by Ava Ashley
“Yeah, a few times.” I can feel my heart beating faster from punching the bag, but also from the memory bubbling up. I was running down an alley from two punks and hit a dead end. I pretended to be scared until one came close enough for me to turn and punch him. I threw a left hook into his nose at an angle. I couldn’t hit him straight on as quickly. Then I followed with a right into his gut. His friend didn’t even realize what happened. I had a second to grab a two-by-four off the ground and whack the other guy in the face. Then I ran like I was on fire all the way down the alley and two miles home, to Rafe’s trailer.
“Lily?”
I glance up at Kara and realize everyone is watching me get lost in the memory. Not good. And there’s a freaking camera behind them, catching it all. I shake myself out of it and briskly ask, “So what’s next?”
Liam leads us out to continue the walk around the house and grounds, and then out onto the beach.
“We’ll meet out here at six for our first competition! You’ll be on teams to play sand volleyball. Make sure to show up in a bikini,” Liam adds with a wink to all of us.
“Can we pick teams?”
“Does anyone get kicked off in this one?”
“Questions later, ladies! You’ll get all the details at the event.”
***
I walk down with Kara and Annabel, with Melinda and the others behind us. We’re all in swimsuits. Most of us are wearing bikinis, per Liam’s instructions, but two women are in a one piece. One of them is the short, quiet brunette named Arianna. I’m wearing a black bikini that looks good, but I know will stay in place. And with that thought, I glance back at Melinda and wonder if she’s hoping to pop out of her top on purpose for Rafe. You know, a Janet Jackson style wardrobe malfunction. Her bikini is more sensible than I expected. It’s deep blue with gold hoops on the hips and one in the middle of the top, which actually provides more coverage than her red dress did last night.
As we get closer to the sand volleyball pit, the other girls pick up their pace so they can see. Samantha, the smallest woman here with short dark hair, steps next to me and gives me an elevator look, sizing me up in my bikini. Everyone has been doing a lot of that. The truth is, every woman here is beautiful in her own way, and we’re all in good shape. If Rafe is anything like he used to be, it won’t be appearance affecting his decision the most. But I could be wrong. He might also be attracted to the women who seem more successful. I have no way of knowing because I haven’t been around him in so long.
I have to get my head in the game, so I push all those thoughts away.
There’s a line of chairs on the side for spectators and Rafe is standing in front of them talking to Liam. Or arguing. Liam is red in the face and Rafe’s voice carries to us from a ways away. Then Liam sees us and completely changes his demeanor, putting on a charismatic smile and throwing his hands out.
“Ladies! Welcome!” Rafe turns to face us, and I can tell he’s pushing his anger aside.
It appears Mike didn’t come to this. There’s other staff here though.
I’m a little surprised when Rafe does the talking—so far, the others have explained things and he’s been following their lead.
“Today we’re having a tournament, and the winning team gets to go out with me tonight.”
“That’s me!” Mel calls with a big, confident smile.
I try to judge Rafe’s reaction... Does he like that? It seems pushy to me. I would try it, though, if he weren’t so mad. The way things are, however, I’m afraid of how he’d react to a comment like that from me.
“It could be any three of you...” Rafe looks around at everyone with an eyebrow raised, and it’s sexy as hell. I feel my heart flutter.
Liam steps up to add, “But sadly, one of you will be going home, someone from the bottom team. So you have a lot of incentive to play well! Now show us what you got.”
They have us go around the net and volley back and forth. Two tall women come down from the houses and join the men on the side, and from the conversation I gather, they’re volleyball coaches or professional players. Maybe they’re here to help us play or to judge. The staff doesn’t explain, and that leaves me unsure how to play. If they plan to divide the teams up fairly, I should hold back while they’re watching now. I’m thinking if I downplay my skills, they might place me with better teammates.
Not sure what to do, I focus on playing semi well but not showing off too much yet. Rafe, Liam, the staff, and the two women are all watching us, and some of the women are obviously not volleyball players.
