Chapter 104

Asher wanted me to drop from the cheerleading squad?

“Asher,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “If I leave the squad, I’ll have to leave the Academy, too.”

He paused, then said, “I know.”

“You can’t ask me to do that.”

“I don’t want to,” Asher said, reluctant. “But…” He looked down. “I’m worried.”

My heart swelled at his words, growing in its fondness for him. Everything he did was driven by his fierce desire to protect me, and I appreciate that. Truly. But…

“I can’t just hide in a hole, Asher. I won’t. After everything I’ve survived to be here, I’m not going to give up now, because of this man.”

Still staring at the ground, Asher nodded. He had to have known I wouldn’t agree to give up.

“I understand, and I respect your choice,” he said. “As I will always.”

I felt a ‘but’ coming and waited patiently. Soon, he lifted his head and leveled me with his intense, ice-cold focus.

“If that man tries anything like this again, I will put a stop to it – permanently.”

His intensity made me swallow hard. He left no room for doubt or misinterpretation.

“It won’t come to that,” I said, really glad I didn’t tell him now about the groveling Coach had wanted Asher to do.

Asher just stared at me.

To avoid it, I glanced around my room, attention snagging on my hamper. “I’ll have your clothes back to you soon. I want to wash them first.”

“Keep them.”

I worried my hands together. “They’re your clothes…”

“They look better on you,” he said.

In a flash, I remembered hearing him behind his closed bathroom door, and my blush amplified tenfold. I covered my face with my hands.

“I only have one request, though, Cynthia, please,” he said.

“Of course,” I said.

“No more swimsuit contests,” he said.

I couldn’t deny him that, and nodded.

He seemed satisfied. “Come on. I’ll take you to lunch.”

Somehow, I’d managed to make it through a full meal with Asher, and only thought about him masturbating twice. Each time I had been able to distract myself with a sharp pinch to the inside of my arm.

It was nice to spend time with him though, to remind myself that we were still okay, and everything was fine. When I was with Asher, I could so easily forget all of my problems.

After we said goodbye, however, I had to face the music and made my way to cheerleading practice.

As soon as I arrived at the gymnasium, Coach called me to sit on the floor where the girls had gathered in a circle. None wore their workout clothes yet, seemingly never made it to the locker room.

Coach stood in the middle of the circle, seething. Arms crossed, he tapped his finger incessantly against the inside corner of his elbow. He tapped his foot in sync.

He stayed mostly quiet until the last girl arrived, speaking only to call over each girl before she could escape to the locker room. When the final girl sat in the circle, he heaved a great breath and unleashed his anger.

“You embarrassed me. You embarrassed yourselves. You embarrassed the entire establishment of cheerleading! How dare you disrespect me in front of anyone, especially my friends!”

He spoke loudly, his face turning red. “Here I was, selflessly arranging a fundraising event for our cheerleading squad, and how am I repaid?”

He held up a hand and counted off his fingers. “Disrespect. Disobedience. Embarrassment. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. And if you think you are getting any of the money from that night, you are sorely mistaken. You are getting nothing!”

Hands in fists, he dropped his arms to his sides. “Now, I will call each of you one by one into my office and you better have a damn good explanation for each of your behavior, or I may need to destroy this entire team and start fresh with people who will actually appreciate what I’m trying to do here!”

He stormed toward his office and slammed the door shut behind him.

The girls and I looked around at each other, unsure what to do. Was he going to call us later? Should we go get dressed for practice? Was this practice?

His office door opened again, and we all turned to look.

“Cynthia! Get your ass in this office. Now.”

Coach slammed the door again and we all jumped.

“Good luck,” Nicole whispered to me. The other girls looked dire. No one wanted to apologize to him.

I didn’t either.

Standing from the circle, I left my bag behind as I marched toward his office door. It was still closed. Was I supposed to knock? Even though he’d just ordered me inside?

Confused, I lifted my hand and rapped my knuckles on the wood.

“Get the hell in here,” came Coach’s gruff command from inside.

I obeyed.

Coach sat in a plush computer chair behind the desk. Both of the metal folding chairs that visitors usually sat in were folded and placed against the wall, forcing me to stand.

Elbows on the desktop, he leaned forward, scrutinizing me with a narrowed gaze.

“Cynthia,” he said, and I braced myself. “When should I expect my groveling from your Alpha brat of a boyfriend?”

“Actually, Coach,” I started. “I was hoping if…”

“Let me guess,” Coach interrupted. “He refused. Of course he did. Those Alphas are all the same. They don’t compromise. They refuse to bow the knee to their betters, even to protect those they presume to care about.”

“It’s not like that,” I said at once. “Asher is honorable –”

“Honorable men don’t raid swimsuit contests and kidnap the contestants!” Coach snapped.

“That’s not what happened!” I replied, just as fierce. I couldn’t help myself. He was openly disparaging Asher in ways that weren’t even true!

“So, I’m to assume that he just doesn’t care about you at all then,” Coach said. “Since he left you here alone to take the fall.”

“I didn’t tell him about your request,” I admitted.

“You didn’t…?” Coach was speechless.

“And I won’t. I protect him as much as he protects me,” I said. “But, please, Coach. There must be some other way that I can apologize to you.”

“Apologize and redeem yourself, you mean.”

I grit my teeth but nodded. Whatever he needed to hear to help me stay on the team without involving Asher.

He leaned back in his chair, smiling to himself. “Ah, I do love when the girls beg. It makes me feel… generous. Fine. I will let you stay on the team without your boyfriend’s groveling on two conditions.”

“Name them,” I said.

He held up one finger. “Your Alpha brat stays far, far away from me. If he wants to pick you up from practice, he has to stay outside, got it? And no more surprise appearances at our outside activities.”

I didn’t like it, and Asher wouldn’t either. He’d want to be close in case Coach tried anything unsavory. But, if it kept my spot on the squad, I could agree. I could convince Asher somehow.

“Okay.”

He held up a second finger. “You agree to a private photoshoot at my house. My outfits. My rules. No questions asked.”

My throat went dry. “Just a photoshoot? No touching.”

“No touching,” Coach agreed.

“No… strangers?”

“No strangers,” Coach said.

“And the outfits?”

“Tasteful,” Coach said. He shook his head. “Come now, Cynthia. You won’t find another deal this good. What’s a few pictures compared to the benefits the rest of your life will gain by being a cheerleader?”

I hated it. He had to be up to something.

Still, I said, “Okay.”