Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Details
“Ryan has not shut up about the pancakes and whatever else you made for him. How many times have you seen Grant?” Yesenia asks, leaning over the back of her seat with a grin. “You owe me details!”
I slump deeper into my bus seat as we roll toward Reno for the state final. I do owe her—she didn’t rat me out. If Grant knew I was still in high school… God, I don’t even know what he’d do. Mason could have told him, but he didn’t. I hang out in places no high schooler should be, so maybe it never crossed his mind. Heat creeps up my throat, flooding my face.
Tianna sits next to me, scrolling on her phone. Yesenia is turned fully around, invested. Mia too, so close her forehead is pressed with Yesenia's. Coach Jones is beside us with headphones on, head tilted back.
I glance at him. Yesenia shakes her head.
“He’s out,” she mouths.
“Okay,” I sigh. “So… Tuesday, we took Ryan to the playground. Then we grabbed coffee.”
“What happened Thursday?” she presses, grinning like she already knows.
“Ummm… he came over to my place.”
“Obviously,” she scoffs. “Please tell me he’s like—the hottest sex you’ve ever had.” She sighs dramatically.
“One of,” I admit. “God, he’s so damn hot. And that dick… it’s perfection. He just knows exactly what to do and how to do it.”
“I am so envious of you,” she groans, sliding back into her seat but still twisted toward us. “I’ve been throwing myself at him. He laughs at me. If he knew you were still in high school, he would’ve kicked you right out. How did you even meet him?”
“I dated one of his friends—Mason Jones. The asshole who left ‘art’ all over my neck.” I roll my eyes. “Grant’s been hitting on me since we broke up. Mason knew I was in high school, but I’m also eighteen—unlike all of you.”
Most of my teammates won’t turn eighteen until after graduation. I know Grant might care about that. I’m just not bringing it up. If it comes up, it comes up.
It’s nice talking freely for once. Dimitri isn’t here—he wasn’t allowed to come. I told him to take a few days off, maybe get laid so he stops being so damn grumpy. I even turned my phone off so he can’t listen in. Actually, I should probably make him remove whatever he put on it.
Mason hasn’t tried to contact me since that one call at Gemma’s. Maybe I don’t even need Dimitri anymore. He’s been distant, annoyed. He’ll probably be happy to move on to his next job.
“Fucking Grant Matthews is a hot piece of ass,” Tianna blurts.
Her mom leans forward from the other side of Coach Jones. “Is that how we objectify men now?”
I grin. I love Tianna’s mom—Janet. She’s our team mom, always showing up with orange slices and snacks like we’re still ten. We talk to her like she’s one of us.
I pull my phone out, turn it on, and show her a picture. Janet covers her mouth.
I purse my lips and raise my brows. “He has a four-year-old son. Single dad.”
“Elle!” she laughs. “I can’t with you, baby girl. He is very handsome. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
I turn my phone off again. “He made me come so hard I fucking cried. I mean, I can’t date him—but the dick is good.”
We all burst out laughing. Loud. Unfiltered.
Coach Jones turns toward us, eyes wide, ripping off his headphones. “I’m going to go sit in the front!” he mutters, scrambling out of his seat while we laugh even harder.
Janet joins in, wiping tears from her eyes.
“Dimitri is really good too,” I add casually.
He told me not to tell Gemma, Tish, and Erika—but he said nothing about Tianna, Yesenia and Mia.
“You are such a skank,” Mia laughs. “I fucking knew it. Didn’t I tell you, Tianna?”
“Skank ain’t got shit on me,” I shoot back, leaning forward so they both come closer. “I slept with Dimitri and his brother Ivan at the same time. And now he’s pretending like it never happened.”
I slump back in my seat.
“BITCH, you did what???” Tianna practically screams. “Ivan? The one covered in tattoos? How does that even work?” She pauses, eyes widening. “Wait—Ivan and Dimitri are brothers?”
“Yes, they are.”
“Use your imagination,” Mia chimes in, giggling in the seat in front of me.
“My imagination is limited to Dean fucking me in missionary until he finishes and I lie there questioning my life choices, wallowing in disappointment and frustration,” Tianna deadpans.
I laugh, then give her a quick rundown of how it happened. Her eyes go wide—like, wide. She pushes her blonde-and-brown box braids over one shoulder, her light brown eyes practically sparkling. Yesenia is cracking up watching her. Then come the questions. About Dimitri. About his dick. I answer more than I probably should. I did enjoy blowing him. I really did.
God, I’m insane.
“We are here!!!” Janet announces.
We all sit up at once, peering out the windows. The hotel parking lot is packed. Cars everywhere.
We’re playing the final against a team from Carson City.
A lot of parents are already here. Mine aren’t. My three brothers have a skate competition in LA, and that’s apparently more important. My parents went with them. It doesn’t bother me. At least my dad isn’t here to tell me everything I’m doing wrong. He does that when he watches me box—it’s exhausting. Still… it stings a little. I feel it sitting there, quiet and heavy.
Coach Jones and Janet herd us upstairs to our rooms. I’m sharing with Mia, Tianna, and Yesenia. One room. Two beds. A bathroom. Janet hands out snacks and drinks like it’s a care package.
“Settle in,” Coach Jones says. “Meet downstairs in an hour. We’re heading to a park for drills and a scrimmage.”
We nod, already spreading out.
I wander toward the window and glance down into the parking lot again.
Something feels… off.
There are all kinds of cars—but one section stands out. A clean row of black town cars, identical, lined up too perfectly.
Rentals?
Maybe.
Still weird.
I frown, then pull the curtains closed.
“Whatever,” I mutter, grabbing my things.
Time to get ready.