“To his car?” Angel tried not to sound as disgusted as he felt.

Sofia took a swig of her water and eyeballed Angel. When she was done she took her time putting the cap back on before she answered. “Well, yeah, she wasn’t gonna walk home.”

“He took her home?” Alex’s bemused enthusiasm wasn’t helping Angel. He was trying hard to keep his cool. He had a feeling what Sofia was up to. But if it was all true it didn’t matter what she was up to he was still incensed.

“Yeah, that’s why I’m home early. He called the rest of the practice off.”

Alex sat down cackling. “Oh man. This is rich. So, now she’s dating the coach.”

“Shut up, Alex,” Angel finally snapped.

“Yeah,” Sofia jumped in. “You see that’s how rumors get started, he was nice enough to take her home and all of sudden they’re dating?”

“I dunno, the guys slick. I know a few chicks that actually did date him.”

“He can get arrested, you idiot. Lose his job,” Suddenly, Angel was defending the pervert’s intentions.

“Nah,” Alex was still grinning “He knows what he’s doing. Sarah’s eighteen right? It’s legal.”

Angel was beginning to wonder if Sofia and Alex were in on this together. Between the two of them they’d managed to irritate him to no end. He stood up.

“Sarah wouldn’t do that,” Sofia said, and then added, “besides, she’s still not over Angel.”

Angel stopped and looked at Sofia. “She said that?”

Sofia’s expression went flat. “No, but-”

“But nothing,” Angel walked past her. “She’s going back to Arizona because that’s where she wants to be, Sof. I just don’t know what the hell’s taking her so damn long.”

“Did you know her friend Sydney has a girlfriend?”

Angel stopped, but didn’t turn around to face her. “Is that a fact?”

With all the damn rumors going around he didn’t know what to believe anymore.

“Yep, a serious one. Sarah spent Christmas with them,” Sofia walked around to face him. Her expression was hopeful. “Does that change things?”

Angel thought about it for a second and that image that he’d finally been able to stop seeing every time he thought of her assaulted him again. That dress. That damn dress she’d worn for Sydney the night she lied about where she was. And the way she was all done up. He’d never seen her that way before. Angel clenched his teeth.

“No.”

He took a long shower and took in everything Sofia had just dumped on him. Even if he did get past the dress thing, which he knew he wouldn’t, he’d never be okay with Sarah having so much affection for another guy. Never.

*

Angel sat in his car waiting for Sofia to finish practice. He’d gotten there early and from where he was parked he had a perfect view of the bleachers. He chewed his gum slowly as a calming technique when he saw Sarah make her way up the bleachers with her crutches and sit down. It had been four days since she’d hurt her ankle and from the looks of it, it hadn’t healed at all.

This was the first time he’d seen her all week. He’d picked up Sofia everyday that week except Monday when she got off early but Sarah hadn’t been there until now. Even from that distance he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. She wore her hair down. The wind had picked up and she kept pulling strands of hair away from her face. She sat there consumed in the team practicing without her

He thought of how different things would be if Sydney didn’t exist. He’d be sitting there with her now no doubt, moving the hair away from her face and taking advantage of the moment to kiss her each time.

Something heated inside him when he noticed Coach Perv, walk out of the gym. The coach’s eyes were instantly on Sarah. He wrote something on a clipboard, glanced at the team a few times, then his eyes were back on Sarah again. Angel swallowed hard when Coach Rudy started walking toward her.

The coach took a seat right next to Sarah and immediately his hands were all over her ankle.

“What is he a f**king doctor now?” Angel muttered to himself.

They talked and even laughed. The coach stood up a couple of times and yelled out a few things to the rest of the team practicing on the field but never once moved away from Sarah’s side.

Angel pounded lightly on the bottom steering wheel over and over trying not to lose his patience. But the damn coach hadn’t stopped talking to Sarah since he’d sat next to her.

Sarah shook her head to move the hair away from her face and then the coach reached over and tucked a strand behind her ear.

Angel spit his gum out the window and got out of the car. He took a deep breath. The air was cool and it helped him cool off a little. Very little. He leaned against the car, his eyes on them the whole time.

Don’t do it. Just stay here and wait for Sofia. She’s not your concern anymore.

Angel glanced down at his watch. He couldn’t get over the coaches blatant disregard for the team. The rest of the week when he’d picked up Sofia he’d been out there riding them hard. Now he was so busy with Sarah he’d barely addressed them and practice was almost over.

The coach said something that made Sarah laugh out loud. Angel looked around to see if anyone else had noticed their banter. Didn’t she realize people would talk? No one seemed to notice, but when the coach put his hand on her ankle again, Angel started walking.