Page 48 of Side Out

The rest of the dinner goes off without a hitch, regardless of the fact that you could cut the tension between Theo and I with a knife. I’m not sure if anyone besides Coach Taylor or Austin notices, but it would be pretty hard to miss.

When we get back to the hotel, I don’t dare have Theo meet me in my room, and instead, I have him bring the pouches down to the lobby. He doesn’t question it. And when he hands them to me, I’m careful not to let my fingers brush his. I don’t trust it.

I don’t trustme.

I simply give him a hollow “thank you” and make a beeline for the elevator before he has a chance to follow.

And when I get up to my room and crawl into bed for the night, I find myself endlessly staring at my ceiling. Because I may have been faking a migraine before, but I sure as fuck have one now.

* * *

“Hey!” Austin laughs out. “We’re supposed to be warming up, jackass. What the hell you hammering hits at me for?”

Shit.

It’s the final morning of the tournament. We only have two matches today. Two matches and the tournament’s ours. Ishouldbe ready. Hell, if you would have asked me last night before dinner, I would have been. But now all I can think about is that face. That fucking face he made when I snapped at him.

I laid awake all night thinking aboutthatface.

And the longer I lay there, the more pissed off I got.

At him.

At myself.

At this entire fucking situation.

Again.

But I can’t tell Austin that, so instead, I just smile and say, “Sorry. Shoulder was feeling a little stiff. Just working it out.”

Austin opens his mouth to speak, but instead, Emma’s voice carries across the court. “Aus, can you help me? Lizzie just pooped and it’s everywhere.”

I have to try not to laugh at the way blush spreads across his entire face.

“Sure, honey. Be right there,” he yells back. I watch as he looks for Coach Taylor only to find him and the opposing team’s coach talking to the other ref. Then, he looks at our chairs where Theo is going through his bag. “Theo!” Theo looks at him, and Austin gestures him over.

What the fuck is happening?

“You okay?” Theo rushes out as he looks Austin up and down.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. But my wife isn’t. Lizzie apparently had a poo-plosion. You know how to play?”

Theo looks just as confused as I do. “Umm, well yeah I?—”

“Perfect!” Austin hands Theo the ball. “Help Jax warm up until I get back.” Before I can protest he jogs toward Emma and Lizzie as he calls over his shoulder. “Be back in ten!”

Great. Just perfect.

Theo just looks at me for a moment like a deer in headlights before asking, “Ready?”

I roll my eyes and get into my ready position. Taking that as answer enough, Theo tosses the ball to me. I pass it back to him, and to my surprise, he sets it beautifully back to me, and without even thinking about it, I hit the ball and drill it into his arms. As it makes contact with his forearms he lets out a loud grunt, and a wince of pain spreads across his face. Suddenly, I can’t help but thinkthat felt a little too good.

So, I do it again. And again. And again.

And, when he sets the ball a little too short, likely due to how sore his arms are getting, I take that as my opportunity to… stretch my legs a little.

Approaching the ball as best as I can, I jump in the air and let it rip. Except this time, it doesn’t make contact with his arms and instead hits him right in the cheek.

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