CHAPTER 27
Playing pool with the guys always helped Angel relax. This was the first time Eric had come over since New Year’s. Alex and Sofia were both working the restaurant but would be home soon. Angel wasn’t too sure if having Eric there was a good idea. He had talked to Alex briefly about Eric not being to blame, but Alex was dead set against having him around Sofia when no one was around. Angel hoped that didn’t mean he’d make a scene even if everyone was around.
It had been another slow bitter weekend for Angel. His mind on the usual and it was getting real irritating. Being that close to Sarah on Friday made him realize he wasn’t even close to being over her. Her resentment toward him had confused him. He was the one that had gotten duped. Did she really expect him to just accept another guy in her life? That wasn’t happening. Though being that close to her for the first time in so long made it tempting to accept anything just to be with her.
He knew better, though. Having to deal with her being out of state would be hard enough. But knowing she’d be with Sydney would make it impossible. There was no way it would work.
As if things weren’t bad enough already, the tension had been lifted full throttle with this coach thing. He hoped Sarah knew better than to fall for that guys shit. The smug look on the coaches’ face was the new image imprinted in Angel’s head. And he welcomed the challenge. Teacher or not, Angel had no qualms about taking him down.
Eric racked up the balls. “Your break, Angel.”
Angel leaned over and took a shot. The balls scattered violently and one flew off the table. Romero laughed. “Easy, killer.”
“Dude,” Eric bent over and picked up the ball from where it had rolled. “What are you doing?”
Angel ignored them and bent over to shoot again. Sofia and Alex walked in from the side gate. Angel noticed Eric stiffen. The ball he hit went in and he took a moment to chalk his pool stick.
Sofia walked toward them instead of the kitchen door and Alex followed behind her. She smiled brightly without a care in the world.
Alex sat on the barstool between Eric and Sofia. To Angel’s relief, he acknowledged Eric but just barely with a nod.
“Sarah texted me,” Sofia focused on Angel but kept glancing at Eric.
Angel feigned disinterest and walked around the pool table for a better angle. “Yeah, so?”
“She was worried I might be upset about Friday.”
Angel closed his eyes for a second. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have in front of the guy’s. They’d have a field day. But he did want to know if she’d said anything else. He continued shooting without responding to Sofia. He’d manage to go all this time without asking Sofia anything about Sarah, he wasn’t going to start now.
Sofia put her hand on her hip, obviously annoyed that Angel wasn’t biting. “She said she wanted to but couldn’t and added a sad face.”
Angel glanced up at her and finally gave in. “Couldn’t? What the hell does that mean?”
“I don’t know that’s all she said. I didn’t respond ‘cause she said she had to go,” Sofia started back toward the kitchen door. “Her ankle’s better in case you care.”
Angel glanced at the guys and stopped on Alex when he saw him grinning from ear to ear. “What?”
Alex looked over to make sure Sofia was in the house. “I heard about Friday.”
Angel rolled his eyes. “So.”
“So, things are getting pretty heavy with Sarah and Coach Perv. I told you he was slick.”
“Sarah and Coach Rudy?” Romero asked. “No shit?”
“He just gave her a ride home,” Angel gripped the pool stick a little harder. “Your turn.”
“Twice,” Alex chuckled, “And he doesn’t just drop her off either. Valerie said they sit out in the driveway talking for a while. Friday night he was there longer than the first time.”
Angel glared at Alex. New tension cramped his muscles. “So, what did Sarah have to say about it?”
Alex still had the stupid grin on his face. “Valerie told her she thought it was kind of creepy but Sarah doesn’t think so. She says she feels real comfortable around him,” He shook his head. “I’m telling you. He’s working her.”
Something burned through Angel’s entire body. Suddenly Sarah in Arizona with Sydney and his girlfriend sounded ideal. Why the hell wasn’t she there already?
“Does she know about him, Angel?” Leave it to Eric to be the only one to show any concern.
Angel nodded but frowned when he thought of how Sarah just humored him whenever he’d gone off about what a perv the guy was. She had her own preconceptions of the guy and he knew they were favorable ones. Like Sofia, she didn’t buy into all the rumors.
“I heard he left the last school he was teaching at because someone accused him of rape,” Eric said.
“What?” Angel felt the hair on the back of his neck stand. “I thought he was a new teacher. Straight outta college?”
Alex grimaced. “Nah, he’s not as young as he looks either.”
“How old is he?”
“About twenty six, or twenty seven,” Alex grabbed a bottle of water out of the small fridge and headed back to the kitchen.
“I heard that rape story too,” Romero said bending over to take a shot. Then he added with a shrug. “But I’ve heard so much shit about him who knows what really happened.”
Angel sat on one of the bar stools for once interested in what Romero had to say. “So, what’s the story?”
Romero glanced at Eric then stood up holding the pool stick straight up, in front of him. “It’s different every time I hear it but basically someone actually pressed charges on his ass for either rape or attempted rape.” He set himself up for an awkward shot. “There wasn’t enough evidence so the charges were dropped. But I guess everyone was so pissed about it he had to transfer outta there. And lucky La Jolla, we got ‘em.”
Angel wondered why he’d never heard the story, or maybe he had he just never paid attention to any of the details. All he knew for sure was the guy had a reputation for being overly friendly with the girls. And from what Angel had seen Friday, there was no doubt in his mind anymore, he was working Sarah.
