Page 17 of Resilient Love

My jaw clenches, knees locking as if preparing for a physical impact. He invades my space, crowding Chelsea and me as he grits out, “What the hell did she give you?”

I roll my eyes, glaring up at him, doing my best impression of a cool, unbothered tone even though I feel anything but. My gut is a mess of emotions. “None of your business,” I tell him simply, my throat bobbing painfully around the lump there.

His dark brows climb his forehead, and he crosses those thick, corded arms over his broad chest. “None of my business?” He scoffs, extending his arms wide. “Look around, Elise, for the foreseeable future,you are my bloody business.”

“Just drop it,” I tell him, my voice climbing higher than I’d intended.

“It was an over-the-counter painkiller,” Chelsea says, but her voice hitches with the lie, giving her away. She’s the worst liar on the planet, but I appreciate her for trying.

“Chelsea, do you think I’m stupid?” he asks, pinning her in place with stoney eyes and pinched brows. “No one looks around for witnesses unless they’re doing something dodgy,” he grits out, turning his piercing dark gaze on me. Chelsea shrinks away from him but doesn’t leave my side.

“Now tell me what the hell you took,” he demands, glaring down, and I’m suddenly extremely aware of our difference in height.

My heart is racing, molars grinding at his insinuation. And the truth is that I’d rather he think I’m using recreational drugs than what I’m really taking. “Elise,” Chelsea whines beside me. “Just tell him.” She’s begging, and italmosthas me explaining myself to this guy for her sake.

Almost, but not quite.

I shake my head in defiance. “Like I said, it’s none of your business. All you need to know is that I would never do anything to risk my team's safety or chances at winning fair and square.”

He puts his hands on his hips as he bores holes into my skull. “Looks like you made it my business,Elise,” he says with venom dripping in his tone that has my hackles going up. “What you do on this field and while wearing that jersey isabsolutelymy business. So drink up, princess, you’re gonna need to piss in a cupverysoon.”

He storms off, heading in the direction of the men’s locker rooms.

There’s a clap of thunder overhead followed by a bolt of lightning lighting the sky. The heavens open up, drenching us as we sprint toward the locker rooms while being pelted with fat drops of rain.

Fire must be shooting out of my ears with how pissed I am; my blood boils and my jaw aches.

“Elise, come on, you’ll never pass a fucking drug test,” Chelsea pleads when we get inside. Her blonde waves are high in her ponytail, and water dribbles down her temple as she pouts at me.

“It’s not his business, Chels. I’m sorry, but you know as well as anyone that I try to keep my private life,private. I don’t need to tell my new coach that I’m on medication for bipolar disorder.”

“This is the twenty-first century, Elise. You shouldn’t have to fear facing discrimination for something out of your control,” she says, levelling me with an exasperated expression and a quirked brow.

I shake my head.Clearly, she doesn’t understand.“You’re right, Ishouldn’t, but I do. So please, drop it,” I say, my voice sounding more harsh than I meant for it to.

She recoils before putting on a brave face that makes me feel like shit. “Fine, but we won’t be dropping it for long when you’re kicked off of the team for drug use,” she says, rolling her eyes and stomping off toward the showers.

She’s right. It shouldn’t be something I’m worried about telling people, butI am. All the fucking time.

I make quick work of showering, eager to get home, but my hands are still shaking, and my heart is beating so fast that I’m lightheaded as I climb into Letty’s car. The ride home with Adhira, Letty, and Chelsea feels long with how quiet it is.

Chelsea breaks the silence abruptly as we pull into the driveway. “Coach is about to drug test Elise!” she blurts, her cheeks tinged red, and her eyes flick rapidly between our roommates, judging their reactions. My shoulders drop, and there’s a tingling sensation in the pit of my gut as I wait for their responses.

Adhira tilts her head in question, wrinkling her brow without a word. Letty chews on her plump bottom lip and stares at me with suspicion.

“The fuck?” Letty asks, breaking through the tension.

I sigh, sagging into the seat and pinching the bridge of my nose in annoyance.

Chelsea explains what happened, adding a little dramatic flair, which isn’t unusual for her. “Does lithium even show up on a drug test?” Letty asks.

Adhira bobs her head. “It can. It depends on how thorough the panel is. Some look for opioids or marijuana, but others can be used to test for all of the most commonly abused drugs. Not that lithium is often abused, but it's still possible they’ll check for it. Coach Lyon never bothered testing us, so it hadn’t mattered, but why don’t you just bring him your prescription information?” she asks, which absolutelywould bethe easiest option, but I’m stubborn, and more than that, I’m fuckingembarrassed.

An unfamiliar thickness forms in my throat, and I swallow around it. “I can’t,” I say, my lip wobbling as I do.

Letty’s eyes soften, and she unbuckles her seatbelt, climbing over the centre console. She appears almost comical as she squeezes her wide hips and thick thighs through the narrow space, collapsing into the middle seat between me and Adhira. She wraps her arms around my waist, tugging me against her chest, smothering me with her massive tits.

I wrestle out of her grip, taking an exaggerated gulp of air, and manage to dissolve any remnants of tension as we break out into a fit of laughter. “Christ, Letty, those things could suffocate someone!”

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