Page 16 of Heal For Me

He’s talking to me. For the first time, his English accent is directed at me, and the only thing I want right now is to disappear. Especially since I can feel tears burning the back of my eyes. It’s ridiculous to cry over a childhood crush having a girlfriend, but the disappointment in my chest is heavy.

Somehow, I turn and face the three of them. He’s moved closer, and that same heart-wrenching smile tugs on his plump lips.

“I could hear you over the entire gym.”

I think that’s meant to be a compliment, but I blush from embarrassment anyway.

Luca steps forward, an equally beautiful smile splitting his face, but the girl stays back, still glaring. I don’t understand what her problem is, maybe because we are making her late to what she assumes is her engagement.

“I know you,” Luca says. Ash raises his brows toward his teammate, confused as I feel.

“You do?” Janelle asks, thankfully, because I’m still attempting to swallow.

“Si.” He nudges Ash. “She is the video coach showed us. The high schooler with a jump serve comparative to yours.”

Realization hits Ash and me at the same time, but we have different reactions. He snaps his fingers and his smile grows, where I wish the ground would swallow me whole.

I know what he’s talking about, unfortunately, but I can’t believe he saw that. Last year, we were having fun competitions at volleyball camp. One of them was jump serving. There was only two other girls who could jump serve and make it over. The head coach was so impressed she had a video taken and it was posted on their Facebook pages along with several others. Mine was the only one to go viral and get passed around like crazy. The last I knew, it had like three million views. Apparently, one view was Ash Pearson and his entire team.

I think I might die on the spot.

“That’s her,” Janelle says proudly. “She’s the best server in our entire district.”

“I do not doubt it.” The truth in his voice alone makes my heart thunder. Then his eyes drop down my body and I nearly combust. It’s not sexual, more admiring, but it doesn’t stop my pussy from flooding my underwear. Having his eyes on me is giving me feelings I’ve never felt before. “What are you two doing here?”

Stalking you. Janelle releases an awkward laugh, making me wonder if she was thinking the same thing.

“Summer vacay,” she tells him.

“How long are you in town for?”

She nudges me, apparently giving me the not-so-subtle signal that it’s my turn to talk now.

I clear my throat, but my voice is raspier than normal. “Uh, I go to school here now.” I leave out the part where I only applied here because of him.

To my absolute pleasure, he perks up. “Do you? Well, in that case.” He digs around in his bag while walking closer to us. With each step, my entire body vibrates, almost to the point my teeth chatter. I clamp my mouth shut, and he stops. A whiff of him floods my nose. It takes everything in me not to lean forward and take a deeper breath.

“Here.” He extends a hand with what looks like a business card. His business card. What am I meant to do with this?

My hand shakes as I grab the card. I think he laughs under his breath, but blood is pumping so loud in my ears I could be making that up.

What I’m not making up is the spark I felt when my fingers brushed his. I know it was real because his stormy eyes fly to mine and narrow as we pull our hands away.

He clears his throat and lowers his hand. “Call me the next time you are free. I would love to see your serve in person and might be able to give you pointers.”

I stare at the small card with his actual number on it. Holy shit.

“She’s free tomorrow,” Janelle blurts.

I glare at her, but Ash pulls out his phone. He has the mountains as his background, cute. He pulls up his calendar, and I’ve never seen a calendar so full before. Despite being full, he shoves his phone away and nods.

“Half one?” he asks. “We can meet here.”

Oh my God.

I think I black out because the next thing I remember is Ash shaking my hand and telling me how excited he is to work with me.

It’s not until they are gone that everything hits me. I fall against the wall, unable to support my weight any longer. Maybe it’s the high level of emotions, but tears burn my eyes. I drop my head to my hands.

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