The Assistant Coach (BOOK 1: OMEN KING SERIES)

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Kohl Warren

I glance down at my phone, my eyebrows knitting together in a mixture of annoyance and confusion. She left me on read. I'd rather be left on delivered than have to deal with being left on read. It's like a slap to the face.

I went to all that trouble to get her number, too. Sneaking into Coach Johnson's office like some kind of thug just to find a simple piece of paper. And what do I find? A whole list of player addresses and phone numbers, including Leia's. Even Ari's number was on there, which just adds insult to injury.

I've been trying so hard to avoid her, to push her out of my mind. But no matter what I do, it's like she's always there, lurking in the back of my thoughts.

It's frustrating as hell, like a constant battle between my head and my heart. And my heart is not making this easy for me. To top it all off, I haven't had sex in so long because it's a dick move to have sex with a girl, while thinking about another girl – Leia.

The door swings open with a loud creak, I turn to see who it is, only to have a fluffy pillow smack me right in the face, causing me to stare at it in disbelief.

"Doesn't he look dashing," Tim remarks with a smirk, drawing my attention to Owen who is standing there in a perfectly tailored suit.

It's a stark contrast to his usual casual attire, and I can't help but raise an eyebrow at the sight. Tim saunters over to my desk in the corner and snatches my lint roller, effortlessly running it over Owen's suit jacket.

Owen stands there, looking completely unruffled, but there's a hint of something in his eyes that I can't quite place. He's been acting strangely lately, and it's starting to make me wonder.

As I turn to the side, I catch Rocky outside the room, laughing and snapping pictures of Owen.

"Off to a bachelor's party, are we?" I tease, watching as Owen's cheeks flush slightly before he averts his gaze.

It's a rare sight to see him flustered, and it brings a mischievous grin to my face.

"Or maybe a date?" I throw out casually, and Owen's embarrassment only deepens, his tan skin turning a shade of crimson that surprises us all.

The room is filled with a mix of laughter and curiosity, as we all try to decipher the mystery behind Owen's sudden change in demeanor.

"No shit? I thought you were going to a fundraiser with your parents," Tim replies.

"Wow, Tim, you look like you just found out Santa isn't real," I quip, watching his heartbroken expression morph into shock as Rocky bursts into the room.

"A fundraiser with his parents? Are we talking about Owen here?" Rocky asks incredulously, while Tim processes the information. He sits beside me on the bed, resting his head on my shoulder.

"Aw, how could you deceive me, my dear–" Tim begins, but I cut him off with a warning mumble. Owen raises an eyebrow as Tim wipes away a fake tear. "I would have had your back regardless, why lie to me, my sweet munchkin? Did you replace me with a girl? What does she have that I don't? Is it because I have a dick?" Tim sighs dramatically, and I pat his head, shaking mine in amusement.

"Timothy Waldorf," Owen interjects calmly, causing Tim to flinch. He laughs awkwardly before darting out of the room, leaving Rocky in fits of laughter. Rocky slaps Owen's back before following Tim out of the room. The hallway is filled with the sound of their laughter, echoing off the walls.

"I'm off to some fundraiser," Owen drawls, stretching out his words as he plops down beside me.

"Since when do you willingly tag along to those snooty events with your folks?" I ask, watching as he absentmindedly tugs at his hair, his whole body going rigid under the crisp suit he's wearing.

"Well, I'm actually going with–" he starts to explain, but our chat is abruptly cut short by a loud crash echoing from downstairs.

We exchange a look before both of us let out exasperated sighs and make our way out of my room, down the hall, and down the creaky stairs.

"Rocky, what mess did you make this time?" Owen calls out, his voice tinged with irritation as he reaches the landing at the foot of the stairs, piquing my curiosity.

"I swear, it wasn't me this time," Rocky protests.

I make my way down the stairs. Ari's standing there in an okay looking dress, the slit down her chest leaving little to the imagination. Her bright auburn hair is perfectly styled, contrasting decently with her glowing olive skin and piercing serene eyes fixed on Owen.

But what really catches my attention is seeing Leia, cradling Rocky on the floor near the door. Their faces are dangerously close, and I can practically feel the anger boiling inside of me

"You're quite the Ice Queen, aren't you? If you wanted to be on top, I would have gladly obliged," Rocky says with a smirk, his tone dripping with seduction. Leia rolls her eyes and feigns a gag, quickly moving away from him and pushing her hair behind her ear.

I feel my hands clenching involuntarily at the sight, a surge of anger rising within me. But I quickly squash it down, reminding myself that I have no right to be upset.

She avoids eye contact with me, making me click my tongue to the roof of my mouth.

"Just my luck, being used as a human cushion, your no good for any man's ego," Rocky says clutching his heart dramatically

Leia is wearing a tight red dress; her back is fully exposed. The dress goes right below her thighs, it's short. It shows off her tiny waist, but it also shows off her perfect long smooth legs. Her black heels add to her height and do justice with her dress. Her hair is straightened, it's longer when it's straightened.

She's wearing a light amount of makeup, brown to black eyeshadow. Her eyelashes look longer so I'm guessing it's what they call eye liner? Her plump lips are covered with a gloss. She looks gorgeous.

"Am I dreaming? Welsh in a dress," Tim mocks, raising an eyebrow as Leia flips him off with a cold glare.

My heart does somersaults at the sight of her, looking nice for someone, but who? Where is she going? I can't be bothered with Owen and Ari's conversation. Everyone here seems out of my mind, except for Leia.

Ari's cough brings me back to reality. "We are going to a fundraiser," she explains.

A fundraiser? So, Owen told me some of the truth. He's going to a fundraiser, but not with his parents. It's with the redhead and Leia.

Leia continues to avoid my gaze, so I throw my arm over Owen's shoulder. "Mind if I tag along? Fundraisers have a special place in my heart."

"You've never-" Owen starts to protest.

"Like that one time I went with your parents. That was truly one hell of a night," I smile at Owen, who raises an eyebrow

before sighing.

"The more the merrier," Ari interjects, while Owen looks annoyed at my sudden inclusion.

I have a feeling that Owen might have wanted to have some alone time with Ari, but he clearly didn't anticipate her bringing Leia along.

And to top it off, he also didn't consider the fact that I would want to join in on the fun. Fundraisers, they hold a special place in my heart, or whatever bull shit I said earlier.

Rocky lets out a groan and flops down on the couch. "So basically, that means I can also tag-" Rocky and Tim start to say, only to be cut off by a resounding "NO" from the rest of us in unison.

Ant's voice floats in from the balcony, "Boring," he remarks, causing me to wonder how long he's been lurking out there.

He peeks his head through the glass door, a joint dangling between his fingers as he takes a long drag before exhaling a cloud of smoke and giving a wave before disappearing back outside. What's up with him?

Owen mutters something about getting ready, while Leia remains engrossed in her phone and Ari tries to console Rocky.

What does one even wear to a fundraiser, anyway? The thought crosses my mind as I start to mentally sift through my wardrobe for an outfit for the night.

(How do we feel about this chapter?) —>

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