Chapter 5 #2
Nash shakes his head, and he’s about to say something in response, but the doctor’s office door opens, and Taryn steps out with Talia and Jodie in tow.
“Baby,” I scan her body from head to toe. “Are you ok?
She has an ice pack pressed against her nose and mouth, and there’s blood on the light blue spandex of the crop top of her training uniform.
“I’m fine.” She says softly, “It looks worse than it is.”
“What happened?” Mack asks before I can.
“Your girlfriend kicked her in the head during practice. That’s what happened,” Jodie offers.
Mack immediately corrects her. “My girlfriend? I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Yeah?” Talia chimes in. “Maybe you should have a serious conversation with Gen, Mack. She’s put in a request for you two to be exempt from the non fraternization clause because of a pre-existing relationship.”
“She did what?” Mack’s jaw hits the floor. “Please tell me you’re shitting me.”
My sister sighs. “I wish I could. She was waiting outside Carole’s office yesterday when I was there to get an exemption for Tucker.”
“I hope Carole didn’t agree to it,” Mack says.
“She told her that she would have to check with you before agreeing to it.”
Mack runs a hand over his face. “Fuck. I don’t know how to drive the point home with her that we’re done. I even told her in front of everyone the other day in the auditorium, remember?”
I clasp Mack’s shoulder. “She probably thinks she’s going to wear you down.”
“But she won’t. I wouldn’t be with her even if she were the last woman left on earth.”
“I think there’s only one way to make sure Gen gets the message, Mack,” Jodie offers. “If she saw you with someone else, she would have to accept that you’ve moved on.”
Mack throws his hands in the air, clearly exasperated. “What do you think I’ve been doing since we came to camp? I’ve made sure she saw me hooking up with half your teammates.”
“A hook-up doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re over her. A girlfriend would.”
He looks at Jodie with interest on his face. “Maybe you’re right. But I’m not interested in a relationship right now.”
“It doesn’t have to be a real relationship.” Jodie shrugs. “It only has to be realistic enough that Gen will believe it.”
“Hmm, you might be onto something here, Jodie. The team is going out on Friday night after the game. I’ll see if I can find the right girl in town.”
Taryn’s BFF tucks a strand of her short hair behind her ear. “Or I could help you. We could fake date. Gen would hate that.”
I’ve been itching this entire time to take Taryn in my arms, but I haven’t dared doing so for fear of getting her into trouble again.
And I’m not the only one who got the message that the cheerleaders are off-limits.
“That’s very kind of you.” He says to Jodie. “But I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“I’m offering, Mack.”
He runs his hand through his hair. “I’m grateful for the offer, but it’s too risky for you.
If she saw us together, Gen would rat us out to Carole faster than a record breaking snapshot.
You’d lose your spot on the team. Maybe this whole fake dating idea is more trouble than it’s worth, anyway.
I’m gonna have to keep telling her no until she eventually gets the message. ”
“Enough talking about the devil.” I say, looking down the length of Taryn’s body for any further signs of injury. “Are you ok, baby? Do you have a concussion?”
She shakes her head but winces in pain. “No, thank goodness I don’t.
My nose got the worst of the impact, and the back of my head will hurt for a while, but I’m fine.
My nose isn’t broken; the doctor said it’s just a contusion.
I’ve been cleared to practice tomorrow if my headache improves.
” Her eyes shift from me to Nash. “What happened to you?”
He looks at her the same way I just did. The motherfucker can lie to himself and to us all he wants. He’s got it bad for Taryn as much as I and Col do.
“I had a collision at high speed with a trash can during a drill. I kissed the ice.”
“Oh, Nash, I’m sorry. Can I see?” She takes one step closer to him, but the dipshit jumps back as if he had been burned.
“I’m fine, thanks.”
Taryn insists but doesn’t make any more attempts to touch him. “My interest was purely professional, Nash. I’m a nurse. I just wanted to see if you needed stitches.”
“The doctor will take a look at it.” He barks and I’m about to ask him what the fuck is his problem when his tone softens.
“I appreciate your concern, Taryn. But I’m not even bleeding anymore.
I’m sure it’s ok. I wouldn’t even be here if Coach hadn’t insisted I get this looked at.
If you’re done with the medical team, you should go.
We could get into trouble just by being seen here talking. ”
I’m about to tell him to grow a fucking pair, but the doctor’s office door opens. “Belkin.” Our team’s doctor addresses Nash, but he looks at our small group with interest. “Coach Harrison called me to let me know you’d be on your way to see me. Come on in.”
As we file into the doctor’s office, I throw one last longing look at Taryn. I almost brush my arms with hers as I walk past her, but Mack and Nash are right that it isn’t worth the risk. The staff are obviously watching us to make sure we don’t break the rules.
I don’t want to cause trouble for my girl, but nothing and no one will ever keep me away from Taryn.