CHAPTER SEVEN
All Sophie could think about was Ryan’s mouth. The wet, heat of his kisses, the hunger. Pushing him away had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. Because she’d lost herself in him completely.
So hot.
A lovely breeze fluttered the edges of the umbrella sheltering their table on the terrace. Mixed with the briny scent of the ocean, she caught a whiff of the exotic flowers hanging off the trellises surrounding her.
Honestly, this resort couldn’t be more beautiful. And she was with two of her best friends in the world. She forced herself to tune back into their conversation and just be here now.
“Did you guys see the picture I put up on my Facebook page?” Laura Denham, her friend since fifth grade, speared a piece of chicken and shoved it in her mouth. She chewed quickly.
See, this was good. The perfect way to take her mind off Ryan. “I’ll look it up right now.” She pulled her phone out of her bag and swiped the screen.
But as she opened her Facebook app, all she saw was Ryan’s face as he’d kissed her breasts in the outdoor shower. His expression—the utter ecstasy—had given her such a charge. She’d come so close to going all the way. And when he’d brought her hand to his erection…of course she’d wanted him as much as he’d wanted her. Her mind had jumped ahead to pulling his board shorts down. She would’ve loved to feel him in her hands, all hard and hot and soapy slick.
Heat burst in her chest, coursing in fiery pulses along her nerves.
But what he’d said just before—that he liked her? Well, she liked him, too. And giving him her body…she couldn’t do it. Just couldn’t give her whole self like that and then walk away unscathed.
It would kill her. She’d feel used—like he’d had his fun with her and then moved on. She wasn’t cut out for that.
“What do you think?” With her long blonde hair and toned body, Laura had never had an insecure moment in her life. Until now. “Does it look like we’re having a great time together?”
Sophie focused on the picture of Laura with some guy, both looking pretty wasted. “I guess.”
“Let me see.” Kat took the phone from her. After examining the screen, she let out a sigh. “He’s cute. Do you like him?”
Laura shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Sophie hated Laura’s mission to make her ex jealous. Since her recent break-up, she’d been on-edge and brittle. Normally the most confident person she knew, Laura now doubted her choices.
“Look at those guys.” Laura watched a group of men heading toward a table nearby.
“The tall one’s yummy.” Kat’s shoulders pushed back, and she gave a toss of her glossy hair.
Just like that, the guys turned to look at her. Sophie smiled. Yeah, that’s all it took. Kat was a magnet for hot guys.
“Okay, do your magic.” Laura made a sweeping motion. “Laugh or something. Get them to come over here.”
“You guys crack me up.” Sophie set down her fork.
“What?”
“You are two gorgeous women.” She motioned to Laura. “You play volleyball for UCLA. You got recruited to play professionally in Italy.” Then, she gestured to Kat. “You’ve got it going on. Looks, brains, everything. You guys don’t have to work so hard to get a guy.”
“I don’t want a guy,” Laura said. “I just want my ex to think I have one.”
“Well, I want one.” Kat blazed her bright white smile. “And I don’t have a problem admitting it.”
“Okay, well, you’re not going to find true love at Isla de los Amantes. I told you last night the guys who come to this place are looking for hookups not future brides.”
“Oh, come on,” Kat said. “When it happens it happens. We know plenty of hot guys with serious girlfriends.” She drew in a breath, gazing out toward the sea. “What is it about me?”
Laura and Sophie looked at each other. Sophie wasn’t about to lie to her closest friend, so she reached for Kat’s hand. “There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re beautiful, and you have a great personality. But I think you’re expecting sex to turn into love. And it hasn’t. So maybe you should change your expectations.”
“I can’t be like you,” Kat said. “Come on, if Ryan wanted me the way he wants you, I’d dive right in. That’s just how I am. I’m not going to pass that opportunity by because…you just never know.”
“Who?” Laura looked away from the guys settling in at their table. “You met someone?”
“The hottest guy in the resort last night wanted her, and she turned him down.” Kat pushed her plate away.
“He’s not looking for a relationship.”
“That’s what they all say,” Kat said. “What guy says he’s looking for a relationship? But it happens. Look at Dan Archer.”
For three and a half years, the quarterback of the football team had been a total man-whore. But then he’d fallen hard for a pretty freshman from Iowa. No one would’ve expected Dan to be in a serious relationship.
And what if his girlfriend had shared Sophie’s attitude? What if she hadn’t given him a chance? Not that this situation was the same. She and Ryan didn’t even go to schools in the same state. God, listen to me.
