“He good?” she asked with concern in her voice as she leaned over to study the group of guys.

  “Aren’t they always,” he answered in a bored tone while flipping a page of his book.

  They didn’t look good. At least, not to me. From the outside, it was easy to dismiss the teammates as a group of energetic guys just having a conversation. I came from a household where reading between the lines was mandatory. Like most people, the guys had different ways of showing their discomfort. I hadn’t known them long enough to confirm all indicators. But I saw familiar body language. Dakota had fidgety fingers. He rubbed them together like he had crumbs on his nails.

  Kevin’s jaw clenched when he pushed off the weight bench. He shoved his way into the circle, claiming the dominant position. Max followed Kevin, his white skin red and sweaty from their workout. He moved his lips quickly, trying to say something I couldn’t make out. Max’s hand hovered over Kevin’s shoulder, it looked like he was trying to calm the guy down.

  Things quickly escalated when David voiced something with a grin. Whatever he said earned him an aggressive shove from Kevin. David swung back in an instant, his fist connecting with Kevin’s jaw.

  “Shit,” Sam breathed. Like me, she still watched the guys in shock and wonder. “What do we do?”

  The bald guy looked up and let out a sigh. “Let them hash it out for a second. Wait for a coach or captain to stop them.”

  “You sure?” Sam replied as she stood up, ready to act, but not sure where to start.

  “You wanna challenge the most untouchable guys on campus?” the guy asked as he pushed back his rolling chair to clear a space for her to walk through. “Go ahead. Be my guest.”

  She shot him a dark stare but sat back down. “Fine. But, if anyone asks, I’m telling them you said to leave them alone.”

  “Tell them whatever you want,” he said with a shrug and then glanced back through the glass. “It’s not our problem.”

  I glanced back at the fight. No one tried to step in between Kevin and David. A few people surrounding them stopped working out completely to watch the exchange. Kevin returned David’s swing, knocking the guy to the ground. Before David could get to his feet, someone in the weight room yelled, “Hey!” loud enough for us to hear through the glass. Weston walked over with wet hair and a duffel bag hanging from his shoulders. He stepped in between his teammates, looking around at them without saying another word. His glare was icy as he took his time to scan each of them.

  When Max tried to speak after a second, Weston held up a finger and pointed it to the ceiling. He added another finger. His teammates started moving when his third finger hit the air. By the time he held up four fingers, the twins had gathered their things and started towards the door. Kevin took a deep breath and followed suit, shoving his shoulder against the now standing David when he passed.

  Max and Dakota followed the rest of them towards the lobby. By the time Weston held five fingers up, David was the only one still lingering. He stared at Weston, as if he was ready to challenge him. Weston stood his ground, unmovable and ready to fight. After a few more seconds of glaring, David turned towards the door.

  The guys filed into the lobby. The twins were the fastest, hurrying past the front desk without so much as a glance in anyone’s direction. They moved in sync, ready to make themselves scarce.

  “Arthur and Travis, meet us at the Minefield,” Kevin called after them with anger in his tone. “In a half hour.”

  The twins disappeared outside of the door without acknowledging Kevin’s order.

  “I’ll make sure they make it,” Dakota promised as he clapped Kevin’s shoulder.

  “Thanks,” Kevin mumbled and started towards the front desk to drop off a key.

  “Oh, hey,” Max paused before me while pulling an ear bud from his ear. “You’re…?”

  “Covee,” Dakota stopped next to his teammate. He gave me a small, shy wave. “Did I pronounce it right?”

  I smiled back and stood. It felt weird to crane my neck and speak with them. Not that standing would completely ease my neck tilting. Still, it felt better to hold some ground next to these tall guys.

  “Yeah, you pronounced it just fine,” I said while readjusting my purse over my shoulder.

  “Weston’s just behind us,” Dakota informed. “Are you joining us tonight?”

  “Uh…” I wasn’t sure what I was doing tonight, but I hoped it had nothing to do with them. One guy did enough to my nerves. An entire group of them made it hard to breathe and think.