I’m all right. I’ve played on the beach and in school, so I hold my own. Kara is surprisingly good, maybe just a little better than me if I were giving it my all. She jumps up and hammers the ball, sending it straight down into the sand on the other side.
“Nice!” I call out and give her a low five.
Then I hear Rafe call out, “Awesome slam!” She smiles over her shoulder at him, and I feel a strange tingle of envy. I try to shove it away but find myself jumping in more.
We work together on the next one, me diving to pop up a low, fast ball, and Kara crushing it for another point. Well, it’d be a point if we were playing. As I go back to my spot, I notice Rafe is watching me.
“We’re just warming up!” someone complains.
“Sorry,” I say, to be polite. “That was just such a perfect set up!”
I back off and become less aggressive, letting the other girls get to the ball first. I stick to my plan for a while and even miss the ball on purpose. But then a shot spikes right next to me and I have to hit it over. Rafe cheers and claps for everyone but me.
“All right,” one of the staff calls, and adds that annoying clap that Mike likes so well. “Come on over. We’re going to make five teams of three for a little tournament.”
“We’re splitting you two up,” one of the tall women says, pointing to Kara and me. Darn. I guess my plan didn’t work...but then again, there’re other good players I could get. It would have been fun to play on Kara’s team though. Instead, I end up with Samantha, the small brunette in a one piece, and Arianna, who’s also short. Their height worries me, but it turns out they aren’t half bad, so I’m okay with that.
Kara and I share a shrug, but I can tell she’s a little miffed. She wants to win. It’s funny. We could be great friends in another time and place. Now, I’m not sure if it’s real or just an alliance. But I decide not to overthink it. I’m thankful to have someone somewhat like me here.
I end up sitting out the first round, watching the game and also the others try to talk to Rafe. He appears more relaxed today, and I almost see the younger version of him I knew. A pang hits me again when I wonder how much prison changed him. I know the hard times changed me, too, but I didn’t go through what he did. I want to ask him about it and be there for him. I’m aching to be there for him again.
Why did I leave him before? Why was I so afraid of telling him the truth?
I’ve been sneaking looks at him to see if he’ll take his shirt off. Does he hide his scars?
I hear my name called and realize I’m almost too emotional to speak. Too bad I didn’t wear sunglasses down here, but it’s early evening and not too bright. The light is soft, lending a romantic atmosphere. But when I glance around at the other women and the competitive light in their eyes, I forget all about romance. And it’s not like Rafe has any warm and fuzzy feelings for me anyway. I suppress a laugh and join my teammates on the court.
Rafe continues to cheer for everyone, not one team or certain player. The only one he leaves out is me, and I’m sure everyone notices. They probably figure I’m going to be the first one to leave the show. It wouldn’t surprise me either, but I just play and try to cheer on my team.
One team ended up with two really good players—Heather, an athletic, dark-blonde with green eyes, and Bree, a sassy, short chick with a black bob. I wouldn’t have expected her to be so good, but she can dive like no other and keeps making save after
save. Then Heather hits them over the net. Their team plays together fairly well.
When we play, I pop the ball up as often as I can to allow my teammates to hit it over, and we do okay. We win a game, sit out for a while, and then we play Heather, Bree, and Annabel. It’s a tough match because they have two strong players, and we end up losing.
“That’s okay,” Rafe calls out, clapping. Is he including me? He congratulates the other team next. I have a light sweat worked up when I go to the water table. There are several more games, and I start feeling antsy. Soon Mel’s team is up. She is better than I expected. Maybe she played in high school or college. She just didn’t strike me as the athletic type. I watch how she plays, trying to ignore how Rafe seems to be cheering more for her than he has for anyone else.