He doesn’t want you like that.
“It happens all the time, but you have to be open to it,” Kat said. “And in this situation, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I would never have turned a guy like that away.”
“I didn’t.” Her friends looked confused. “Not exactly.”
Kat stilled. “What?”
“Wait, what happened?” Laura set her fork down. She’d powered through her salad in the seven minutes since it’d been deposited in front of her. The girl was stressed out.
Sophie let out a breath. “I almost had sex with him.”
“When?” Kat said. “I saw you turn him down. You went to your room, and he went to the bar. I saw him partying with a bunch of women in the hot tub.”
“I know. But I came downstairs to, you know, get some air.”
“Some air? Is that what we’re calling it now?” Kat smiled.
“Okay, maybe I wanted to see if he was around. I couldn’t stop thinking about him.”
“I told you there was something between you two.”
There was. There really was.
“Guys, who’re we talking about?” Laura drained her glass of ice tea.
“The guy who helped get me out of the bar last night.”
“That guy? I thought you wanted him?” Laura asked Kat.
“You met him?” Sophie asked.
Laura shook her head. “No, but she told me about him. She really wanted to get with him.”
“He didn’t want me. I flirted like a hooker, and he was all charming and fun, but he wound up leaving with his friends and some other girls.” Kat pressed her lips together. “And what do you mean you almost had sex with him? How does that work exactly?”
“I got a little carried away, but then I shut it down.”
Laura motioned to Sophie’s phone. “Do you have a picture of him? I have to see this guy.”
“Oh, you’ll see him around,” Kat said. “You can’t miss him. Imagine Zac Efron in board shorts.”
“That hot?” Laura asked.
“Hotter.” Kat didn’t look happy. “And Sophie got him.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She supposed Kat would be hurt that Ryan had rejected her, but she didn’t have to be surprised that he’d go for Sophie.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I meant because you’re the one woman at this resort who wouldn’t do him.”
Laura shrugged. “Maybe that’s why he wanted her.”
The idea struck Sophie hard. “Maybe.” That made total sense. A guy like Ryan wasn’t used to rejection. “But it doesn’t matter. Nothing really happened. We made out. That’s it.” Well, and he might’ve licked my nipples a little, too. She pressed her thighs together as the memory sent a sizzling jolt through her.
Laura reached for a roll, but then tossed it back in the silver basket. “He’s probably not all that great in bed. The hot ones usually aren’t.”
Heat shot up her neck, spread across her cheeks, burning the shells of her ears.
“What? He was good?” Laura said, at the same time Kat’s eyes went wide. “You liked it?”
“I loved it.”
Both of them stared at her.
“Then why didn’t you seal the deal?” Laura asked.
Pain at the base of her finger had her looking into her lap. She’d clasped her hands so tightly one of her rings had dug into her skin. God, she was a mess. “It’s not what I want.”
“Oh, come on,” Laura said. “It doesn’t make you slutty to have some fun with a hot guy.”
“I don’t think it’s slutty to hook up with a guy. That’s not it at all. I just…I get too emotionally involved.” Look at the conversations she’d had with him. No small talk, no flirting. It was real. They connected.
Because I like you.
She knew it meant something to him, too.
“Soph, he’s into you.” Kat reached for her hand. “I was there. I saw. And if you don’t go for it, you’ll never know if something great could come of it. He could be the one for you. Just put yourself out there. If it doesn’t work, so what? You’re not made of glass. You won’t shatter if it doesn’t work out. But what if it does? What if it turns into something?”
“Oh, my God. It won’t. Guys, let’s stop talking about it. He doesn’t want me that way. He’s here for spring break. He just wants to party and go wild.”
Laura’s hand closed over hers. “Would that be such a bad idea for you?”
“She’s right,” Kat said. “You could stand to have a little fun yourself.”
She hadn’t dated anyone since breaking up with King. And, even though she had lots of friends in the sorority and on a campus of over fifty-five thousand people, she did get lonely.
“You obviously really like him,” Laura said.
“I do like him. But he’s messed up right now. He just broke up with his girlfriend of six years.” He came here for sex. And after he got it from her, he’d get it from someone else.
She really had to stop listening to Kat.
“Oh. Forget it.” Laura leaned back in her chair, raising both hands in warning. “Don’t go there. Six years? That’s, like, the worst. He’ll get back with her ten times, screw as many girls as he can, and then wind up marrying her.”
