Page 20 of Foul Line

“Hence me wanting to become a better person, Dale. I feel like I’m living a lie.” He looks over at me. “One after the other.”

I lie down in the sand and take a deep breath. These Ballers are still fucking with my head.

“Are you dating Chase Fisher?”

I open one eye and then squint into the sunlight. Finally, I give up and close them again. “No, but I think he wants to.” Chase is having fun messing with them, but just the way he’s been holding me, and those words he said to me after I got back from running, he’s clearly not just playing a game like I am. “You’re not going to beat him up again, are you?”

“I’m not promising anything.”

I tamp down on the urge to roll my eyes. “I thought you said you were trying to be a better person. You can start there.”

“I don’t want to waste my generosity on someone who likes the girl I like.”

I let the words sit there between us, but then anger consumes me again. I sit straight up, sand falling off me. I get right to my feet as fire runs through my veins. “Well, you should’ve known how to fix that one, Alec. All you had to say was you weren’t giving me up. Literally like five words. Five fucking words, and it would’ve changed all these months. Five words, and my goal wouldn’t still have to be that I want to help us win Championships because I already would’ve accomplished that one.”

He swallows. “I was wrong, Tessa. I didn’t know it was going to go that far. Before I knew it, I couldn’t take what happened back.”

He sounds like Sloan with the whole he didn’t know it was going to get that far talk. I’m not buying it. “Is Lake a mystery to you? Have you ever really looked at your best friend? He’s a fucking asshole.”

His mouth opens, but then he closes it again. “I don’t know what to say.”

I lean over and snatch the worksheets out of his hand. “I guess we don’t have anything to say to one another then.” I spin on my heel and head toward my cabin. I can look through the papers back in there, in the sanctity of my own room. Before I know it, though, Alec’s pulling back on my arm. “What?” I growl.

He flinches. “Please don’t tell anyone about the baseball thing. Okay? I’m not ready yet.”

I rub the back of my neck. “Sure. Whatever.”

I hit the swatch of grass in front of my cabin before I hear his voice again. “Hey, Tessa, what’s your ten-year goal?”

I ignore him, letting myself into the small cabin, thinking I should add not having any more male drama in my life ten years from now while I’m also scoring the most points ever in the WNBA.

How’s that for a long-term goal?

11

Imake it to the weekend by keeping my head down and focusing on basketball. My mom decided to go on a short trip with one of her girlfriends, so we’ve been keeping each other updated over text. I’m not giving her any of the drama-filled stuff, just the normal, “I’m not injured, and I’m having fun” stuff. Dawn, however, is loving every scrap piece of info I give her. She almost broke her exclamation point button when I told her Chase Fisher was staying at the same camp. She thinks it’s an excellent idea that I use him to get back at the Ballers. She’s all for him cozying up to me. However, she also thinks it’s nuts that I’m not at all attracted to him.

We had plans for David to drive her into town so that we could meet up and talk about things Saturday afternoon, but apparently David has to go visit his sick Grandma.I’m sorry!!!, she texts.

I sigh. I was really looking forward to some girl time and not having to keep my head down to avoid any and all male gazes except for the coaches and my dad. The only good thing about camp right now is that I feel like I’m doing well. Jacquin has made it a point to help me any chance he can get, throwing tips at me here and there. He’s a nice guy.It’s no big deal, I text back.Maybe next weekend?

I put the phone away and head toward breakfast. I’ve still been eating with Chase, but I’ve been quieter lately, concentrating on basketball and dodging their invitations for me to come hang out on their side of camp. I have a feeling that the lacrosse side of camp isn’t taking this as seriously as the basketball side. It seems more like a bunch of frat guys decided to hang out with one another rather than any real skill sharpening. I’m sure it’s good for teamwork though.

Just my luck, I end up right behind Ryan and Lake in the line to get breakfast. They don’t notice me until I grab a tray and let it fall to the stainless-steel counter. Lake only smirks back at me but turns right away. Ryan, however, holds my gaze for a moment. Beyond him, Lake is rattling about how they’re going to get away from camp. They, of course, want to ask one of the other guys here who has a car so they can go into town. I’m glad they’ve learned not to ask me. I couldn’t give a shit if they leave camp or not. Hell, I might not even leave camp today.

Ryan nods at him absentmindedly until they turn away with full trays of food, and it’s my turn to grab some. Once I’m loaded up with eggs, toast, bacon, and a pancake, I head toward the lacrosse table. There aren’t a lot of them here this morning, but Chase is. I come up behind him and set my tray down. He looks back, a full smile on his face already. “Good morning, Sunshine.”

“Where is everyone?” I ask.

He chuckles. “Some of us got too inebriated last night to make it in time for breakfast.”

“You should’ve come,” one of his teammates says. “Chase was sulking.”

Chase’s cheeks color a little.

“I don’t drink,” I say. “I’d be a downer at a party like that.” It’s kind of true. It’s not that I’ve never had anything to drink before, but I’m definitely not drinking during my father’s basketball camp. That would be a disaster waiting to happen.

“Aww, come on, it’s the weekend,” his teammate says. “We’re probably going to have more drinks tonight, and you can’t use basketball as an excuse. Sunday is a free day, you said so yourself.”

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