“Right.” She pivoted back to face him and glanced at Teddy, who was frozen where he stood.
“Did Coach Martin buy you two coffee?” he asked, arms crossed over his chest.
Teddy glanced at Sarah, who rolled her eyes.
“Seriously?” she said to her accomplice. “You never shut up, and now you’re tongue-tied?”
Teddy clenched his teeth and spoke out of the side of his mouth, as if Levi couldn’t hear him. “I can’t lie to my coach, Ramirez.”
Sarah squared her shoulders and jutted out her chin. “Yeah,” she admitted. “Coach bought us coffee. So what?”
Levi narrowed his eyes. “Yesterday too?”
Sarah swallowed. “Mm-maybe?” she sputtered.
“Shit,” Teddy whispered. “We’re going to get kicked off ourteams for blackmail.”
“Shutup, Teddy!” Sarah hissed.
“Blackmail?” Levi inquired, aware of the anger seeping into his tone. “You two better fess up to whatever is going on here if you don’t want to be kicked off your teams.”
Sarah groaned. “Fine.” But first she spared Teddy one final glance. “You’re the worst, by the way. Hotness wasted.”
Teddy coughed. “Wait… You think I’m hot?”
Sarah ignored him and turned her attention back to Levi. “As I was saying…it’s no big deal, really. It’s just…at the car wash I accused Coach Martin of being sweet on you, and she let it slip that the two of you were living together right when this one”—she elbowed Teddy—“showed up. So she’s bribing us to keep our mouths shut about it.”
Levi’s jaw clenched. “Why did she have to bribe you? Did you threaten to make our living situation which is so far from being any of your business—public to the rest of your teammates?”
Sarah threw her free arm in the air and then glared at Teddy. “Look at how fast this guy cracked under pressure.”
Teddy shrugged. “She’s right, Coach. I am the worst.” He sighed.
Levi let out a mirthless laugh. “Yeah, I think you both earned that title today.” Levi checked his watch. “And it’s barely even eight. Congratulations.” He nodded at their coffee cups. “So what’s in the cups?”
Teddy protectively hugged his travel cup to his chest. “Hot cocoa with extra whip cream.”
Levi groaned. “Cocoa? Come on, man.” He turned his attentionto Sarah. “What about you?”
She shrugged. “An extra-shot caramel macchiato.”
“Extra shot, huh?” Levi asked. “I guess that deserves a little respect.”
“Thanks, Coach,” Sarah replied with a grin.
Levi shook his head. “Don’t thank me. If Haddie or I liked either of those drinks, I’d be directing you to return your ill-gotten beverages. But, since I’m not going to let Haddie waste her money, you can keep them. But appreciate them since this will be your last day collecting anything from Coach Martin.”
Teddy blew out a breath. “Does that mean I’m still on the team?”
Levi sighed. “For now. But you both know that respecting your coaches or your teachers should go without saying, right? Coach Martin works her ass off all day with the kids in that classroom”—Levi pointed toward Haddie’s door—“and then still gives this soccer program everything she’s got. She doesn’t get all up in your business when it comes to who you’re living with or not living with or dating or whatever.”
“Wait…” Sarah interrupted. “Are you and Coach Martin dating?”
This time Teddy had the good sense to lightly elbow Sarah. “He just said we shouldn’t be up in their business,” Teddy told her, speaking again out of the side of his mouth.
Sarah sighed. “Sorry, Coach.” And she had the decency to sound sincerely regretful. “We’re not assholes, you know,” she continued, and Levi raised a brow. “We like you and Coach and justthought it would be kind of cool if you were a thing.” She pressed her lips into a nervous smile. “Also, having you guys be all united and stuff might mean a better fight to keep the soccer program.”
Levi’s mouth fell open. “You guys aren’t supposed to know about that yet.”
