Page 38 of Every Move You Make

“Friends don’t grind on each other the way you two were,” I say firmly.

“I was showing her how to dance on a date.”

“Her dancing is perfect the way it is.”

“You two,” he mutters, shaking his head. “Fine,” he says resolutely. “I won’t dance with her anymore. I assume you’re acting like this because you like her?”

Understatement,I think to myself. “She’s mine,” I say instead.

“Yeah,” he says, dejection etched all over his handsome face.

Dell isn’t the first man I’ve chased out of Robyn’s life. He’s well on his way to becoming the seventh, though. But something deep inside tells me I cannot cut him out. Not from her life and not from mine.

“Then can I ask…why aren’t you with her now?”

“It’s not time.”

His thick eyebrows furrow. “What does that mean?”

I can’t tell him. I can’t admit the truth because all that will do is expose my cowardice and insecurity. It’s better to keep it locked away.

“I just need to have my ducks in a row first.”

“Oh god,” he mutters. “You’re one ofthosepeople. I should have known. What’s wrong with diving face-first into a depth unknown, huh?”

“That sounds horrific.”

“That sounds exhilarating!”

“That sounds like trouble.”

“Live a little, Zay. You’re a goddamn rugger; you play one of the most blood-thirsty sports, and you can’t live on the edge a little bit?”

I don’t tell him Robyn is anything but a lighthearted decision. She deserves the world on a silver platter, and I’m going to do everything in my power to give her that.

“Rugby is calculated,” I correct. “I don’t need to seek outany more adrenaline outside of it.”

For a long moment we’re silent. Dell’s expression softens and he tilts his head. “Have you been thinking about what life looks like after retirement?”

I nod. “Been thinking about it a lot lately.”

“How does it feel?”

“Unnatural,” I reply with a despondent tone.

Just then my phone vibrates. I pull it out to give a cursory glance, but all of my attention zeros in on the email.

“Are you gonna miss it?” Dell asks. “Rugby?”

“No,” I say, unable to tear my eyes from my phone. “Because I’m the new head coach for the USA Valor.”

Chapter 16

New Coach

Robyn

“Alright, settle down, everyone,” Coach Bob announces as we all stand on the field after practice, panting from a hard fifteen minutes of touch rugby. “I have some exciting news.”

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