Miss Grande

Chapter 56: What Could I Do?

After our date that wasn't a date, which had gone way better than I could have ever planned, Ariana and I went to practice with the team. It was hard to act like I wasn't just laying beside her trying not to make out, but it was what I had to do.

Practice went smoothly, and majority of the girls had left by the time we finished putting the balls, cones, and goals back up. Ariana told me she'd wait for me to shower before locking up, and I promised to help her take her newly acquired belongings to her car.

My shower was quick, but everybody was gone when I got out. I quickly dressed in oversized sweats and collected my bags.

We stopped by her classroom, mostly making small talk about what we'd need to work on at our next practice on the way. Trent had come by, before practice had started, to grab the blankets and lights, but there were still some things left. We put the snacks away in a cabinet, in case of snack emergencies during class later on, and grabbed what we'd be taking home.

We made our way out to our cars, having parked in the same lot by chance.

"Ari-Miss Grande, wait up." We both froze in our places. I knew that voice, and I was well aware that she knew that voice too. It was Justin.

I momentarily looked at her out of the corner of my eye. I knew not leaving them alone to talk would be weird. I, luckily, was carrying the bear in my arms, not giving him a chance to ask about that. As far as he knew we were just a coach and an athlete walking to our cars after practice. I gave her a nod as a goodbye.

She turned around to speak to him, and I kept walking. He waited until I was out of earshot before speaking.

Their conversation was brief and ended by the time I reached my car. I put the bear in the back seat and pretended to rummage through my bags for something until Justin had walked away. I knew I couldn't turn around and hand Ariana the bear the second he left, so I kept acting busy.

I heard Ariana go to her car and unlock it. My phone buzzing in my pocket let me know that I had gotten a text. It was from Ariana telling me to take the bear and that she'd find a way to get it from me later. I stopped acting busy and got in my car only to notice that her car wasn't starting.

I stepped out and walked over to her. I knocked on her window, and she opened her door.

"Car troubles?"

She pouted at me, probably the cutest thing I had ever seen, and nodded.

"Call a tow truck, and I'll give you a ride."

"But-"

I shook my head. "It's not weird. I'm not comfortable leaving my coach alone in the school parking lot in the middle of February. It's like two degrees, and the sun already set. No coach, no season. Come on."

She laughed and rolled her eyes before grabbing her things and walking back toward my car with me.

"Tell me how to get to your place." I handed her my phone with the map app open. "Didn't think we'd get here so fast," I mumbled jokingly.

"Oh, shut up!" She playfully hit my arm and took my phone from me.

"Guess you get your bear today still. The universe has its own way of working things out."

"A blessing in disguise." She handed my phone back.

"A real blessing would be if you let me come inside."

She went bright red, or as red as she could get, and turned to face the window. I was the one to reprimand her this time.

"Get your mind out of the gutter! I meant inside of your house." I was doing my best to hide my own blush.

"Shut up and take me home."

My phone was handed back to me, and I followed the directions the gps gave until I was told that my destination was on the right. The house was really nice and modern but kind of big for somebody living alone. I reminded myself that her dad owned the company my mom worked for. If she could afford our house, I didn't doubt that Mister Edward could afford this house for his favorite child.

It was nothing compared to the mansion Camila resided in, but it was still a beautiful black and white two story with dark wood accents. With plenty of windows and glass the house seemed so welcoming. It seemed to radiate the badass energy that Ariana gave off the first time I saw her. The house just fit her somehow.

   I pulled into the driveway and looked at her for a second. She noticed my lack of movement and turned towards me. "What?"

   I shook my head and just kept looking at her. She was a site to see. Hair messy from the wind, cheeks flushed from the cold, clothes tight against her skin, and she still looked perfect.

   "Say something before I convince myself that I'm about to get murdered."

   I laughed but never took my gaze away from her. "It's just," I stopped myself before I said what I was thinking. I didn't want to ruin this. "Uh, never mind. Forget I said anything."

   "No. You've brought it up, now you have to say it. Otherwise I'll drive myself crazy thinking of what you could have been thinking."

   I shook my head again. We sat in silence for a bit. I was admiring her, trying to figure out how to tell her that she was the most beautiful person I'd ever laid my eyes on without sounding creepy.

   "You, uhh," She looked down to her lap and started arranging her papers and folders. "You don't want to end this, do you?"

   I couldn't figure out what to say. How had she come to that conclusion? Why would she ever think that? Did she want to end things? Was she just trying to use this as a way out?

   "Oh." She reached for the handle and opened the door. "Well, I better head inside; I've got so much grading to do. Thanks for the ride." She stood, and I just stared at her like an idiot.

   I truly had no idea what to say. How could I tell her that I couldn't even imagine just leaving her like that? How could I tell her that I could no longer imagine my life without her? I simply looked at her, not quite sure what else to do.

She grabbed her things and shut the door. It wasn't a slam, just a gentle shut. I sat in my car, watching her go into her house. What could I do?

I might have just ended things between us without even meaning to. The thought of not having her anymore, especially when I had literally just got her, broke my heart. All because I couldn't open my mouth and tell her how beautiful I thought she was when she was doing nothing. So effortlessly beautiful.

That was the moment that it hit me. I was fucked. I was fucked because I was in love with her.

———
Sorry it took so long to update. Check my profile for announcements about other updates and just questions about what you want to happen next and uhh yeah hope you enjoyed