Aced (Blocked #2) (16 page)

A rustling sound woke me, and my eyes scanned the darkened apartment.
Where am I?
A light flipped on, illuminating the galley kitchen.
Maddie’s apartment
. I must have fallen asleep at some point.

I heard a cabinet close, then liquid pour into a container. I heaved myself to sitting. “What time is it?”

Noise from the kitchen ceased. “Five thirty.” Maddie’s voice was husky, and she cleared her throat. “Sorry. Had to get some coffee so I don’t fall asleep at weights.”

She continued bustling around as I pressed the heels of my hands against my closed eyes. How could she drag herself to practice after a night like that?

She came out of the kitchen and managed a smile. “You can stay if you want.” Smudges darkened the skin beneath her eyes, but she still looked lovely in her hoodie and yoga pants. “Sleep in if you like. Brad has my extra key, so you can lock up on your way out.”

“No. We can take you to practice.” I stood and folded the blanket she’d given me.

“That’s okay. I can drive.”

“You look too tired to drive. Really, it’s the least I can do after…” I swallowed. “After crashing your place.”

Her eyes narrowed. “After hearing about my mother, you mean? I don’t need your pity, Alex.”

“I, I don’t pity you.” My heart galloped. “Did I say something wrong? I thought we had a nice night, but now you’re mad at me.”

She threw her hands in the air. “It’s not you! It’s me. I’m a hot mess, remember?”

“You’re not.”

The front door flew open, and Brad stuck his head in. “I heard shouts. Everything okay?”

“We’re fine.” I met Maddie’s eyes. “Can you drive us to the arena in five minutes?”

“No problemo.” He wrinkled his nose. “What in tarnation is that smell?”

Maddie grimaced. “My neighbor’s cooking downstairs.”

“Ugh.” Brad waved his hand in front of his nose. “’Bout to pass out from the fumes here.” He closed the door.

Maddie’s lip trembled, and I wondered if she was about to cry. To give her some privacy, I slung the strap of my duffel bag over my shoulder. “Okay if I use your bathroom?”

She nodded and turned back to the kitchen.

After I brushed my teeth and threw on some clothes, I emerged to find her waiting for me by the door with her coat on. She offered me a large Styrofoam cup of coffee.

“Beautiful,” I said as I accepted it.

“I have some hazelnut creamer, but I left yours black. I wasn’t sure how you take it.”

“Black is perfect.” I locked my eyes on hers as I took a sip.

Her hand flitted along the zipper of her coat. “Well, black’s not for me.”

The cup hid my smile. “I figure I won’t have time to add cream and sugar when I’m on rotations next year, so I trained myself to drink it black.”

She nodded. “You’re good at that. Training yourself, being self-disciplined.”

“And you’re not? I can’t imagine going to practice on so little sleep.”

She shrugged. “I’m used to it.”

“You sure Holter will let you back?”

“He won’t be in the weight room, but I’ll try to talk to him later. This morning it’ll be Coach B, the strength coach. And she gets pissy if we’re late.” She clasped my left wrist, turning it to see my watch. “We still have a couple minutes, though.”

“Good. Let’s get you something to eat.” I looked toward the kitchen. “You shouldn’t practice on an empty stomach.”

She dropped my wrist, to my dismay. “With the smell of kimchi in the air? Gag.” Her nose wrinkled. “Besides, I don’t have anything. I need to go to the store.”

“Just when will you have time to do that?”

“I’ll figure something out.” She pointed to the door. “We better go.”

In the heated SUV, Brad turned up the Top 40 station.
“February fourteenth,”
the DJ said.
“Happy Valentine’s Day to all you nauseatingly sweet couples.”

My stomach clenched—I hated Valentine’s Day. I glanced at Maddie to see her reaction, but she gazed out the window. Thinking of Jaylon, perhaps?

“Singles Awareness Day, more like it,” Brad grumbled as he turned into the arena parking lot.