I swivel his way as I think about it, and he turns his head at just that second. Our eyes lock. It’s the first unguarded look he’s given me. But it’s still not warm. It’s like two strangers who glance at each other on the sidewalk before continuing on. He goes back to watching the game...and I suddenly wonder if he’s cheering for Mel to hurt me. Would he sink that low? If he is, that means he might still care. At least, he cares enough to be angry.
I’ve sunk pretty low in the past. I might deserve it.
We’re up again to play Mel’s team. This is the match I care about the most because I want to beat Mel, but I walk back onto the sand like it’s not a big deal.
She is smirking at me. Her team gets the ball first and she sends a nice flat serve straight over the net. I dive for it and pop it up, letting Samantha send it back. We volley for a while, and I feel good that we’re almost evenly matched. It’ll be a fun game. This time around, I step it up and slam the ball as often as possible. I start stacking the points up, but they stay right behind us. I’m really sweating. I tune out what the girls, coaches, and Rafe say, and just use their energy to push harder. I keep our lead until the last shot—Mel meant to hit a flat shot, but it arches instead. Perfect! I launch myself up and kill it, shooting it straight down.
“And we have a winner!”
I high five Samantha and Arianna as we walk off.
“That was all you!” Arianna says, out of breath. “Thank God I ended up on your team.”
“You played well,” I say, just as Rafe says, “Good work out there!”
He’s looking at all of us.
“Thanks,” I say sincerely. He immediately turns away to talk to Kara, but I don’t feel as stung about it as I would have before. A tiny jolt of hope tingles through me as I go for another bottle of water. That’s when I see they’ve put up a big white board with the rankings. Somehow I let myself forget there’s two aspects to this. The winners get to go out with Rafe...and someone from the bottom team will be kicked off.
Thankfully, I’m in the top... and I realize Mel’s team is playing Heather’s, and then my team will play the winner for first place. I actually have a shot at going out with Rafe tonight.
Chapter Seven
Rafe
I have to admit this isn’t so bad. We end up with a nice mix of fun and competitiveness. I try to relax and actually enjoy it, even talking to the girls who aren’t playing. It’s a nice semi-cool evening, too, with a light breeze coming up from the ocean. It’s the perfect setting. The cameras shoot it all—the games, the girls interacting, and me talking with them. Mel manages to grab the spot next to me for the second time, and after a few minutes of chatting with her, I notice Liam motioning to me. They want me to mix it up. So I go to the board to see the rankings, and realize I have a problem. Lily’s team is doing well. So well that they could win. Suddenly, Heather is beside me.
“This is so unfair!”
“What is?” I try to smile as I glance over. “You sure played well out there.”
“Exactly! And I beat Lily, Arianna, and Samantha. My team should get this spot.”
Hmm, now this is interesting. The show’s staff isn’t messing with it, are they? I take a closer look and realize something is strange about this. Lily did play extremely well today and had a lead in points, but it’s true that Heather’s team beat her. Still, the rankings felt weird.
“Lily’s team already beat Mel’s... So why would they end up playing for the win?”
Heather throws her hands up, livid. “That’s what I’m wondering. What’s the point of doing this if they’re just going to engineer the results to their liking?”
Liam must have noticed us or overheard Heather, because he’s making his way over in a hurry. Heather spots him just then.
“What the hell? We should get this spot!”
I turn and smile at Liam, folding my arms. I want Lily’s team out. He looks over the board and points. I follow his finger to the score below each match.
“We’re going by overall points, not wins.”
“How is that fair?” I scoff. I try to take a minute to consider if it is, but emotions are running pretty hot for everyone. By now, all the women are listening, and the coaches Liam hired join us.
“That’s how it’s done,” says the taller one. So that’s why he brought in these coaches—to make sure Lily’s team could win, and then back him up when he fucked with the standings. Or at least he wanted to make sure she didn’t lose so I couldn’t kick her off.
Fucking Liam and Mike Ruddy and this fucking show. My chest burns with anger. I’m in a tight spot too. I don’t want to seem like I’m just following orders around here, so the alternative is to pretend it doesn’t matter too much to me.