*
Sarah’s trip to see her mom went smoothly. Seeing her was still as emotional as the first visit. But things felt brighter. Her mom still hadn’t been to court but the lawyers were even more optimistic about her chances of getting out early and Sarah could see the change in her mom’s appearance. The dark circles and deep eyes were still there but not as pronounced as before. And there was a sparkle in her eyes that made Sarah feel very hopeful.
Her mom gave her something to really think about just before she left.
“Sarah I want you to know that I think you’ve been through enough. When I get out of there it’s up to you where you wanna stay. I don’t have a job here in Flagstaff anymore but if this is where you want to be. I’ll find a way to make it work. Otherwise if you’d rather stay in California, your aunt has offered to let us stay there until I get back on my feet. You think about it and let me know.”
The choice seemed obvious. The only reason she’d want to stay in La Jolla didn’t want anything to do with her. In Flagstaff at least she had Sydney.
She’d spent the whole day Saturday with Syd and his family. Carina hadn’t made an appearance. Sydney said she was busy and Sarah left it alone. Sunday after her visit with her mom Sydney drove her to the bus station and dropped her off. Each time she came back to Arizona she worried things would be different with her and Sydney but as usual it was as if she’d never left.
Maybe it was the trip over the weekend or the fact that she hadn’t run in over a week. But Sarah felt off during her first run in practice. Coach Rudy had stressed the importance of taking it easy, and had wrapped her ankle pretty tight before letting her run. Possibly a little too tight, it was beginning to feel numb. She slowed to a walk and looked around for the coach but didn’t see him. He’d been adamant about her wearing it so she didn’t want to take it off. But it was really bugging her so she went into the gym to find him.
She didn’t see him anywhere so she walked towards his office where he’d wrapped her ankle. The door to his office flew open just as she reached it and a girl in her cheer warm ups almost collided into her.
“Sorry.” The girl said with a nervous smile.
“That’s okay.”
The girl hurried away quickly. Sarah watched her as she rushed off fixing her skirt. She opened the door to the office. Coach Rudy had a clipboard in one hand and tucked his shirt in with the other.
“Hey, Sarah. How’d the run go?”
His fly was half zipped and Sarah flushed, hoping he hadn’t noticed she was even looking there. “I … uh think the wrap is too tight. It’s making my foot numb.”
He looked down at her ankle. “Alright have a seat.”
Sarah sat down on the chair next to his desk and he put the clipboard down and leaned against the edge of the desk.
“Bring it up here.”
She brought her leg up and he caught it against his front thighs. Sarah suddenly felt very vulnerable. He unlaced her shoe and smiled as he pulled it off.
“Did you get around the track at all?”
“One time,” Sarah gulped. “But I walked at the end.”
Once unwrapped, he massaged the ankle a little and worked his way up to her calf.
“Feel better?”
Sarah nodded. She had to admit it did feel a lot better. He moved her ankle in a circular motion and then back and forth. She glanced up from her foot and saw how engaged he was in working it. He began wrapping it again meticulously. And she felt silly about her unnecessary angst. She was letting Sydney and all the stupid rumors get to her.
“Tell me if it’s too tight.”
When he was done wrapping it he put her sock and shoe back on tying the laces himself.
“Stand up.”
Sarah did. The area between the chair and the desk was extremely cramped. When she stood her thighs touched his and her face was close enough to smell the gum on his breath. Sarah flinched back and almost lost her balance. Her eyes locked with the coach for a second.
“Careful now.” He grinned.
Sarah smiled feeling her face redden. The second wrap was much better and Sarah managed to get in a few laps before practice was over. She was feeling really stupid about the way she’d reacted in the coach’s office. Even her thoughts about the girl that had walked out of his office had been unreasonable.
Sydney had told her to read into everything but that was so unfair to jump to such ugly conclusions. Coach Rudy was good looking and a very nice person as far she was concerned. What need would he have to get involved with high school girls?
She saw Angel waiting by his car as she walked back to the locker room and her body reacted in the usual way. She concentrated on staying cool but her heart raced and she knew it had nothing to do with the laps she’d just taken. She’d already accepted that as long as she was here in California she’d never get over him. Not by a long shot. She would just have to do her best to avoid him until she went back to Flagstaff. But it was annoying how much just seeing him still affected her so much.
Sarah was almost to the locker room when she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Coach Rudy walking toward her.
“Hey, you looked real good out there. Anything hurting?”
Sarah shook her head and smiled. “Nope, nothing at all. Good as new, coach.”
The coach glanced down at her foot and then his eyes were on hers again. “Listen we’re going up to Mount Soledad this Saturday. You wanna come?” His lips went up in a crooked grin. “I promise I’ll give you a good work out.”
Sarah’s mind raced to remember if she had any plans for that weekend. But running in the mountain trails overlooking the ocean sounded exactly like what she needed.
“That actually sounds really good.”
“Great, I’ll pick you up at ten. Bring water,” He tapped her behind with his clipboard and winked before walking away.
Sarah stood still for a moment and then shook it off. Lots of coaches patted the players on the behind, even guys. She saw it all the time. She was done jumping to conclusions.