On The Rebound (Steinbeck U #1) - L.A. Cotton Page 0,83

game that haunted me, to know a great player when I saw one.

Zach set Jasmine up with a shot and she sank the ball, setting the yard off in another round of applause. Kids cheered and volunteers laughed and clapped. Magic was unfolding before my eyes and it was impossible not to be swept up in it.

There was just one problem with magic...

Eventually the spell wore off.

Zach

The session came to an end. My jersey was damp, and my skin felt tight from two hours under the afternoon sun, but most surprisingly, my cheeks hurt from all the smiling and laughing.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had so much fun.

Well, I could... and every single one of those memories included Calli.

It had been a total shock walking into the yard at Next Steps and finding her sitting there. If I’d have known she was volunteering, I probably would have begged Coach to give us something else to do.

Or maybe I wouldn’t.

Because here, she couldn’t escape. And it was safe. It gave us a reason to be in close proximity without making it too awkward.

“Thanks,” Jasmine said quietly.

The second we’d finished playing, she’d shrunk back into herself. But man, had she blossomed with the ball in her hands. I’d never seen anything like it. She was a little rocket, zipping all over the court with some pretty impressive ball skills.

It was obvious she was self-taught, Her footwork was sloppy and more than once, she’d gotten confused about the rules, but she possessed a raw talent most kids didn’t have.

“Anytime, Elsa.” I teased. “You did good out there. You should think about playing for your team at school.”

“They wouldn’t let me.”

“What do you mean they wouldn’t let you?” My brows knitted.

“The kids... they don’t like me. They all think I’m this white-haired weirdo. I guess Elsa fits.” She shrugged, her words making my spine go rigid. I didn’t like hearing her talk about herself that way.

Looking down at her, I said, “Don’t ever let anyone tell you what you’re worth, Jasmine.”

“I...” She trailed off, ducking her head.

“That was amazing.” Calli joined us, my body hyperaware of her. It was as if every time we were near the air crackled and shifted around us; some invisible force trying to push us together.

“Yeah, whatever.” Jasmine shouldered past her and disappeared into the center.

“Maybe you should be her buddy.” A defeated sigh escaped Calli’s lips.

“Just give her time.”

“Time, right. Because that fixes everything.” Her eyes widened with horror. “Crap, I didn’t mean—”

“Relax. It’s all good.”

It wasn’t though. Something had changed between us. The need to hurt her had been tamped down by her constant attempts at pushing me away. But it was more than that. It was her. The young woman she had become. Harder around the edges but still with a softness I wanted to bask in.

Fuck. I was losing my goddamn mind over the girl who had broken my heart into tiny little pieces when I was just a boy struggling to find his way.

We entered the center together in thick silence. Jasmine was talking to Freya, but the woman didn’t look pleased.

“Why not?” Jasmine cried with frustration. “I don’t like her, but I like Zach.”

Shit.

Calli gasped, her eyes brimming with tears. I’d only wanted to help when I saw how much she was struggling with Jasmine, not make things worse.

“Jasmine,” Freya said calmly. “Why don’t we talk about it in my office?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m telling you I don’t want her to be my buddy. What kind of stupid name is Calliope anyway?”

Freya realized we were standing there and shot Calli an apologetic look, but the damage was already done. My sweet pea was two seconds from falling apart in front of all the volunteers and about a dozen kids.

“Come on,” I said. “Let’s get out of here.”

Freya gave me an understanding nod as I guided Calli out of the center. The second we hit the sidewalk she dragged in a shaky breath.

“She’s just a kid,” I said.

“Who clearly hates me. This was supposed to make me feel better and now I just... ugh.” Calli buried her face into her hands but I didn’t let her wallow.

Sliding my fingers over hers, I gently pried them away, forcing her to look at me. “You’re going to let a fourteen-year-old kid upset you?”

“You don’t understand.” Her brows crinkled making her eyes look so sad it gutted me. In that moment, I didn’t want to hurt her, I wanted to take