“But this is Rafe’s show,” Heather huffs, taking my irritation to a new level. It should be my call, but I know pushing the issue will cause more problems for me than it’ll solve. And fuck, I might be overreacting simply because I don’t want Lily’s team going on the date with me. I’m getting all pissed off because I’m acting like a teenager.
“I’m not a volleyball expert,” I say carefully, adding a shrug. “I think we should go with their method.”
“No, you’re out, Heather. The last match is Mel’s team versus Lily’s. They’re the leading two teams point-wise.” This comes from the tall coach, and I can see Liam is backing her up.
Heather glares, and I brace for an outburst, but her gaze slides my way and she tries to compose herself. I don’t like it either, but for some odd reason, I find myself wanting to smooth things over.
“It’s a different way, but it’s fair. They scored the most points today.” Maybe I’m keeping up appearances, trying not to look like I’m being undermined. I push that thought away for later. I’m not going to argue when I know Liam won’t budge. It’ll just make it worse, like I don’t have a say in this shit show, and I don’t fucking have one.
When I turn, I see Lily is watching. Her face is blank, but I know that look, and I also know there are a million things going on inside that head of hers. That’s her defensive expression. She knows how to hide her emotions well. She meets my eyes and I glare back. Realizing what I’m doing, I knock it off. I’m a professional. I don’t have to blow up like a child over all of this.
I go back and take a seat, this time sitting next to Kara.
“Too bad you didn’t get to play,” she says. “I would love to play with you.”
The double entendre is clear, but she seems sincere about playing the game too. I notice her defined arms and say, “It’d be an interesting game.”
Her gaze lingers on mine, but I want to watch what is going on. Everyone is quiet as the last match starts with Mel and her girls and Lily with her team. Before, I was sure Heather would end up in the last match and beat Lily. I don’t know if I care about taking her and her teammates out, but I sure as hell don’t want to take Lily. I consider the other two for a moment. Samantha and Annabel, I haven’t given them that much thought to be honest, but I could get to know them more tonight if their team wins. It’s three women. I won’t have to talk to Lily that much. So fuck it.
Then again, Mel isn’t half bad. She’s been giving it her all
for this date, and she’s rallying her teammates. I remember their names are Zuri and Justine. Zuri is dark with shoulder-length hair, and reminds me of an actress, even though I can’t think of the name. Justine seems to be the shyest woman here—maybe too shy and sweet to make it on this show. But I’m curious. It wouldn’t be a wasted night to go out with them. I lean back, feeling better.
Heather and her team walk off in another direction to sulk and a camera follows them. The girls watching the match are whispering too. I decide to play into the drama for a change and follow Heather’s team. It might distract Lily enough to throw her game off. When Heather notices me approaching, her whole face lights up.
“Hey, listen, it’s a tough break today, but there’re lots of other competitions to come.” I walk closer and, on impulse, hug each of them.
Heather nods. “It just doesn’t make sense, but whatever.”
“Yeah, you just gotta deal with disappointment sometimes and plan for the next win.” I know all about that. I add before leaving, “But you girls played great!”
“Thanks,” they chime together.
When I return to watch the match, Lily throws a dirty look my way. I almost laugh. She hides it as soon as she realizes I saw, which does make me laugh out loud a little.
And then I learn that her team is ahead by two points. Fuck.
Annabel sends the ball over and Zuri gets it high in the air, sending it down just inside the line on Lily’s side. Melinda didn’t hit the point but she smirks at me all the same. She clearly has it out for Lily. Good. So do I.
I can’t sit still. Liam is on the other side of the court where the staff is hanging out. The cameras are taping from that side too. It gives me a chance to talk to him without the ladies listening.
He’s watching one of the screens when I walk up.
“Rafe.” His tone is light, like he’s hoping to play off what happened earlier.
“So explain to me,” I say to Liam, “why the competition has to affect who I kick off.”