The Assistant Coach (BOOK 1: OMEN KING SERIES)

|𝟼𝟸|

Leia Welsh

I dart around the cluttered living room, my arms flailing

as Baxter, Ari's hyper golden retriever, bounds after me with a fierce bark to his bite. My heart races as I narrowly avoid crashing into the coffee table, my reflexes saving me from a faceplant.

Miranda, with her long brown hair cascading down her back, chuckles at my antics before setting down Baxter's food bowl with a clatter. Meanwhile, Ari, engrossed in her phone, seems unfazed by anything, she's lost in her own little world.

"Any juicy gossip to share, now that you're both here?" Miranda's voice is laced with curiosity as she plops down onto the sleek black stool next to Ari, her eyes scanning our faces for any hint of scandal.

Ari, with her sleek red ponytail and perfectly manicured nails, simply shakes her head before turning her attention to me.

"Oh, wait, did you hear about Leia's new boyfriend?" Ari's smirk is downright wicked as she spills the beans, causing me to shoot her a glare and flash an exaggerated middle finger.

Ari always throws me under the bus!

Miranda's eyes widened. "Wait, what? You're dating someone and you didn't tell me? When did this happen? What's his name? Wait, how could you not tell me?" She fires.

I try to keep up with her rapid-fire interrogation.

"We just started dating, relax. His name is Warr- Kohl Warren. And no, I didn't bring him because he's busy trying to help someone with something."

Someone: The Imbecile named Romeo Benjamin.

Something: How to survive the wrath of Owen Hall after bringing three girls into your dorm. (Warren is trying to keep Owen from killing Rocky).

Ari snickers as she snaps a picture of Baxter, who looks adorable as always. Miranda's expression shifts slightly, a hint of hurt flashing in her eyes. Am I seeing things?

"You didn't think to tell your best friend about your new man? I'm hurt, really hurt," Miranda says, pouting dramatically.

I let out a dramatic sigh and sink further into the soft leather of the couch. "Oh, the betrayal. How will I ever live with myself?" I reply, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Miranda grins, her hurt feelings quickly forgotten. "I expect a full debrief on this Warren-Kohl character later," she declares, pointing a finger at me.

"Poor guy chose the wrong girl," Miranda says with a smirk, causing me to gasp before they both burst out laughing.

I clear my throat. "At least I'm not pushing sixty," I whisper under my breath, knowing that Miranda is sensitive about her age.

She shoots me a glare, but I can see a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Ari quit volleyball," I blurted out, unable to hold back the news any longer. Ari's mouth drops in shock and betrayal, and I can't resist sticking my tongue out at her.

Payback is a bitch, ain't it?

"What? But what about your scholarship?" Miranda asks, turning her head to Ari with a look of concern.

I'm curious too - why would Ari give up something she seemed to enjoy so much?

"I only did it because it was fun, now it's not," Ari shrugs nonchalantly, as if it's no big deal. "As for my scholarship, I never got a volleyball scholarship. I lied the whole time."

My eyes practically pop out of my head in disbelief. Ari lied to me? Well, that sounds like her.

She's always been a bit of a people-pleaser, terrified of letting anyone down. Especially her parents or me. But why would she lie about not getting a scholarship? I wouldn't have been disappointed in her.