  “Better not,” David said under his breath as he shoved past the three of us to get to the door.

  My forehead creased as I frowned. Max shook his head and rolled his eyes in David’s direction.

  “Don’t take it personally,” Max said to me. He bumped the back of his fist with Dakota as a ‘goodbye’ before heading out.

  “He’s an ass to everyone,” Dakota explained with red in his cheeks as if he was uncomfortable to say that much. “You’re more than welcome to join us tonight. We’re doing a team-building exercise.”

  “Want to tell me what the hell happened in there?” The door slammed behind Weston. He went straight to Kevin at the front desk, not glancing at anyone else.

  “I have to help get the course ready,” Dakota said to me with his eyes on the guys. “See you later, Covee.”

  I nodded. “See you.”

  Weston and Kevin stood a few feet apart. They were nearly the same height when Kevin rolled his shoulders back to stand taller. He nudged his head in my direction, making Weston look over.

  “Hi,” I said lamely and rethought everything from how I plaited my hair to the white Toms on my feet. Weston’s gaze softened in a second. His shoulders sagged a little. When looking at me, he wasn’t as intimidating. He looked like he’d follow the rules, not enforce them like he just had seconds ago. The contrast made me bite my lip in wonder. His eyes took in my reaction. From the way his head tilted to the side, I knew he could read me well. He knew I was intrigued. Attracted… Turned on.

  I broke eye contact because the moment threatened to get too intimate for a gym lobby occupied by three other people. Sam cleared her throat and picked up her Gameboy again. The bald guy stared at me, unabashedly now as though he was impressed.

  “Just us tonight. Don’t miss it,” Kevin said to Weston. I thought it was meant to be a statement, but his voice hitched at the end, and it now sounded like a question.

  Weston turned back to him, resuming his pointed look. “Worry about what you need to do, okay? Control, remember. I put you in charge for a reason.”

  Kevin scoffed and shook his head. “Fine… captain.”

  He pushed away from the desk and walked past me. His eyes trailed over my body as he went to the door. He turned back to face Weston as he walked and said, “Careful, if you want a girl like her to stick around.”

  My cheeks burned. Kevin used his back to push open the door and exited the building. Weston let out a heavy sigh before signing a sheet of paper at the desk.

  “Thanks,” Sam said in a mousy voice as he offered her the pen back.

  “Have a good night,” he told her with a friendly smile.

  When Weston approached me, he offered his hand. I slipped my fingers into his palm. His callouses brushed against me gently. Rough against soft. A good medium.

  “Sorry for the wait,” he said and opened the door for me to go first.

  “It wasn’t too long.” I shrugged.

  “I would have come right out if you texted,” he told me as he led us down the stone steps.

  “Honestly, it’s no biggie,” I insisted. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking…”

  Weston paused walking. “Shoot.”

  “What are we doing tonight?”

  “You said you wanted to see something that would get you to trust me?” he asked with a smile.

  “Right,” I confirmed with a pounding heart.

  “Perfect.” He started walking again. “We’re doing a minefield.”

  Chapter 13

  We walked onto a fully lit football field in the back of a local high school. The sun dipped under the horizon, painting the sky a bloody red. Weston led the way to the group of his teammates sitting on the bleachers. I followed slowly while scanning the field covered in mismatched sets of poles, cones, ladders, and balloons. Max was on the field with his boyfriend, Grayson. The two were standing on opposite sides of a measuring tape, calling out numbers to one another as they moved further apart each time.

  “Weston.” I reached for his arm. Despite it getting chilly, he still wore a short-sleeved shirt. When my skin met his bicep, he felt impressively warm considering the weather.

  “You okay?” He paused and moved his hand up like he was going to touch my chin but changed his mind last minute. We were still a few yards from his teammates. David stared at me and said something that made the twins snicker. Dakota got up from the group to sit a few benches away from them.

