Chapter 13

13

Coach (Emmett)

Sometimes life is cruel.

So it’s better it is empty.

Sometimes life is sweet.

And you forget why it needs to be empty.

Always, though, life reminds you.

“You need to get dressed,” I said, knowing anyone could just walk in here at any moment.

“I didn’t bring a bag.”

“You can borrow something of mine.”

His shoulders rose and fell one last time before he pulled out of my lap. I told myself not to look at all that naked perfection. I looked anyway.

Every inch of him was fucking flawlessness. A literal dream in the flesh. I tried not to acknowledge it, but deep down, I knew I was ruined for anyone else.

And he hadn’t even touched me.

I went to my locker and grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. When I turned back, he was right behind me, and I jolted in surprise.

His cheeks were pink, not the same kind of flush he’d worn when I sucked him dry. This was different… shy.

My heart skipped. God, I liked him like this. Soft, docile, and sweet. How satisfying it was to be the one who tamed him.

“Put these on,” I said, thrusting the clothes between us.

I expected him to argue. “These are yours?”

My answer was gruff. “I said they were.”

He pulled them into his chest, wrapping his arms around them.

Possession roared inside me, muffling all other thoughts. Forcing myself away, I stepped around him and kept my back turned so he could dress.

That possession in me roared again, demanding that any privacy he had was mine. Telling me I was stupid for offering him discretion when I’d literally just had his dick deep in my throat.

Fuck, did I love that. Having his rigid, pulsing cock against my tongue. It was like swallowing his heartbeat, hoarding a piece of his life. And the way he surrendered…

Completely ruined.

“What about you?” he said from behind.

I glanced down at the tent in my pants. “What about me?”

“Don’t you need these clothes?”

I frowned, not understanding. I glanced over my shoulder. He was wearing the sweats but hesitated with the hoodie in his grip.

“Your clothes are soaked too.”

Oh. Right. Fuck, I’d forgotten.

A smirk tugged the corners of his mouth, and I knew my brat was on his way back. I’ll just tame you again later.

No. No. This was a mistake. It couldn’t happen again. Christ, we were in my office. The door was wide open. Someone could have walked in. I could have lost my job.

God, what the fuck have I done?

“Em?”

“Coach.”

A heavy pause.

The hoodie hit me in the back. I spun as it smacked onto the floor. He stood there, chest bare, the diamond in his navel teasing me under the light. His golden hair was half dried, half wet, the curls wild. His eyes spit blue fire and lips were in a line.

There’s my brat.

“I don’t want your clothes, Coach ,” he spat. “You wear them.”

Hooking his thumbs in the waistband of the sweats, he moved to swipe them down.

“Don’t even think about it,” I groused.

“But it would be inappropriate for your swimmer to wear your clothes.”

My teeth gnashed. “No more inappropriate than for you to walk around naked.”

“I can wear my wet clothes home.”

“You aren’t going home.”

Hurt flashed in his eyes. “Sorry. Back to your place.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Whatever.”

I swiped the shirt off the floor and threw it at him. “Put it on.”

He hesitated.

Sighing, I stalked back over to my locker and reached in. “I have more.”

He relented and pulled on the shirt, making sure to pull the hoodie over his head.

“So is that why you don’t want to swim?” I said, peeling off my windbreaker and hanging it on a nearby hook.

The second he hit the water, it was as if consciousness left his body. Everything about him changed, so much so it was obvious even with the water between us. His body sank like wreckage. His instincts and training didn’t even kick in. It was like he was content to be down there at the bottom of the pool.

As if he were surrendering.

As if he wanted to die.

I shuddered and spun, the past warring with the present and the pain threatening to split me in two.

“Coach?”

God, I fucking hated that name on his lips. It was heinous. Wrong.

“Leave while I change.”

“No.”

I whipped around. “Excuse me?”

“Are you okay?”

Caught off guard, I blinked. “What?”

“You’re shaking.”

“I’m wet and cold,” I deadpanned.

“Better change, then.”

“Wait outside.”

“No,” he retorted.

“Tell me why you had a panic attack.”

“I’ll wait outside.” He stomped to the doorway of the office and planted himself there, leaving his back turned.

“You’re still in the doorway.”

“I won’t look.”

“Fuck,” I muttered and started stripping. My wet clothes joined his on the floor, and I pulled on a dry pair of ivy-green track pants with white stripes on the sides and a matching green T-shirt with RESCH across the back.

Once I was dressed, I grabbed the towel and dried my whistle.

A scuffle at the door made me look up.

“Bro, what the hell?”

