Page 50 of My Heart to Keep
I held my breath as the ball soared through the air, the seconds ticking by. When the ball hit the backboard, I was sure it wasn’t going in. But just as the buzzer went off, the ball fell through the net.
Air punched from my lungs.
The crowd shouted and clapped, and the noise level was off the charts. I swore the building shook. If this was just a scrimmage, I couldn’t imagine how the fans would react when we won during the season.
But maybe I wouldn’t be there after today to see it. I hung my head as I jogged up to my teammates. “I’m so sorry.”
“What happened?” Wade asked, throwing his arms around me.
“I’ll tell you later.” Right now we had to exchange pleasantries with the other team, and then I had to apologize to Coach.
My stomach was one big knot, because I knew he was going to spit fire over how I’d messed up.Goodbye to any potential I had with Boston College.
As I shook the hand of my last opponent, I stole a look at Quinn. She was studying me hard, and I couldn’t quite figure out her expression. It was a cross between confusion and worry.
She smiled tentatively at me, and I returned her gesture. I didn’t believe she would dump me for Noah. However, my mind was working overtime, wondering how they knew each other.
They probably just met while sitting in the stands.What I couldn’t figure out was why Noah was even at one of my games. Maybe he was enrolling in Greenridge, or he already had, and I just didn’t know about it.
What chafed my insides, though, was that Noah and Quinn seemed chummy, as though they knew each other well.
“Maxwell,” Coach Green called. “Meet me in my office in five.”
I nodded as I joined Wade, who was heading to the locker room.
“What gives?” Wade asked. “You froze, man. Seconds left in the game, and you checked out. Not cool at all.”
I hung my head. “It won’t happen again.” I would make darn sure I didn’t even glance at the crowd during the next game, even if Quinn wasn’t in the stands. “I saw my girl with someone who I wasn’t expecting to see.”
“You got to leave the personal shit in the locker room. It has no place on the court.” Spoken like a true captain. “You get a pass since this is your first game, and it doesn’t count. But when the season starts, your mind better be on the fucking game.” He hurried off to catch up with Ian.
I slowed my pace, running my hands through my hair and taking in a deep breath.Now to talk to Coach.Instead of showering, I took a left down the hall to Coach’s office, where I waited outside.
Within less than a minute, Coach strutted down the hall with his hands tucked into the pockets of his suit pants. He wore a look of pure disappointment. “What happened?” His voice boomed in the empty hall.
I swallowed an elephant, afraid to tell him what I’d just told Wade. But I wasn’t one to lie. “I saw my girl. That’s all.”
He pointed at me, and it was the first time I’d seen him angry. “If you pull something like that again, I will bench you for five games.” His tone brooked no argument. “Do I make myself clear?”
A shiver of fear danced up my spine as I nodded in rapid succession. “Yes, sir.”
The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint him. He’d gone out of his way for me since I’d arrived at the school. He’d counseled me. He’d checked on me. He’d treated me like the son he never had. I only knew the latter because he’d told me that very thing. He and his wife had tried to have a boy, but after three tries and three girls, they’d decided their family was big enough.
“Hit the shower.”
I started to leave then stopped. “Coach? Do you think I messed up any chance with the BC scout?”
He grabbed the door handle to his office. “You need to worry about the next game and not freezing up.” Then he went inside.
Several cuss words zipped around in my head. I wasn’t mad at anyone but myself.
“What is taking him so long?” I paced the white-and-gray hardwood in the gym.
Celia wanted to roam the school since this was her first time at the academy. “I’ve heard a few things over the years about this school,” she’d said on the car ride up. “Tough, cliquey, and lots of drama.”
Most high schools were exactly that. Kensington wasn’t any different.
My response had been, “You left out bullies.”