I smirked. I’d never been in a relationship on February fourteenth, and this year would be no different.

“You know the acronym for that, Brad?” Maddie asked. “S.A.D.”

Brad laughed. “Good one, darlin’. Now go show ’em how it’s done in the weight room, okay?” He put the car in park.

“Okay.” She looked at me for a long moment, then skimmed her fingertips over my stubbly jaw. “So
that’s
how that feels.”

It was hard to get a full breath. “I need to shave.”

She nodded, but the pressure of her fingers pulsed hotter, like she enjoyed my whiskers. “Sorry for my freakout back there,” she whispered.

“No problemo.” My imitation of Brad’s Mexican accent made her smile.

When she lifted her hand, I trapped her wrist. Damn, I wanted to kiss her. But I wasn’t sure if she wanted that, too. And my brain was too addled to go for it.

Aware of my agents in the front seat, I stroked her hand, then let it go. “Hope you don’t have a
sad
day, Maddie.”

The leather cushions of the greenhouse sofa molded around me like pillows. Though it was ten times more comfortable than Maddie’s, it lacked something: her warmth.

I’d studied for a few hours now, but I doubted much information would stick with me, given my sleepiness. The oppressive silence didn’t help, either. Lucia was at class, and Brad and China were probably catching some shut-eye after our monster workout and trip to the grocery store. The well-stocked basement gym had impressed me, and I had to admit I was glad Lucia had such a safe, lavish home at Highbanks.

“Studying hard, I see.”

Lucia’s voice started me awake. I watched her plop down next to me, cradling a plate of salad, and groaned as I wiggled up to sitting. My watch indicated an hour had gone by. An inelegant yawn stretched my mouth.

“Up all night having sex with Maddie?”

My eyes flew open as I watched her shovel a bite into her mouth. “Funny, Lucy.”

She laughed. “
Tranquilo
. I know you just slept on her sofa.” Her smile vanished. “Allison told me Jaylon showed up?”

I sighed. Privacy was a thing of the past, evidently. I moved my laptop to the side so I could stretch my back. “He’s some piece of work.”

“Yeah.” She chewed, and my stomach growled. “Can’t believe he’d get with Nina. I thought he was cooler than that.”

“He said Nina threw herself at him.”

Lucia huffed. “That I
can
believe. Nina’s got issues. Dane thinks she was invalidated as a child. Still his choice to reciprocate, though.”

I shook my head. “Dane psychoanalyzes everyone. Is it possible Nina doesn’t have some childhood trauma? Maybe she’s just a bitch.”

Lucia cackled, covering her mouth. After a few chews, she said, “I like your analysis better.”

She chomped on her salad for a few minutes more as I opened my browser. “Oh!” She sat up. “How rude of me—Mamá would not be proud. Can I get you some lunch?”

“Sure. I’m starving after that workout.”

I closed my laptop and followed her into the expansive kitchen. She glanced at me as she retrieved some salad fixings from the fridge. “You worked out with China?”

“
Sí.
I’m getting closer to her bench press.”

Lucia giggled. “She lifts way more than me, too. Nobody beats her in the weight room except for Brad.”

I watched Lucia slice cucumbers and filled two glasses with ice water. “How about Dane?”

“Right. His max is higher than hers—I forgot.” Then she snickered, like she was remembering something.

I loved seeing my sister so happy. Was Dane responsible for that? “What’s funny?”

“Not sure I should tell you this.” She scooped cucumber onto a pile of romaine lettuce. “What the hell? Dane told me that one time China physically restrained him. I’m sure he was exaggerating, but he said she almost snapped his arm off.”

“
That’s
not good for the machismo. He probably deserved it, though.”

She shrugged. “Probably. Want some tuna? Hard-boiled egg? Cheese?” When I nodded, she added all three. “Was Maddie upset when Jaylon showed up?”

I frowned, remembering the feel of her shoulder muscles contracting beneath my hand. “Of course.”

“Poor Maddie. Why doesn’t he leave her alone?”