“Language,” I called.

Yeah, yeah, I cussed like a drunk sailor. But I was the adult. It was my job to tell them not to be like me.

“Let me in,” Rush intoned.

“Back off,” Bodhi retorted.

“Both of you get your asses in here.”

Another scuffle. Bodhi appeared first, his eyes sweeping over my body. Once he saw I was dressed, he relaxed and moved out of the way for a scowling Rush.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, directing the words between us both.

I glanced at Bodhi, wondering how he wanted to play this.

“It’s fine.”

“What happened?” he pressed.

“Your precious Elite tried to drown me.”

Rush rolled his eyes. “Drama is not a good look on you.”

“Well, your face ain’t a good look on you.”

I blew my whistle. Water spurted out.

What a shitshow.

“Knock it off, you two,” I said, grabbing the towel to dry it some more. “Rush, take Bodhi over to admissions and make sure everything is in order. Make sure he has a copy of his schedule and see if his dorm room is ready.”

“Dorm room?” he asked, eyes flying to me.

I averted my gaze. “Well, you can’t sleep on my couch all semester. Elite has dorms.” I looked at Rush. “If there are any problems, let me know.”

He looked like he wanted to protest, then relented. “I’ll get changed.”

I blew my whistle again. More water spurted out and hit me in the face.

Rush laughed. “Your whistle turned into a sprinkler, Coach.”

I did not get paid enough for this shit. “Finish practice, then go. You’re on my time now.”

“Yes, Coach,” Rush said but continued to stand there like a boob.

“Go!”

He went.

Bodhi hesitated in the doorway. I saw the wariness in his eyes.

“Go sit on the bleachers until practice is over. Watch how we do things here.”

Relief softened his face and made me want to pull him into my arms.

“Thanks, Coach.”

Irritation slapped me. “Don’t thank me. It’s only for today. We’re gonna talk about this later.”

But not until I’ve had some space and I don’t feel wrapped around your little finger.

His face screwed up. I knew that look.

“Save it,” I forewarned. “Go.”

He went.

I breathed in the blissful moment of silence and then headed out to the pool to see how practice was going. The second I stepped out of the locker room, I saw Bodhi standing there with Ryan and Jamie towering over him.

He was small. Sometimes I forgot because he had such a big mouth, but seeing him there with two of my best swimmers in front of him, it was impossible to deny.

“Bro, for real. It’s tradition. We do it to all new Elite,” Jamie was saying.

“Yeah, bro, we wanted to make you feel like part of the team.” Ryan continued. “We’re sorry that it, ah, scared you.”

“You didn’t scare me,” Bodhi retorted.

“Why are you two standing around wasting oxygen?” I said, interrupting their little bro meeting. Yeah, I knew what they called things around here.

“We just wanted to apologize to Bodhi for tossing him in the pool,” Ryan said.

“I told you to stop doing that,” I demanded. “I meant it too. Twenty extra laps. Each.”

Jamie groaned. “You also told us to treat him like we do everyone else. We throw all the new guys in the pool.”

“Sometimes talking to you is like finding spam in my inbox,” I bitched.

Jamie put a hand to his chest. “That hurts, Coach.”

Not as much as it hurt seeing Bodhi sink in the pool and my heart lodging in my throat. I can’t lose him.

He’s not yours to lose.

“Vargas!” I called to one of the other swimmers nearby.

“Bro!”

I blew the whistle. Only a little water sprayed out this time. “I’m not your bro!”

“Sorry, br—I mean, Coach.”

It wasn’t even seven a.m., and this was my day.

“I want Jamie’s time,” I said, tossing him a stopwatch. I pinned Jamie with a look. “It better be good.”

Jamie grinned and did some obnoxious handshake with Ryan and then went off to swim.

Ryan turned to Bodhi. “For real, welcome to Elite. I know it’s been a rough start, but you’re one of us now.”

Bodhi didn’t say anything.

“If you need anything, let me know,” Ryan added.

I gave Bodhi a pointed look. I knew he could feel it.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

Ryan nodded and got back in the pool.

“Bleachers,” I told Bodhi.

He hesitated. I glanced over and sighed.

“Sinclair, Navarro, and Andrews, why are you still at my pool?”

“We’re waiting to go eat breakfast,” Win answered.

“Wait in the parking lot!”

They ignored me, and I prayed for patience.

“Go on,” I told Bodhi. “They won’t bother you.”

Bodhi made a face. “Like I’m scared,” he snapped and then stomped, barefooted, over to the bleachers and sat down.

It was going to be a long fucking day.