“Wow, Laura,” Kat said. “Way to write a happy ending.”
“No, she’s probably right.” Sophie didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “He’s got a lot of stuff going on. And it doesn’t matter anyway. I didn’t come here for that. Besides, I’ve got my whole week planned out.”
“But it was good, huh?” Laura asked.
“It was…I’ve never…”
Her friends burst out laughing. After a moment, Sophie joined them. “Okay, God. I mean, it was good with King, but this…this was like…” She let out a breath, remembering the blazing look he’d given her in the outdoor shower. “You guys, no one’s ever looked at me the way he does. I mean, it’s like he has to have me.”
“Oh, that’s hot.” Laura gave a sad smile. “I miss that. You know? In the beginning, Blake and I were all over each other like that. It was so hot. So fun.”
“Aren’t all hookups like that?” Kat said. “Hot and fun?”
Disappointment slammed her. Of course hookups were like that. She’d never had one, so she’d misunderstood. She’d thought his hungry gaze meant he’d wanted her. Not just raunchy sex in a shower stall.
Okay, so that really put things into perspective. She’d needed to hear that.
“Yeah, well, mine wasn’t.” She’d never seen Laura so torn up. “Mine sucked.”
“Then stop doing this,” Sophie said. “You’re beautiful, sexy, and smart. You’re an elite athlete, for goodness sake. You and Blake had a great time together for two years. Just…move on.”
“I can’t. I want him to see those pictures on Facebook and regret dumping me.”
“Would you take him back if he did?” Sophie asked.
“Of course I would. I love him. I didn’t…I had no idea anything was wrong. And now? I just want him to hurt as much as I do. You know what’s killing me? He’s completely happy to be done with me. Like…” She brushed her hands together. “Done. Moved on. I saw him the night before we left. God, I never should’ve gone over there, but Deb and Lise were going to the frat party Friday night, so I went with them. He was laughing, having the time of his life. That skank, Alyssa?”
Everyone knew Alyssa. She’d probably done more frat laps than any other co-ed in UCLA history.
“She was all over him.”
Sophie shook her head. “He’s not like that.”
“He is now. I saw him put his hand on her ass. I swear it gutted me. I wanted to throw something at him. Here I am dying inside. I can barely get out of bed, and he’s hooking up with Alyssa.”
“You know what I think it is?” Sophie looked at her friends. “We’re seniors. We graduate in two months. I think we’re all freaking out.”
Kat pulled a tube of lipstick from her straw clutch and swiped it across her lips. “I know I am. Have you really thought about it? We’re all going off in different directions. No matter what anyone says, we’ll get busy with jobs, make new friends, date people. It’s going to be different, and I don’t want to do it alone. I want a boyfriend. Even if it doesn’t lead to marriage, I just don’t want to go out there alone.”
“We’re doing it with you,” Laura said.
“You’re going to Italy. We’re not on the same path at all. I mean, I love you, and we’ll always be friends, but you’re not going to be my roommate anymore. You’re not going to come over after work and get ready to go clubbing with me.”
No one could argue that point. “I’m still around.”
“You don’t party, Sophie. You’re probably my favorite person in the world, but I’m not going to be spelunking with you on the weekend.”
Sophie burst out laughing. “I know what you’re saying. We’re all freaking out for different reasons. I’m just saying that Blake is, too. I know he looked like he was having fun with Alyssa, but I think it’s easier for guys to compartmentalize. He puts his feelings over the break-up in a box so he can party with his friends.”
“Did he respond to the picture you posted?” Kat gestured to Sophie’s phone.
Laura shook her head. “No, but he wouldn’t. We’re trying to ignore each other. That’s what exes do, right?”
Sophie wouldn’t know. She and King had remained friends. “I know you don’t want to hear what I have to say, but I’ll say it one more time. I think you should forget about trying to hurt Blake. Forget about school and Blake and start thinking about this whole new chapter in your life. I mean, Italy. Come on, what an adventure.”
“I think our definitions of fun might be a little different,” Kat said. “I like to play with boys, Laura likes to play with balls, and you like to play with boats.”
“Really?” Sophie said. “Because since I got here yesterday, I’ve made out with a really hot guy in an outdoor shower stall. And it was the most fun I’ve ever had.”
There was a moment of silence when her friends just stared at her, and then they burst out laughing. All three of them lifted their hands and high-fived each other across the table.
See that? She could handle her brief little hookup with Ryan.
