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What was he doing here? Was it already time for practice?

The seniors were all lined up, looking confident with their arms crossed. Becca and Emily had been crouching down next to me, trying to keep my spirits up.

"Oh, nothing, Coach Wilder. Kinsley and the other rookies wanted to join us at the fields for an early workout.” Tara shrugged.

Bullshit. God, the way she could manipulate people was truly scary. I would have loved to have a chat with her parents, but something told me they were locked in a basement somewhere.

He never once took his eyes off me, and I pleaded with him to see through her lies.

"That's enough. I don't care what's going on here. Practice is starting soon and you all 275/890

need to head into the field house." Did he believe her?

I pushed back onto my heels to catch my breath. I was exhausted. I felt like I'd just finished running a marathon and I knew I wouldn't last through practice without passing out.

The seniors turned to head inside but not before throwing me threatening looks.

Did they think I was going to rat them out?

Emily followed after them, and then Becca finally moved when Liam gave her an impatient glance.

It was just he and I staring at each other over a field of worn grass. He still looked so angry and I was scared he might take it out on me. But when he finally spoke, there was only empathy in his voice.

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"I'm not going to make you rat out the seniors, but this shit can't continue. That's not the way teams work and Coach Davis would be pissed if she knew this kind of thing was happening."

As if I didn't know that already.

"I'm not an idiot. I know, but I'm not going head-to-head with Tara this early on in the season. If she wants to wake me up and force me to work out, then I'll let her. It'll make the victory of making the Olympic team all the sweeter. It's the fact that she's picking on Becca and Emily that makes me mad."

"Becca and Emily weren't doing pushups when I pulled up," Liam noted with a frown.

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"That's because Emily barfed. The seniors thought I should keep going for everyone."

Liam wrapped his hands behind his head and then let his clenched fists fall back to his side. I met his hard stare, and for a moment I thought everything between us was about to finally explode. I thought he was about to explode.

"I won't let them treat you like that, Kinsley."

"Why do you care?" I asked, daring him to tell me the truth.

"I'm your coach," he answered too fast.

I pushed off my hands and stood up, staring straight into his dark grey eyes. "Well then consider your job done. Thanks for the help, Coach."

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I moved to walk past him.

"If it doesn't stop, I'm bringing it up to Coach Davis," he said, reaching for my arm.

I paused as our body’s stood side by side. I was facing the field house and my impending doom. He was glancing out toward our field where the early morning sun was highlighting each of his chiseled features.

Coach Davis wouldn't kick Tara off the team for something like this, not if it was Tara's first offense. Most likely it would just be another nail in my coffin when it came to Tara. Of course he didn't see it that way.

"I can fight my own battles, Coach Wilder,” I hissed at him. “But you can do whatever you want. You always do. I'm going to go get ready for practice." I brushed past him and as my arm grazed his, the tension 279/890

simmering between us buzzed through me, igniting my blood and awakening my senses like a shot of caffeine.

I knew I was being hard on him, but the entire situation pissed me off and he was the only person I could take it out on. Whatever was going on between us was fighting to surface, and that was the last thing I needed to worry about at the moment.

…

Later that night, Becca and I sat in my room while I tried to simultaneously think and not think about Liam Wilder. I felt bad for being harsh with him earlier, but the situation was frustrating to say the least. I never knew how he would treat me or how I was supposed to 280/890

treat him. I needed to get my head straight and that’s what Becca was there for.

"So, let's recap," Becca announced, pulling my dry erase board off my wall and erasing the list of Game of Thrones characters ranked in order of hotness. Not my fault I have a thing for Jamie Lannister… hand or no hand.

"Hey! I needed those," I protested.

"Yeah, right. We both know you have them memorized. Besides, you can’t think he’s hot. He bangs his sister."

"Yeah, whatever. Start your recap so we can simplify my life, please."

Becca nodded before shutting both of my doors and turning on music so our voices were drowned out.

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"Let's start at the beginning," she said, starting to write at the top of the white board.

Reasons

Kinsley

SHOULDN'T

think about Liam:

1. Cheated on by two ex boyfriends.

Conclusion: guys are dicks. Don't date them.

I took the marker out of her hand and started writing number two and three.

2. GOALS: Olympics and ULA training schedule –> NO TIME FOR

GUYS!

3. He's COMPLETELY off limits.

(Kicked off team off-limits.) BACK

AWAY FROM HIM STAT.

Becca nodded and then grabbed the marker again.

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4. He's a badboy. (Reformed or not) Refer back to #1 and multiply it by ten.

Then, finally, I wrote number five.

5. He doesn't like me. And/or actively hates me.

"Good work," Becca said, recapping the marker and propping the list up next to my dresser. "Doesn't it feel better already? I mean those are five solid reasons you should just forget about him altogether."

"Exactly," I agreed, but my voice didn't seem very convincing. What the hell was wrong with me? Did he need to also be a crazy puppy killer before my libido finally said, all right maybe he’s not for you?

"So, we can go to the costume party on Saturday and you don't even have to worry 283/890

about him being there. Remember how he didn't show up until really late last weekend?

I bet he won't show at all this time."

Becca was just floundering at this point.

She wanted to go to the LA Stars’ costume party because a) how many times in your adult life do you get to wear a costume? And b) she already planned on us dressing up as Superman and Batman... only the girl versions. We were going to get our costumes the next day.

I couldn't tell her no just because I was scared Liam would show up. I'd just avoid him like he'd avoided me the entire week and we'd be fine.

"Do you want me to erase the board?"

she asked.

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I thought about it for a second. "No, just erase his name. I might need the reminders."

…

Friday after practice, Coach Davis called me into her office. Sitting on the opposite side of her desk was a handsome guy dressed in a suit with thick, black-framed glasses. I instantly recognized him. It was Brian King, an ex-professional soccer player that worked at ESPN as a news commentator. He had a face for TV, which is why the network had snatched him up as soon as he'd retired from soccer at the ripe age of 24. He'd torn his ACll for the second time and no amount of surgery could put him back in the game.

"Kinsley, this is Mr. King," Coach Davis introduced us, and I reached forward to 285/890