I could care fucking less about that dick though. My main concern is that she is okay. Even though she is acting strong, I need to hear it from her. And when I finally get into the office, she’s fully dressed as she chews her nails. Before I can ask if she’s okay, her dad does it first.

Dropping her feet to the ground, she sits up and nods. “Yeah. I’m fine. He didn’t really touch me anywhere that would violate me too much, but the intent was there.”

“Sure,” he says with a nod. “I’m sorry, Baylor. I should have waited out there or something. I didn’t know anyone was here but us.”

“No, Dad, it isn’t your fault at all. I should have just walked out when he came in,” she says, letting out a long breath before looking over at me. “Sorry for all the trouble.”

“No trouble at all,” I say.

“Thank you, though,” she adds.

“Always,” I say simply and her eyes soften, but then she looks away quickly.

An eerie silence fills the room as we both examine her, praying we don’t see anything wrong. I’m not sure what she is thinking, but she makes me nervous. She wants to be so strong, but that was serious. I have to remind myself though, she isn’t like other girls; she doesn’t have their thought processes. In her mind, the danger is gone and she is fine.

“Okay, well, I’m fine, seriously. I can tell y’all are looking at me like this is something big, but it’s not. I’m good, he got his,” she reminds us. “Promise.”

“Are you sure?” he asks, and I eye her. She looks more mad than anything, but still, that had to be traumatic.

“For sure, Dad, promise. I’m good. I’m a little shaken up, but nothing a nap won’t cure.”

“Okay,” Coach says. “Let me know if you feel differently.”

“Sure. Okay, I’ve missed all my classes and I need to get the notes off Markus and shit,” she says, standing up. She goes for the door and I go after her, placing my hand on the small of her back just to let her know I’m here. She looks back at me, giving me a small smile, and I can tell she isn’t lying. In her head, she’s fine, but I’m still worried. She could be in shock or something, and I need to get her home. There is no way in hell I’m leaving her side, not until I know for sure she is okay.

“Just a second, guys.”

When I look back at him, he’s eyeing us, and the moment my eyes meet his, I’m pretty sure our little secret is out in the open. Surely, he won’t bring that up right now, though. It really isn’t the right time, but I guess it doesn’t matter what I think because he asks, “Is it true what McCarthy said in there? About you and Sinclair?”

“What?” she asks incredulously, her jaw dropping open in utter shock. “Are you serious right now? Why would you believe anything that comes out of that guy’s mouth?”

“Answer the question, Baylor. Stop deflecting,” he says sternly, and slowly I shake my head.

“Maybe we should discuss this tomorrow?” I suggest, but he shakes his head.

“She says she’s fine. Baylor?”

“What, Dad?”

“Are you two together?”

She looks at me, her jaw still open as she sputters before looking back at her father. Well, I didn’t want him to find out like this, but at least he’s finding out and I can comfort her the way I want without him suspecting anything.

“No,” she answers, and I whip around to look at her with my eyes wide.

Excuse me?

“No, Dad, we are not together. Have we had sex? Yes, but it means nothing. We are friends, that’s it.”

“Friends?” he asks, but I can’t take my eyes off her. Is she serious right now? Maybe she is in shock, but then I wait for her to look at me and she won’t. She keeps her eyes locked with her father’s, her face hard as a rock as she nods.

“Yeah, he’s a good guy. I’ve learned a lot from him. There was some sexual attraction, and we acted on it. No biggie. It’s nothing. I feel nothing for him.”

Oh really? Scoffing, I fall back in my chair and shake my head. Wow.

“Are you sure?” he asks her, and she nods.

“Yeah, Dad, there is nothing here. He’s a friend, that’s it.”

Cutting his eyes to me, he drops his head to the side. “Sinclair, is that right?” he asks, and when I look up at my coach, my stomach sinks. Maybe I was completely wrong this whole time. Maybe she doesn’t love me, and maybe I should have told her I loved her every day, just so she’d know, so she could learn how to say it too. Because obviously she’s lost her fucking mind if she thinks we mean nothing. No, she’s lying. But why? He’s caught us. Who cares? She said she’d tell him if he asked, and he did, yet she is lying. Why? He doesn’t even look mad; he just wants to know the truth, and I refuse to fucking lie.

I’m proud of who I love.

And while I hoped the sentiment would be returned, maybe she just doesn’t know how. So let me show her.

“No, sir. It’s not,” I say, sitting up in my chair.

“Jayden,” she gasps, but I ignore her, my eyes locked on my coach.

“I love Baylor. More than I can even describe to you.”

“What are you doing?” she yells, but I continue.

“We’ve been together for almost four months now, and I’ve loved her the whole damn time. I thought she loved me, but apparently, I was wrong. I know this may mean my career, and I hope it doesn’t, but I won’t lie to you,” I say, standing and looking down at him. “I love your daughter, and I will protect her until my dying breath. I’m sorry I’ve kept that from you, and I hate the way this just went down. But watching what she just said to you made me realize that I could have been wasting my damn time. So you’ll probably have nothing to worry about once I walk out that door. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

I turn and head for the door, gently moving her to the side when she steps to stop me. I ignore her tear-filled, pleading eyes and softly say, “Move.”

“But—”

“No, not right now. Let me walk away and pull the knife out of my fucking back before I even try to talk to you,” I warn.

She tries to say something, but I walk around her, heading for the door just as Coach stops me. I shouldn’t stop, I should just go, but it isn’t his fault that Baylor is like this. Well, shit, maybe it is, but either way, I can’t be rude to him because I’m hurt by her. I have been lying to him too.