Next time she passed him in the hot tub with half-naked women she wouldn’t even look twice.
******
A shock of cold had Ryan jackknifing up. Sleep still had a grip on him, so it took a moment to get his bearings. Where was he?
Sophie. Forcing himself fully awake, he looked for her, but the chaise next to him was empty. Only after taking in the pool, the blue umbrella shading him, and the hum of conversation did he realize he’d been dreaming about her. In the shower stall, his hands cupping her breasts. Jesus, he could feel the hard bead of her nipple in his mouth.
Lust surged through him hard and fast.
Enough already. Jesus. He had to cut this shit out. Lusting after some girl he’d just met? Come on, he had a resort full of women to choose from.
Besides, he’d put it off long enough. He pulled out his phone, ready to listen to Coach’s message.
His mouth tasted nasty, and his throat felt dry, so he grabbed the beer sitting on the table beside him and took a swig before punching in his password.
“Ryan. Checking in with you.” His coach’s voice sounded full of compassion.
Regret weighed hard on his chest.
After a pause, his coach continued. “Worried about you, son.”
Son. He was a piece of shit for lying to his coach. No more. Immediately, he hit the man’s speed dial.
“Ryan?” His coach answered on the first ring.
“Hey, Coach.”
“How’s it going? You all right?”
Ryan took in the row of palm trees, the train of clouds skittering across a brilliant blue sky, and blew out a breath. “I’m fine.”
“Talk to me. How’s it going?”
Ryan drew in a breath, his fingernail scraping at the damp beer label. “Coach. I lied to you. There is no emergency.”
A rush of breath hit the receiver. “Come again?”
“There’s nothing wrong. I bailed on the team.”
“What the hell’s going on here?”
Ryan sat up fully, legs straddling the chaise, and scrubbed his jaw. “I need a break.”
“There is no break. We’re in the middle of the season. So what exactly’s going on?”
If Ryan had an answer, he wouldn’t have lied in the first place. “I don’t know, Coach. I just…don’t know.”
“You sick?”
“No.”
“This about drugs?”
“Of course not.”
“A girl?”
“No.” As if he’d ever fuck up his life over a woman.
“Ryan, goddammit. I told the scouts you had a family emergency. And you’re taking a break now? This week of all damn weeks?”
“Yeah. Pretty stupid.”
“Where the hell are you?”
“I’m in Santa Grenada with some friends.”
“You’re fucking off in Santa Grenada with your friends when your agent and I have arranged scouts from major league teams to fly out here and see you play against LSU. Do I have that right?”
“Yes, sir.”
The beer in his otherwise empty stomach churned. Sweat popped out on his forehead and over his lip. He needed to give his coach a reasonable answer. Something to make him understand that he…that he what?
He didn’t know.
“You gotta think real hard about what you’re doing, son. Does your dad know about this?”
“Yeah. I called him this morning.”
“What’d he have to say?”
“Told me to figure out my shit.”
“You done yet?”
“No.”
“Well, Ryan, I’ll tell you what. You’re going to have a couple hours to do just that, as you pack your bags and head back to the airport. Because you’re going to come back here and be on the field for Tuesday’s game. I’ll be goddamned if I blow my credibility with the scouts because you need a damn break.”
Nausea sent a sting of cold fluid through his veins. This isn’t just about me. A whole community had helped him get here.
“Do you understand what I’m telling you?” Coach snapped.
Of course he understood. And he wanted to snap out of it. He did. But panic had a grip on his mind and body.
“I’ll arrange your plane ticket. All you have to do is get to the airport. Where are you?”
“Santa Grenada.”
“Flying out of where?”
“San Juan.”
“You gonna be on that flight?”
“I don’t know.” And yet he did know. A flare of awareness flickered through the numbness. He wanted to do what his coach asked, but his gut gave a firm no.
He wasn’t going to be on that flight.
Because he knew with absolute certainty if he showed up for tomorrow’s game, he’d fuck up again. He couldn’t go back yet.
“I’m calling you back in two hours. Be ready for my call.” Coach disconnected.
A bark of laughter drew his attention to the pool. Jake chased some woman in the shallow end. Lunging, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her toward him. The woman shrieked, arms and legs flailing. People around them laughed. Everyone carefree, having a blast.
Apparently, his buddy had been with two women last night. He’d woken up in someone’s bed. Then, when he’d gotten up to take a piss, he’d found her roommate in the shower. She’d invited him in.
