching Zuko, and bam! Someone ends up dead.”
“Not by my hand. I may not have wanted the threesome, but I didn’t want Matt to die for it. He was a nice guy.”
“Then, what is this all about?”
“Zuko. I don’t think I can live without him.”
I stiffened. “You better not be talking about suicide, ’cause that’s not happening. That cretin isn’t worth your life.”
“I’m not going to kill myself, Brooke.”
“Then, what?!” I yelled, losing my patience.
He pulled a face. “Have you ever considered just taking what you want?”
“Yah, I do it all the time.”
“No, I mean actually taking.”
“I don’t know what you’re on about.”
“I sometimes think why don’t I just take Zuko away from all of this.”
“He won’t go with you, you know that.”
“What if I don’t give him a choice?”
My eyebrows shot up. “You’re not talking about what I think you are, as in kidnapping?”
He bit his lip, not saying a word, not needing to either.
I smacked his leg. “No, Daniel! Get that thought out of your head before I slap it out.”
“I wouldn’t actually do it, they’re just thoughts.”
“It didn’t sound like it to me.”
He grimaced. “Just go away.”
“No, and you can’t kidnap Zuko.”
“I said I wouldn’t, so stop riding my back, and you shouldn’t jump down my throat after I helped you win Riley, who, by the way, I hate. I would do anything for you, but you, you just tell me what I can’t do, giving me nothing in return.”
“I give you plenty, my friendship, my support.”
“No, you gimme your opinion, and the only time you support me is when you want to, not when I need it.”
I went to open my mouth to dispute that, but paused for a moment, Daniel actually right—to a point. “Okay,” I finally said, “even though it goes against everything I believe in, I’ll help you win Zuko.”
“How?”
“I’ll get him to agree to be my boyfriend—”
Daniel’s eyes went big. “What the hell? No!”
“You didn’t let me finish. I’ll be his beard, nothing more. He can use me as a cover to see you.”
“That doesn’t help at all. He likes sex, and lots of it. He won’t agree to just being with me, and he most definitely won’t agree to be your boyfriend, even if it is as a beard. He’s Riley’s best friend, your ex.”
“Temporary ex, and you’re underestimating my power of persuasion.” I pushed off the bed.
“Where are you going?’
“To talk Zuko into being my boyfriend, which will hopefully make Riley jealous enough to want me back. And in the process, Zuko and you can stay in your snuggly closet, fucking each other silly.”
“He won’t agree, he’s basically a sex addict.”
“Wait and see, boo.” I went for the door, now on a mission.
3
BROOKE
I knocked on Zuko’s
front door, his place a hop, skip and a jump from the Cassidy’s, just a hundred times nicer. It was an elegant house, with cream-colored walls and a terracotta roof. Italian, but with a splash of Minnesota on top, AKA the snow dusting the roof and window ledges.
When Zuko didn’t answer, I pressed the buzzer, finally getting a response, the sound of footsteps approaching the door. It swung open, revealing...
Tall, dark, and needing a kick in the balls, but I held off, making Daniel happy more important than revenge right now.
Zuko’s neutral expression turned into a nasty sneer. I could see why Daniel fancied him. Zuko Petone was bad boy sexy. Full lips, smoldering blue-gray eyes, a body that could make anyone melt... just a giant douchebag with more conquests than a porn star. I snorted at the last thought, one-click away from making him one—if I managed to get a hold of that sex tape again.
“What do you want?” he grunted, and rather rudely at that. But he didn’t look happy, and not just because of me, his black-eye as colorful as a rainbow.
“I’ve come to say sorry,” I lied, having every intention of getting back at him—later, somehow, someway without it affecting Daniel. “I shouldn’t have blackmailed you.”
His dark brows pulled together. “You’re apologizing?”
“Yah. I was naughty, my bad. Still, you shouldn’t have ruined things for me either, and a perfect way for you to say sorry is to—”
“I knew it!” he cut me off. “You’re always after something.”
“Not for me, for Daniel.”
His sneer instantly dropped, my words like a water over fire. “What about Daniel?”
“I just came from Coach Cassidy’s pool house. I walked in on the coach doing Daniel.”
Zuko’s eyes went big. “You what?!”
“Right up the ouchy. The coach threatened me if I said anything, but I had to tell someone.”
Zuko grabbed my arm and pulled me inside. He closed the door, yanking me toward the staircase.
“Ow! Let go!” I yelled.
“Be quiet.” He shoved me in front of him. “My mom’s out back, I can’t let her see you.”
“Why not? Ow!” I stumbled, almost falling over as he shoved me again. “Stop that!”
“Quit yelling and get upstairs now,” he growled low.
I did, but only because I didn’t want the Neanderthal injuring me. I ran up the staircase, heading for Zuko’s room, knowing which one it was. He’d had a few parties when his parents were away, one of them ending in me taking Riley there, the day our relationship began.
Zuko closed the door behind us, flicking the lock, his room twice the size of mine. But unlike mine, his walls were covered with hockey players and fast cars. He walked over to the curtains, drawing them before turning to me.
“So, he’s back to fucking the coach?” he growled, his eyes like razors, cutting into me.
“Quit glaring at me, I’m only the messenger. And you knew about his coach?”
“Of course, Daniel told me he was the first guy he went with. Unfortunately, he told me that right after he walked in on me with the prick.”
My eyes widened. “You fucked his coach?”
“No, Daniel interrupted us before we could do anything. Coach Cassidy set me up so that Daniel would break up with me. Not like he could break up, since I wasn’t actually with him at the time, but he didn’t see it that way, and...” Zuko ran a hand through his slicked-back hair, making it stand on end. “I regret it,” he said, looking pained. “It’s what started all this bad blood between us. I hate him hating me.”
