Crossing Lines
Chapter 41
Noah
★ 58%
I woke up with my mouth tasting like salt and cheap beer, my head pounding like I’d slammed it against a rock. I hadn’t even drunk that much
at all, not really, apart from the half beer I nursed for hours, but guilt has a way of turning everything into a hangover.
My phone blinked on the nightstand. I grabbed it with a groan, blinking away the sleep.
1 Message – Alden (11:43 p.m.)
That sinking, stomach–flipping guilt hit me like a brick.
I didn’t open it.
Didn’t reply.
Didn’t even breathe for a second.
I just stared at the screen and told myself it wasn’t that bad. I hadn’t broken any rules. Not technically. We’d said weekends, and it was Thursday night. I hadn’t done anything. I hadn’t kissed anyone. I hadn’t-
I shoved the phone face down and climbed out of bed before I could spiral further. I was going to face him. In person. Own it. Or something
like that.
I got to the gym an hour early.
It was quiet, empty, the kind of dead silence that usually made me feel calm. Not today. Today, every creak of the floor, every breath I took felt
too loud. I paced, Stretched. Sat on the bench near the entrance, eyes flicking to the door every few seconds.
I needed to talk to him. Alone. Maybe apologize. Maybe just explain…. But when the door finally opened, he didn’t walk in alone.
He walked in with the team.
Aiden didn’t even glance at me as they all filed in, laughing, yawning, rubbing their eyes like hungover frat boys. Which, to be fair, most of
them were. My gut twisted.
Keon bumped my shoulder with a wink. “How was she last night?”
“How you think?” I whispered, turning back to our coach.
He stood in front of us, arms crossed, jaw sharp as a blade. Calm. Controlled. Unreadable.
“Good morning,” he said, voice cutting through the fog like a knife. If that’s what we want to call it.”
Some guys chuckled weakly. Others just grunted.
I’m not your babysitter, he continued. “I don’t care how many drinks you had, or who you flirted with last night. I’m not here to hold your
hand and tell you it’s okay to half–ass your future.”
1427 Thu, Feb 5 BNB
Chapter 41
His eyes passed over the group, but they didn’t stay on me.
58%
You either want this, or you don’t. You either give everything, or you give nothing. There is no middle. If you want a social club, join a frat. If
you want to win, show up like it.”
There were a few mumbled apologies. A yawn. Someone coughed.
I kept my mouth shut.
We got through warm–ups. He gave extra attention to almost everyone else–adjusting form, offering tips, calling out names…. But not mine.
He didn’t look at me. Not once. Not even when I pushed harder than everyone else, desperate for his attention. God, it burned, and it was actually killing me.
He wasn’t just mad. He was withholding. I could feel it in every second of silence between us. The kind that feels like punishment.
I wanted him to say something. Anything. Scream. Scold. Order me to kneel and beg for forgiveness…. Instead, I got a distant Coach Mercer, perfectly professional. Like I didn’t exist, and the more he ignored me, the more I hated myself for caring.
By the time we hit the field for the practice game, I was so tense I could barely see straight. My cleats bit into the turf, heart pounding, muscles tight from trying too damn hard to impress a man who wouldn’t even look at me.
He stood at the sidelines, arms crossed, watching everyone else.
I wanted to scream. Or cry. Or just… run back into his arms and beg him to tell me I was still his. Instead, I took my place on the field and
tried not to fall apart.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