That’s what I should be doing. Going wild. Getting this crazy energy out of his system.
Tipping the bottle back, he appreciated the cool liquid sliding down his throat.
He closed his eyes, seeing the face of his barrel-chested coach. Damn. He hated letting him down. No, he didn’t want to get on a plane. Everything in him rebelled against the thought. But his coach had done well by him the last four years. Ryan wouldn’t be a first-round pick had it not been for Coach Harding’s training and interest.
Ryan glanced down at the black flip flops he’d kicked off. He sat around by the pool in Santa Grenada, while his coach worked his ass off to get him drafted. Nice.
Of course he should go back. Ryan got up.
What was with this wall of resistance in him? Why couldn’t he just do the right thing and get back to his team?
He didn’t know. But he did know he always worked his shit out in the gym.
He headed inside to change.
In two hours he’d be ready for his coach’s call.
After a hard work-out, Ryan found his friends still at the pool. They’d commandeered a couple of tables near the hot tub and drawn a large crowd of women. Jake was telling a story, his hands moving fast, the women around him laughing. The table held pitchers of beer and glasses.
His friend looked up when Ryan approached. “And this, my friends, is Ryan O’Donnell, soon to be shortstop for the Yankees.”
Carrie, the woman he’d met in the bar the night before, shot off the chair. “Are you serious? That’s so awesome.”
An invisible fist shoved right up under his sternum. “I have no idea where I’ll be playing.”
Dix handed him a glass of beer, shrugging his brows and tilting his head toward Carrie. A silent thumbs-up to go for the hot brunette. Ryan looked away.
When someone vacated a nearby chaise, he grabbed it, lifting the back so he could get a better view around the pool. His gaze swept the area, and he found himself looking for Sophie.
Idiot.
He needed to get Coach’s call over with. Then he could relax and have a good time with his friends. With the phone in his hand, he lifted a knee, braced his wrist on it, and took in the action around him.
A woman hoisted herself out of the pool, this one topless. A guy had her bikini, waving it over his head and cracking up. She just laughed, completely comfortable with her body—something he appreciated after so many years with Emma.
As she got out of the pool, her gaze flicked over to him, stopped, and held. Her smile turned seductive. Sashaying over to him, she leaned back, gathering her hair to squeeze the water out. The guy sent the bikini top winging right at her, hitting the side of her head with a wet splat. If that had happened to Emma, she’d have been hurt and embarrassed. But this woman? She burst out laughing.
Swinging around, she shouted, “Nice,” and shot the guy her middle finger. Then, she turned back to Ryan, still smiling. She held the wet suit out to him. “You want to help me put this back on?”
“Sure.” When she sat on the edge of his chaise, she positioned the cups over her breasts and tossed the ties over her shoulders.
“You got it?” She glanced at him, licking water droplets off her lips. This woman was hot. Where Carrie came on too strong, this one was pure sex. The way she moved, the look in her eyes. She had a great attitude, she was comfortable with her body, and she was obviously down to have a good time.
Lifting her wet hair, he pushed it over her shoulder and tied a bow at the back of her neck. Just as he grabbed the bottom ties the woman held out to him, he caught sight of a guy in board shorts wheeling a cart of surfboards toward a large shed. A group of people followed behind, everyone in swimsuits and wet hair.
Sophie. Electricity sparked in his chest. In her red bikini, she laughed with the others.
Ryan’s hands stilled on the woman’s back.
“Everything okay?”
“Yep.” But he fumbled with the skinny ties.
The woman shifted around to face him. “Your hands are probably too big.” Swiftly, she reached behind her and tied it herself. “There’s nothing sexier to a woman than big hands. You know that, right? We love it.”
But he barely heard her. One of the guys got Sophie in a playful headlock. Her good humor flattened, and she tore herself away from him. And then the guy grabbed her. Smooth. Chicks dig headlocks. Sophie struggled out of his arms. Ryan may not know her well, but he recognized a woman who wasn’t amused.
“That your girl?”
He tore his attention away from Sophie. “What? No. I don’t have a girl.”
“Well, I’m going to grab myself a gin and tonic. See you around?” She got up, just as the guy hoisted Sophie over his shoulder. Twisting, Sophie tossed her phone onto the nearest empty chaise, as her body went sailing into the pool. The asshole who tossed her just stood there laughing.
Ryan got to his feet, ready to dive in after her, but a woman cut into his path. Toned and tall, she put her hands on her hips.