“He doesn’t hate you, you idiot, he loves you.”
Zuko screwed up his face, looking like he’d bitten into a lemon. “If that was true, he wouldn’t have given you the sex tape.”
“He was hurt. He also regretted it. He wouldn’t even buckle when I tried to blackmail him in to giving it to me again. Of course I was bluffing about blackmailing him, but he didn’t know that. He truly loves you, and wants nothing more than to be with you.”
Zuko shook his head. “I can’t be with him.”
“Why? He’s willing to stay in the closet for you.”
“It’s not that, I’m not a relationship type of guy.”
“He’s worth it, and come on, aside from Riley, you won’t get anyone hotter than Daniel.”
“That’s the problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s too hot. Whenever I’m with him I don’t think straight. I do things I regret, especially the sex tapes. What happens if next time other people see them, like my parents. They’ll disown me. I can’t risk being around Daniel, especially since he always talks me into doing risky things.”
“Tell him to stop it.”
“I did, and he didn’t listen, so I told him to go get fucked, and went and fucked the exchange student.”
“Real mature.”
“You can’t criticize me, you blackmail people.”
“Making people do what I want makes me happy, and right now, convincing you to make up with Daniel will make me even happier. So, get over yourself and admit that you and Daniel are made for each other. Not in my eyes, of course, he’s too good for you, but in this case, what he thinks is what counts.”
“I still can’t be with him. He not only fucks with my head, he could totally fuck with my future. As I said, my family will disown me.”
“They won’t if they don’t know. Choose a college out of town.”
“My college is already chosen, my whole life mapped out, which involves marrying a woman.”
“Love is worth fighting for.”
“So is famiglia. I love my parents, love them more than anything.”
“More than Daniel?”
“Yes, no, I mean, it’s a different kind of love.”
I perked up. “You just admitted you love Daniel!”
“Keep it down,” he hissed, his eyes flicking to the door. “My mom could hear.”
“You could fit two countries in this house, so I doubt it, and you still admitted you love Daniel.”
“I wish I didn’t, I would’ve been happy with a girl. I didn’t need guys, then he walked in and changed all of that. For me, guys are just a bit of fun, but it’s more than that with Daniel. He’s really fucked everything up for me.”
“That’s not his fault. You fell for him, like he fell for you, so get over yourself, you nub.”
He glared back, but didn’t counter, his mouth zipped shut.
I pushed on. “If there weren’t any consequences, would you choose Daniel or a girl?”
“Daniel,” he said, not even hesitating.
“I can make that happen.”
He stared back, definitely looking dubious.
I continued, “I really can, but it’ll mean I’ll be sticking my neck out for you and Daniel, making my life more complicated. Because of that, I want something in return.”
“What?”
“Riley. I want you to help me win him back.”
“No. I may love Daniel, but he’s toxic, like you. Both Riley and I are better off without you two.”
“I may be toxic,” I said, willing to admit it, “but you got it the other way around for you and Daniel. You’re the toxic one.”
Zuko sighed. “Fine, we’re both as bad as each other.”
“But you still want him.”
“No.”
“Liar, liar, pants on fire, and I can honestly make things work for you two, with absodabsolutely no consequences.”
“That’s not even a word and how?”
I smiled, my persistence paying off. “First, tell me how you’re going to get Riley back for me.”
“How would I know? You’ve totally fucked things up with him.”
“Not if you make him jealous for me.”
“What are you on about?”
“Us being boyfriend and girlfriend. It’ll make him want me back.”
He sneered. “Like hell, he’ll thank me for getting you off
his back, and being your boyfriend won’t get me Daniel.”
“You’re wrong on both accounts. Riley gets jealous so easily, like that time he thought another player was hitting on me. He got all territorial.” I shivered at the memory, Riley’s aggressive behavior toward the guy a total turn-on. “You can use me as a beard. I’ll be your cover whenever you wanna be with him.”
“You’re forgetting that Riley wants Lucy now, not you.”
“I won him from Melissa, I can win him back off Lucy. But until then....” I placed a hand on his chest, “how about you give me a taste of what all the girls like.”
His eyes went big. “You can’t be serious?”
“Of course not,” I laughed, retracting my hand. “I don’t want Herpes.”
He scowled at me. “You don’t needa be a bitch about it.”
I gave him a wink. “I’m always a bitch, baby. Now, take me downstairs to introduce me to your mom.”
“You already know her.”
“Not as your girlfriend.”
4
RILEY
Everyone was looking at me, some outright, others taking sneaky glances. I knew why. Both of my eyes were black from Daniel’s boot. Lucy squeezed my hand, pulling my attention away from the hallway full of students. She smiled up at me, making me forget about the gawking crowd. I smiled back, at least happy that I could be with her without Brooke ruining things. Her dad had called me earlier, reassuring me that I wasn’t off the team, that it was only for two games, unimportant ones, with lesser teams. And I had to admit it felt good having a break, the few days I’d had off from school making me feel better, even though my eyes were all shades under the sun.
I pushed Lucy against my locker, causing the nerdish guy next to us to scramble away. I didn’t give him a second thought, my lips already on Lucy’s.
“Gross!” someone said loudly.
I broke the kiss and turned to find Devin standing a few feet away, his lip curling in disgust. Zuko was also with him, though his gaze was on the floor, not me. The black-eye I’d given him had faded, turning yellow, making me feel guilty for having caused it.
“You’re downgrading,” Devin sniffed, “but definitely not downsizing.”
“What did you just say?” I snapped, getting in his face, damn well knowing the prick had fat shamed Lucy.
THE COACH (PLAYED Book 4) Page 2