I had the same question. “Apparently he needed to convince her he didn’t start up with Nina till after the breakup.”

“Whatever.” She eyed our salads. “I should probably add some carbs to this. How ’bout a banana?”

“Is that what your dietitian would tell you to eat?”

She groaned. “No. She’d tell me to get some bread, maybe a bagel.”

“Sounds great.” I opened a bag of bagels on the counter and headed to the toaster.

After she poured on dressing, she asked, “So did Maddie believe him?”

You fucked my teammate
. The memory of her fury tightened my body like a coil. I buttered the hot sesame bagels. “Not sure. But she stood up for herself.”

“
Excelente
. Let’s eat in the TV room.”

I picked up both loaded plates as she took the water glasses, and we headed back to the sofa. After we munched for a while, Lucia looked at me. “So then did Jaylon leave?”

“Finally. But when he promised to return, I couldn’t leave her alone. We worked on her lab report for a while.”

Lucia stared at me.
Does she suspect my attraction?
I put my fork down. “What?”

“Thank you, Alex. Thanks for being there for Maddie. She’s been acting weird lately, but last night she seemed more like herself. I think you helped.”

I let out a breath. That was all I wanted—to make things better for Maddie. The click of the DVR drew my attention to the TV. “Someone’s recording a show at one in the afternoon?”

She looked at her salad, and I leaned in, intrigued by her blush. “Lucy? What’s the show?”

Giggles spilled forth. “Dane’s gonna kill me!”

“It’s Dane’s show? What is it?
Dime
.” She kept laughing so I scooped up the remote. “Tell me, or I’m turning on the TV.”

She grabbed the remote. “Okay, okay.” She sighed. “It’s
Days of Our Lives
.”

“A
telenovela?”

“It’s actually good.”

“Don’t tell me you watch that garbage too.” When she hid her face, I laughed. “What has Dane done to my smart sister?”

“Hey, he’s smart.” She tossed her hair over one shoulder. “He has a four point oh GPA.”

No wonder he was so good at arguing politics.

“But I must confess, we’re hooked on
Days
. Mom said she used to watch it, too.”

I shook my head. What respectable first lady would watch a soap opera? I finished my salad and started in on the bagel. “Mom’s been on my case to go to confession.”

“Mine too.” She rolled her eyes.

I thought about Maddie’s full, soft lips. “Do you go? I mean, have you found a church here?”

Lucia nodded. “My AIA group meets at the Newman Center on campus—”

“You’re part of Athletes in Action?”

“Yeah, I forgot you did that at TCU. It’s great, isn’t it? Anyway, Allison took me to confession there, and the priest was pretty cool. Father Jacob.”

“Hmm.” I hadn’t really found a church I liked in Baltimore, though I hadn’t spent much time looking. School and the election had stolen most of my weekends. But Mom was right—I did need to confess my sins.

Lucia had thanked me for helping Maddie, but she didn’t know my true feelings. If Lucia knew how much I craved seeing what was beneath Maddie’s hoodie and yoga pants, she wouldn’t be so grateful.

“Thanks for lunch,” I said. “
Delicioso
.” When she nodded, I added, “Do you cook for Dane?”

She shrugged. “Sometimes. But tonight he’s cooking for me, for Valentine’s Day.”

“Oh.” I’d thought they’d go out, but maybe they didn’t like the public scrutiny any more than I did. “I’ll make myself scarce, then.” I opened my laptop and resumed studying. From the corner of my eye, I watched her type on her phone for a few minutes.

“Alex?” Her big, brown eyes blinked at me. “Dane wants to invite you to dinner, too.”

I stared at her, waiting for the punch line. When none came, I frowned. “That’s sweet of you, but I don’t want to be the third wheel.”

“You won’t be. We’re inviting Maddie, too. Valentine’s Day is probably really tough for her, so we want to distract her.”

I’d see Maddie again? “Okay, then. Sounds good.”

Chapter Eleven