Don't Kiss the Messenger (Edgelake High School, #1)(73)

I took three steps back and began my approach. I nailed the jump serve and the ball sailed across the net. The fans were silent. I could almost hear the ball cut through the air with a hiss. I put enough topspin on the snap that it rolled off of the player’s arms, out of bounds into the stands.

The crowd was on their feet, screaming. Bryn, VanBree, Aisha, Tuba, and Schmitty bounded toward me and slapped high-fives. I wiped sweat off my forehead and returned to the serving line. Our fans quieted down, but the rival’s picked up the volume. They heckled me to blow the game-point serve.

I adjusted my wristband and bounced the volleyball three times. I looked across the net and narrowed my eyes at the six opponents. I served again, but the player corrected her positioning and passed a decent lob over to the setter, who placed it low for the middle hit. I crouched down, trying to read Audrey’s approach.

Time seemed to slow down. For a moment, there was music in my head. Audrey’s feet hit the ground like piano notes. Mac and VanBree moved up to the net for the block, and their feet and hands added more music. The tempo rose in my mind. I started to understand how Emmett read the field. Audrey’s body seemed to move in slow motion.

She jumped and squared her shoulders at the opposite side of the court. I lunged, but a second before her wrist snapped down, she changed her angle. Shit. I sprinted forward, just as the ball snapped over the net. She cut a short spike and aimed it well, right at Tuba. Tuba tried to correct herself, but the ball bounced awkwardly off the side of her arm and headed straight for the stands.

I sprinted after it and jumped as high as I could, setting the ball back toward the net, as high as I could to give Mac time for her approach. I had so much momentum I flew straight into the bench and nearly collided with a row of fans that moved before I dove into their laps. I hit the wooden bench with a bang, but barely noticed the pain that shot through my leg and the bruise that was already forming under my shorts. I picked myself up and turned just in time to watch Mac hammer the ball on the line.

The fans roared over our win. I sprang off the bench and Mac swept me up in her arms. Tuba and Bryn threw their arms around us and we all toppled onto the ground, laughing and shouting at our victory.

All my problems, my mistakes, my face, were insignificant. I soaked in the winning high.

…

EMMETT

I sat on the couch in the living room and watched two of my roommates battle out a video game on our flat screen TV. I wasn’t really watching anything, but these days I preferred the distraction of being around people. It helped me to avoid being alone with my thoughts, which always filtered down to one person. I wanted to wipe CeCe’s existence from my mind but I still hadn’t so much as erased a single text. Every time I tried to delete one, I’d end up rereading everything and the entire cycle of anger and confusion started all over again.

“Hey.” Scott sat down next to me on the couch. “You still coming to my parents’ for Christmas Eve?”

I nodded. It was an easy drive from Madison to his house in Milwaukee.

“My girlfriend’s bringing a friend. Want me to hook you up?” He said it as casually as if he was offering me tickets to a ball game. Scott had offered to set me up last weekend. He claimed the only way to get over a girl was to see another one naked. It was a thoughtful gesture.

“She’s hot, look.” He shoved his phone in my hand and I looked at the photo. The girl on the screen was surprisingly tan, despite it being an outdoors shot in the middle of winter. Her blonde hair fell long and straight under her white stocking cap. It was striking against her black, puffy winter coat. Her white teeth glowed between pink lips.

I pushed the phone away. “You tried to set me up with her last weekend.”

He scrutinized the picture. “No I didn’t.”

“Yes you did.” I laughed. “That’s the same girl.”

He shook his head. “No it wasn’t. That was Sarah. This is Sam.”

“Well, they look the same to me,” I said.

“Well, they’re hot. What else do you want?”

I shrugged. That was a loaded question. One I couldn’t even answer.

The guys around me hushed and everyone turned to look at the door. I followed their stares and CeCe stood in the open archway, in her volleyball game warm-ups. She must have jogged over from the stadium. The outfit gave her that confident air that I noticed the first time I saw her.

They all stared at her and a ring of congratulations went around the room on their win, which had put Edgelake further into the playoffs. She offered a polite thanks and her eyes went directly to mine.

“Can I talk to you?” she asked.

The guys all looked between me and CeCe. I stood up and followed her into the foyer. She pulled the front door open and we walked outside. She zipped her coat up to block the cold wind, but my anger kept me warm, like a furnace.

She stood across from me on the front steps. We could hear people talking down the street. A car drove by, crunching ice and snow under its tires. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited.

I could tell her that she played a great game. I could tell her that I couldn’t peel my eyes off of her when she was on the court. I could admit that my feelings for Bryn were shot because I found a warrior a hell of a lot sexier than a princess. But I was still too upset to say anything.

I raised my eyebrows and waited.

CeCe shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “There’s something I didn’t say when you came to my house. But, I need to go back in order to explain this to you.”