  “Should I be here? This seems like a team thing,” I said. Right as the words left my mouth, I heard a familiar high-pitched squeal. On the opposite side of the bleachers, Taylor and her tracksuit wearing friend climbed up the steps. Kevin met them half-way and wrapped his arm around Taylor’s waist. They shared a kiss with enough tongue to make me wonder if they’d swallow each other whole.

  “It’s not just a team thing,” Weston said with a warm smile before starting up the bleachers.

  “You made it,” Dakota greeted while looking at me.

  “Just us?” Weston asked Kevin with an amused look.

  Kevin pulled away from Taylor long enough to catch a breath and tell Weston, “We’re in charge. Right?”

  Weston chuckled. “Right.”

  I couldn’t sense any lingering animosity between the two. Kevin gave Weston a knowing grin and then returned to lock lips with my roommate. I watched them, trying my best to keep my expression neutral. Her friend didn’t seem to have much control. She wrinkled her nose at the sight as she sat down next to the twins. One of them whispered something in her ear that made her nose scrunch up even more.

  Weston cupped his hands around his mouth and called, “Max, Grayson! Come on over!”

  “Let’s make this quick,” David said with a yawn. He rested his elbows on the bench behind him. “I got somewhere to be in an hour.”

  “It’ll be as quick as you guys make it,” Weston told him as he crossed his arm over his chest.

  Max and Grayson jogged up the stairs, making the metal shake under their weight. I sat down next to Dakota, who’d distance himself from the rest. He smiled in my direction.

  “Alright, we remember the rules?” Weston asked while assuming a position at the front of the group.

  “Same as every goddamn year,” David grumbled.

  “Um, we’re new,” Taylor spoke up as she gestured to her friend. Kevin’s arms were still around her waist and he kissed her neck as she spoke. She giggled in response, earning collective eye rolls from nearly everyone.

  “Oh, and Coco is here. Hi, Coco!” she said in a sing-song voice. I glanced at her over my shoulder, returning her excited wave with a hesitant one.

  “Someone put me out of my fucking misery,” David begged as he tugged his hoodie over his head. A twin mimed a gun, pointed it at David’s chest, and fired.

  “Your partner will catch you up to speed,” Weston promised her.

  “I call Max,” Grayson blurted and covered his hand over Max’s as if we were scrambling for deals during Black Friday.

  “The game doesn’t work like that,” Weston said as he scanned the group and rubbed his palms together, ready to stir up some trouble. “It’s supposed to build trust where there isn’t any. You know that.”

  I twisted my mouth to the side, debating if I wanted to attract attention to myself. After taking a deep breath, I raised my hand with uncertainty. “What game exactly?”

  Weston grinned and gestured to the field. “Minefield.”

  “Okay…” I shrugged, still confused.

  “Max?” Weston asked and held up an open palm. “Blindfold.”

  Max pulled out a heavy, black cloth and tossed it to Weston. I watched Weston wrap the fabric around his knuckles and he began explaining.

  “Teams of two work through the obstacle course. If you completely ruin a minefield, you’re out,” Weston explained. “And since there aren’t any coaches here, your unanimously voted captain will divide everyone up. First place gets my recommendation for the coaches’ table at finals.”

  David snorted, but sat up straighter with undeniable interest. “Did Daddy get you a seat you’re dying to give up?”

  Weston ignored the taunt. “Dakota, you’re with Grayson. I need you two to get to know each other better if you’re going to be in sync on the field.”

  Dakota glanced at Grayson to make sure the guy wasn’t too torn up about the pairing. Grayson gave him a friendly wink.

  “Max is with one of our new guys, Arthur. I think you have a lot to learn from him, Art,” Weston said. Arthur, the twin with a nose ring, nodded. He looked younger than I originally suspected. Potentially a freshman.

  “Travis with our lovely guest,” Weston said. Taylor’s friend made a face, but quickly rearranged her expression when Travis nudged his brother out of the way so he could sit next to her.

  “Name’s Elena,” she informed in a bored tone.

  Travis looked excited and responded, “Cute.”

  She scoffed. “Don’t even think about it, kid.”

  “David.” Weston wore a smile, reveling in power. “And Kevin.”

