The Assistant Coach (BOOK 1: OMEN KING SERIES)

|𝟻𝟻|

Leia Welsh

I can't believe I said that to him.

He poured his heart out to me, telling me he loves me, and all I could muster was a pathetic "sorry." Ugh, I'm the worst.

I had promised him we'd have a real conversation after the lake incident, but that was a total sham. We did talk yesterday, but it was more like me putting up a wall and refusing to let him in.

He bared his soul, and I just shut him down like it was nothing, but deep down, it meant everything to me.

My heart is doing somersaults in my chest, and I can't help but grab a pillow and scream into it in frustration.

Thoughts of his intoxicating kiss and the way he confessed his love for me keep playing on a loop in my mind, making me want to break down in tears.

Why does he have to be so persistent in making me want him even more than I already do?

I can't shake the guilt and regret that gnaws at me.

I can still see the hurt in his eyes when I brushed off his feelings. I wish I could take it all back, but now all I can do is hope he'll leave me alone and get the memo.

The rain taps against the window, the only sound in the room. It's pitch-black outside, yet the raindrops are visible, tracing their path down the glass. The sound of the rain only heightens my restlessness.

"Alright, I'm sick of this," Ari declares, her sudden appearance on the couch jolting me.

She's wearing Athena's blue and white Hello Kitty pajamas, with her red hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Her determined green gaze is fixed on me, oddly intense.

I quickly remove the pillow from my face and casually sit up, all the while trying to mask my feelings.

"What are you sick of?" I ask as she settles herself on the white couch in a cross-legged position, peering at me with a perplexed expression.

"I've had it up to here with you and Warren, your little situation-ship," she says, jabbing a perfectly manicured red finger in my direction.

I try to play innocent. "I have no idea what you're talking about-"

"Don't try to play it cool with me. I saw you and Kohl sneaking off at the party last night. Even in my drunken state, I can still spot a secret rendezvous," she declares, waving her hands around dramatically.

The heat rises to my cheeks and my heart races at the memory.

"Come on, spill the beans. What's the story with you two?" she probes, flashing a grin that makes me want to roll my eyes.

"Nothing, he just told me he loved me," I mumble, and she lets out a high-pitched squeal of excitement, clapping her hands together. I can't help but laugh at her infectious enthusiasm.

"And here you were, swearing up and down that you'd never fall for Warren. Looks like you've finally met your match," She taunts, sticking her tongue out playfully.

I grab a nearby pillow and toss it at her, but she catches it effortlessly and places it on her lap, looking smug. "Well, I never actually confessed my feelings to him," I admit, releasing a long sigh and fixing my gaze on the plain white ceiling.

My heart feels like it's carrying a ton of bricks. The weight of unspoken words pressing down on me like a heavy cloud.

"Excuse me? Why the hell not?" she asks, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head in my direction. Her eyes wide with curiosity, waiting for an explanation.

"Are you seriously forgetting we're talking about Kohl Warren?" I retort, eyebrows raised even higher. I grab the cozy, gray, fluffy blanket from the couch and drape it over myself, feeling the softness against my skin like a comforting hug.

"The infamous playboy Kohl Warren," I say at her dumbfounded expression, which only makes me want to off myself. The irony of falling for someone with a reputation like his is not lost on me.

"Oh, come on! Have you ever seen him in a relationship?" She asks, pointing at me and bursting into laughter.

I shake my head, bewildered by her reaction, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration.

"And he wants one with you... he actually likes you, wait no, he loves you, Leia," she says, stating the obvious in a way that I just can't bring myself to accept, even though deep down, I know it's true.

The thought of someone like Kohl Warren having genuine feelings for me is both thrilling and terrifying.

"But he still sleeps with other women," I mutter, rolling my eyes as I watch Ari's expression shift from shock to concern.

She scoots closer to me on the couch, her eyes narrowing in disbelief as she leans in closer.

"He told you he still has sex with other people?" Ari's tone is laced with incredulity, making me squirm uncomfortably on the couch. I bite my lip, struggling to come up with a response.

"No, but..." I start to explain, my voice trailing off as I realize how ridiculous the situation sounds out loud.

Ari lets out a deep sigh, her disappointment evident in the way she looks at me. "Leia, I love you, but you're sabotaging yourself," Ari's words hang in the air, hitting me like a ton of bricks. I sink deeper into the couch, chewing on my lip nervously as I try to process what she's saying.

"Whatever you decide, I'll always love you," Ari whispers, pulling me into a warm embrace that instantly calms my racing heart.

"I love you too, Ari, but-" I gently pull away from her embrace, a mischievous glint in my eyes as I meet her gaze. "-You and Owen, huh?" I raise an eyebrow playfully, a smirk tugging at the corners of my lips.

"It's nothing serious," she says, trying to play it cool, but her cheeks betray her by flushing a deep shade of crimson.

"Uh-huh," I chuckle, unable to contain my amusement at her obvious discomfort.

She quickly grabs a corner of the blanket I was using and wraps it around herself, attempting to shield herself from my playful teasing.

"Just maybe... I kind of want to sleep with him, you know, explore that territory," she confesses with a hint of nonchalance, which only makes me burst into fits of laughter. Her boldness always surprises me and keeps me on my toes.

"That's all?" I tease, my voice dripping with sarcasm. She retaliates by playfully slapping my arm, and we both dissolve into laughter.

I seriously need to figure out what I want with Warren. It's only fair to give the guy a real answer. But my mind keeps wandering to all those other women he's been with. How am I supposed to compete with them?

"Wait Ari, I'm a terrible friend," I blurt out, feeling a pang of guilt as I realize I haven't even noticed her involvement in volleyball.

Looking at her, I notice the exhaustion in her eyes, the slight slump in her shoulders. She looks like she's been carrying a lot, and I've barely noticed. "You have a volleyball scholarship, but volleyball has already started? What happened-" I start to ask, but she cuts me off with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Don't worry about it, I quit. I applied to a different scholarship, don't worry about it," she says nonchalantly, there's a hint of happiness in her voice that makes me less worried.

I still can't believe I've been so wrapped up in my own life that I didn't even realize she was struggling with something so big. How did I not know about her and volleyball? Why did she quit?

Ari catches a glimpse of the text on my phone and throws me off guard. "Why the hell is Kohl texting you about being outside in the rain?"

Wait, hold up. Warren is actually outside in the rain?

Why?

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

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