Page 72 of Campus Heat

I just couldn’t take it anymore because whatever it was that was tearing him apart was something I couldn’t just walk away from. I wouldn’t.

And I wasn’t going to let him hide in silence anymore either.

27

Ethan

I wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone about what was going on. And I was even less willing to do so with Elizabeth, because other people could be lied to. Not her.

She stood directly in front of me in the empty campus gym, her fingers firmly wrapped around my hands in an attempt to physically stop me from walking away. The lights cast a pale glow across the polished floor, and at that exact moment, even the quiet provided by the empty space felt too loud.

I could still hear the echo of the crowd in my head. Their groans and frustrations and the way the energy drained from the stadium as our team fell apart play after play. But that wasn’t really what bothered me or what kept me from opening up to Elizabeth. The truth was far more complicated and devastating than I stupidly lost a game.

I looked down at our joined hands in astonishment. Her grip was warm, steady, and unbelievably unwavering.

“You’ve been elusive since we spoke at halftime,” she said, her voice softer than before.

I exhaled slowly. “I haven’t been avoiding you. Not once today did that thought cross my mind.”

“You haven’t even been looking at me. What do you expect me to think?”

“I have bigger problems right now, Elizabeth. I’m sorry, but your mental and emotional well-being isn’t at the top of my list right now.”

She tightened her grip on me and winced slightly. I had clearly hurt her, even though that was the last thing I wanted to do.

“That’s exactly why I’m here.”

I finally mustered the courage to meet her gaze and keep it. I could clearly see the concern in her eyes. It was stubborn and impossible to ignore. It made my heart clench so uncomfortably that it left a dull ache in my chest.

“You shouldn’t be,” I muttered.

“Why not?” she asked, sounding completely defeated.

“Because this has nothing to do with you.”

“If that were true, I wouldn’t be the one suffering the consequences of whatever it is that’s bothering you.”

She was absolutely right, but I wasn’t ready to tell her about my decision and the consequences it has for the two of us. I wasn’t ready to admit what I truly felt for her.

“Why did you play like you were trying to lose?” She asked again.

My jaw flexed, and I pulled one hand free to rake my fingers through my hair. I took a single step away from her before turning back again.

“You have no idea what’s been going on behind closed doors.”

“No, I don’t, but clearly you do. So why don’t you fill me in?”

I let out a humorless laugh. “You really don’t want to know.”

“You should know that I’m better than this. There isn’t a single thing you could throw my way that I couldn’t handle.”

The air evaporated from my lungs, and my chest tightened. The words were right there, at the tip of my tongue, pressing for their release, but saying them out loud felt dangerous. It felt like once they were out in the open, they couldn’t be taken back.

“You heard how everyone has been talking lately,” I finally said. “About the alumni and Mr. Pine putting pressure on the coach.”

“Yeah, but that’s typical of college sports,” she said carefully.

“That’s just the point, though. This isn’t just college sports. It’s a countdown.”