  “Where does that leave me?” Taylor pouted. Kevin looked equally pissed but didn’t voice his protest. His jaw was tight as he exchanged a glare with David.

  “We need a timer for the round.” Weston reached in his back pocket to pull out a stopwatch. He tossed it up. Taylor didn’t have an athletic bone in her body. She didn’t even try to reach for the airborne watch. When it clashed between a bench, she turned to Kevin to complain as if she was ready to whine. Max and Grayson were careful to hide their laughs by leaning against each other. Dakota met my gaze with raised eyebrows.

  “You know her?” he asked in a low voice.

  “My roommate,” I mumbled.

  He whistled under his breath. “Sorry.”

  “It’s not so bad.” I tried my best to sound genuine. The corner of Dakota’s mouth quirked up at my response. We shared a knowing smile.

  “I’ve had a lot of experience with not so bad,” he said in a comforting voice. “It helps to have a countdown. Helps put things into perspective. Got about six on my phone.”

  I laughed. “That’s good advice. I’ll try that.”

  “Alright gentlemen, ladies. Let the games begin,” Weston ordered in a loud voice. He didn’t pause to see if his teammates were following him. As he passed me, he held out a hand. I didn’t hesitate to take it.

  Weston led us to the furthest end of the field. He swung the blindfold in his hand as he walked. His teammates quickly filed down the stairs. Max and Arthur broke out in a sprint to one station, laughing loudly when they beat out Grayson and Dakota. I studied the field. Briefly, I could make out five different lanes outlined by thick white rope. The minefield before us comprised of nearly identical bootleg boobie traps ranging from a tight web of red string, multitude of water balloons, and delicately balanced wooden boards to step over. Weston noticed my widening eyes and stopped at the last lane.

  “This one?” I frowned, noticing it was the only one with a ladder. “Are you sure?”

  “I could kick another team out of a lane,” he offered. I watched him stretch out the blindfold between his hands.

  I glanced over my shoulder to see everyone settling in front of their chosen obstacle. “No, it’s okay. Just…are you potentially ready to give up your seat at the whatever table?”

  Weston chuckled. “More than ready. You have no idea.”

  “You got this, babe!” I heard Taylor yell to Kevin from the stands. Something must have changed because she wore a smile and held onto the stopwatch.

  “Yeah, babe.” David said with a mocking smile. “You got this.”

  Kevin didn’t respond to neither but trained his eyes on the field. His game face was on. I glanced around at the other players and they also appeared serious while discussing strategies. I don’t know why I expected anything less from athletes. This was more than a trust-building exercise for them. This was a competition.

  “Hey.” Weston stepped in front of me, blocking my view of everyone else. “Don’t stress about this game. We’re here for us.”

  “Us?” My voice sounded strained. I swallowed, suddenly feeling my heartbeat crawling up my throat.

  “It’s not ideal to have these jerks interrupting our time,” he confessed with a shrug. He sounded like an older brother annoyed of having his younger siblings tag along on a bike ride. “But I think this is better than a typical ‘who are you’ dinner.”

  I let out a heavy breath. “Well, it’s definitely different.”

  “Look.” Weston stepped behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders. His fingers massaged my neck gently as he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “The course is just fifty yards.”

  His warm breath tickled my ear. He smelt like rosewood. My muscles instantly loosened as he spoke in a steady voice. His fingers moved towards my shoulder blades, working the skin there like he knew exactly which part of my body tensed up when I experienced anxiety. Once again, he navigated my body like he’d done it before.

  “The web of red thread only lasts for a couple of feet. Raise your knees past your waist and you’ve got it,” he explained. His fingers were now at the middle of my back. I followed his free hand when he pointed across the field. “I’m going to have you avoid the water balloons by holding on to me.”

  “We can touch?” I let out a sigh. Well, that’d make things ten times easier. He could just walk in front of me and we’d make it across with little if any stumbling.

  “For the first fifteen yards. After the ladder, ‘the Eyes’ are supposed to stand on the outside and call out instructions” he told me.

 

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