Page 59 of Walk the Line

“Sexual.” I hold my breath. “That’s it. I like having sex with you. I like being comfortable having sex with you. And no, this might not make any sense to you or anyone, but just because I trust you with my body doesn’t mean I trust you with my past or my heart.” I let out the breath, but my entire body feels like I’ve been hit with a hammer. I only know you through sex, and that works for us, so why can’t we just keep it that way?”

“We can,” I say instantly, just trying to find some way to bring her back to me. Even though I know what she’s saying isn’t enough for me.

She shakes her head. “No, not after that. Like I said, I need to sleep.” I will for her eyes to meet mine but instead they find the door, and Kaylah heads straight for it.

Watching her for a moment, I know there’s nothing I can do but respect her wishes. So I finish with, “Okay. I know I said it already, but good game today.”

I don’t know if she hears me, not when she’s quick to open the door and even quicker to shut quietly behind her.

I might have just ruined this thing we had going, but that’s not the thing that will bother me. I just want to know what that look of pain is about, because it’s the only thing I see even with my eyes closed.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

KAYLAH

“Can you stop doing that?”

I turn around to find Tamarah in my face, and by her tone and expression I already know how this will go.

“What am I doing?”

“Blocking me.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

She rolls her eyes. “You do it all the time.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” I say honestly, because I’m careful enough to not regularly block teammates.

“So you’re calling me a liar.”

“You’re putting words in my mouth.”

She looks around. Our game is just finishing, but we still have members of the other team, and ours lingering around while some may make their way to the exit. It’s not hard to see the number of people pretending they’re not watching, but doing a very bad job of it. “You’re fucking annoying.”

“I’m not doing anything to you.” My tone is strong enough to hopefully get my message across.

Leave me alone.

“I just told you, you were blocking me,” she says.

“And I just told you I won’t do it again.”

“No, you never said that actually.”

“Okay, well I’m telling you now.” I’m not surprised when I see her opening her mouth again, so I cut her off to deliver my next words. “But while we’re at it, stop with the attitude.”

“I don’t have attitude.”

I step closer to her now. “You have attitude with me all the fucking time, and I’m sick of it.”

“Well, as long as you’re on this team, I’ll have attitude with you.”

I throw my hands up in defeat. “I’ll just leave because you want me to, then.”

“Great, because I’m not the only one who wants it.”

I don’t doubt that her words are true. Everyone here, apart from my three roommates, and a couple others have made a pointed effort to ignore me as much as they can. But I don’t let that stop me from saying, “We’re supposed to be teammates, so I’m asking you nicely to stop starting on me.”