“Ryan, right?”
He didn’t have time to deal with her, so he stepped around her. “Excuse me—”
“Hold on.” She nodded to the pool, where Sophie stroked to the shallow end. “I’m Laura, and that’s one of my best friends.”
Ryan grew uncomfortable at the way she looked at him. “Okay.”
“She’s about the nicest person you’ll ever meet. Did you know that the week after next, the mayor of Beverly Hills is honoring her at a dinner? Her mom may have hosted a lot of dinners and raised money, but Sophie’s not like that. She doesn’t just give money. She gets her hands dirty, figures out solutions, and organizes the community to actually give personal time to projects.”
“Okay.” He didn’t need to hear about how great Sophie was. He already knew that.
“My point is that she’s not like other people.” She gestured to the people around them, everyone flirting and looking for hookups. “She doesn’t play games, and she’ll give you the clothes off her back. So, unless you’re actually interested in her, leave her alone.”
“I’m helping her out of the pool.”
“She can get herself out of the pool, and I think you know that.”
He really didn’t need this shit. He cut sideways, but she blocked him again. “I’m getting her a towel.”
“No, you’re not. And because I can see how much you want to help her, I’m going to share a little secret with you. Her family treats her like the neighborhood babysitter. Her ex put his ‘career’ before her. The last thing she needs is some guy using her for booty calls. What she needs is someone who puts her first. You up for that?”
He didn’t bother answering her, just reached around her for a towel. Of course he wasn’t up for that. He’d just met her.
“You’ve got an entire resort full of booty calls. Stay away from Sophie.” She pulled it out of his hands. “I’m not trying to be a bitch. I’m just looking out for her.”
As pissed as he was, he recognized the truth in what she’d said. So he gave a curt nod, found a shaded area by the outdoor showers, and dialed his coach.
“You pull your head out of your ass?” Coach asked.
In the background, Ryan could hear the crack of a ball hitting a metal bat, followed by clapping and some shouts. And the thing was, Ryan didn’t miss it. At all. Nothing in him stirred to be on that diamond with his teammates. “No, sir.”
“Goddammit, Ryan. You gotta get this thing back on track. You understand that, right? We’ve come too far for you to fuck up now. Look, I’m going to have Marjorie buy you that plane ticket. I’ll pick you up myself at the airport. I already talked to your dad. He’s coming out here. We’ll coordinate flights.”
He wrapped a hand around the back of his sweaty, hot neck. “Coach.”
“If you’re drinking, stop right now. We’ll give you a little exercise first thing in the morning.”
His fingers dug into the muscles. “Coach.” He said it more forcefully.
“Get you warmed up. It’ll be all right. We’ll pull out of this. But, listen, I haven’t talked to the guys yet. I don’t want them to know their captain fucked off at a time like this. You’re the leader, Ryan. You get back here tonight, it’ll be like nothing happened.”
“Coach.” He’d never raised his voice to his coach before. But plans were being made. Airports and pickups. His dad was involved. Jesus, his heart hammered, and his palms went damp. He felt like he was in a speeding car and couldn’t find the brake. “Let me talk. I came here because I was having panic attacks on the field. I owe you a lot. I do. You’re a great coach. And I lied to you because…” Fuck. “Because I need time away from it. I have to have this break.”
“Panic attacks?”
“Yeah.” Shame burned a hole in his gut. “This feeling’s been building, and it’s only getting stronger. I get that the timing sucks. I get that I’m letting down you and my dad and my teammates, and I’m sorry for the way I’m doing it. But I’m not coming back right now. I’m sorry about the scouts. I am. Believe me, I know what you’ve done for me. And I’m grateful.”
“Don’t be grateful, boy. Just get your ass on a plane and play some damn ball. Now is not the time for you to have a breakdown.”
“I’m not having a breakdown. I’m not on drugs. I’m not drinking. And it’s not about a girl.” And then he calmed down and said the words slowly so his coach understood he meant them. “I just need a break.”
“Okay, okay.” His coach paused. “Okay. The most important thing is getting your head on straight. I can’t tell you I’m not pissed. Just…take a day or two, okay? How about that? Two days, and then I’ll expect you back here. You’ll make it for the last game.” His coach cut the connection.
Ryan stood there, his skin cooling, the noise in his head quieting. Leaning against the shelter of the outdoor shower, he took in the pool area—the half-naked bodies, booze, laughter…and couldn’t work up a damn bit of interest in participating.
So what did he want?