Bad Coach (An Alpha Male Bad Boy Romance) (Forbidden Romance)

by Claire Adams

  We went in, and Devon answered the guys’ questions about the game, telling them with a little pride that he’d taught Miles and Lee all they needed to know to keep the team going without him. “You going to hang out and watch the game?” one of the guys—I thought it might be Jaxon—asked Devon.

  “Nah, the girl’s tired,” Devon replied. He gave my waist a squeeze. “I think we’re going to call it a night.” A few of the guys made some jokes about Devon being whipped, but he just rolled his eyes and led me up the stairs.

  I was still slightly hoping that Devon would want to fool around, make love for a little while before we went to sleep; but he seemed genuinely concerned about me. “It’s good to have a down night,” Devon said, giving me a quick kiss.

  “You, the party animal, want to have a down night?” Devon grinned at me, tugging his shirt over his head and tossing it towards the hamper.

  “I can’t party all the time. Especially since I need to keep my brains working at peak, right?” He unbuttoned and unzipped his fly, and I began to strip down too, confused and comforted at the same time. I could see my suitcase and decided that, since I had told Devon I would stay with him for a few days, I might as well just treat the situation as if Kelly had never said anything to me. Devon didn’t even know that I knew Kelly; I felt a little bit of guilt at the fact that so far he had been much more honest with me than I had with him.

  We got into bed and for once—for the first time since we’d hooked up, and I’d lost my virginity to him—Devon and I just cuddled, talking about the game, about our day. It was so nice, but I felt it every time I didn’t mention running into Kelly after the game while I was waiting for Devon to finish hanging out with the guys. I felt guilty, almost ashamed of myself. Devon began to doze off and without being able to continue chatting with him, my brain went back into overdrive. I argued mentally with myself about whether or not to believe anything that Kelly had said.

  On the one hand, nothing that Devon was doing or had done were the actions of a guy who was just looking to get what he wanted from some girl, to use her. In spite of how cavalier I’d been about just throwing away my virginity, Devon had been sweet and gentle and good to me. But then, Kelly and the other girls had all said that he was exactly the type to act that way; right up until he decided he’d gotten what he wanted, or until there was another girl to take his eye. But how could I doubt him so much? In spite of what the other girls had said, Devon had been absolutely honest. If he were really just looking to get what he wanted from me, then he would have lied to me about everything else.

  I couldn’t fall asleep. I turned my head to see Devon in the bed next to me, fast asleep. He had no idea of what was going on in my mind; as far as he was concerned, everything was great—or if not great, then at least he was right where he needed to be. He would re-take the test that he had cheated on, and then he’d be back on the team, back to class, living the life he had marked out for himself, complete with a girlfriend who cared about him. But what if Kelly was right? What if Devon was just using me to pass the test? I thought about what she had said, about how she had known the person who’d taken the test for Devon. How likely is it that she could really have known that specific person? My mind was swimming with questions about what she had told me. I had to know more. I had to just get over it and talk to Devon. I had to come clean, and hear what he had to say. I had to know the truth, and so far, Devon hadn’t let me down.

  I shook him awake, my heart beating faster in my chest. “Hey, babe? Babe. Wake up, Dev. I need to talk to you about something.” Devon muttered and murmured as he came out of his sleep, shaking his head and frowning. He looked up at me in confusion, and I turned on the light in the room, sitting up in his bed.

  “What’s up, Jenn?” Devon grinned slightly. “You less tired than you thought?” His hands trailed over my body, caressing and teasing me. I shook my head, pulling free of his touch.

  “I need to talk to you about something,” I said, taking a deep breath. “It’s about the test you cheated on.” Devon’s eyes widened.

  “Is this why you’ve been so quiet all night? Jenn—babe, I know I did wrong. I want to set things right.” I swallowed against the tight, dry feeling in my throat.

  “Do you know who it was who turned you in?” I asked. “I mean, it could be a couple of people, right?” Devon sat up in bed next to me.

  “I know who it is,” he said. He looked at me with a frown. “Do you know who it is?” I took another deep breath, hoping to steady my nerves.

  “I ran into your ex, Kelly,” I said, hedging on how I knew it was her. “She told me that she’s the one who turned you in. She—I guess she was jealous, or whatever. But shouldn’t you be warning the person who took the test for you?” Devon’s eyes widened.

  “She is the person who took the test for me,” he said. “Kelly—she and I knew each other in high school. We met at a party after a game once and started seeing each other some.” I blinked; Kelly’s words—that the person who had taken the test for Devon would be fine, would not be investigated at all—took on new meaning. Of course she could be sure that the person Devon had used wouldn’t be caught; it was her.

  “She took the test for you?” I asked him. Devon nodded.

  “It was her idea! I was telling her how nervous I was about the ACT, with the scholarship riding on it and everything, and she said that she had already taken hers, and got a high score. So she’d take it for me, and everything would be great.” Devon shook his head, his face full of regret.

  “Oh my god…” I stared at him in shock. Considering what Kelly had done so far, it wasn’t that much of a stretch.

  “We were really close, and I—I always thought of myself as kind of a loser, school-wise, so I went along with her idea. It was stupid.” I bit my bottom lip; Kelly had taken a huge risk, cheating for Devon. She had to have known that it would be a major blow to her entire academic career if she got caught.

  “What happened?” Devon shrugged.

  “While we were putting the plan together—getting her and ID that had my name, all those things… she started to kind of lose it.” Devon closed his eyes, shaking his head. “She kept saying things like I would owe her forever, and I’d have to stay with her for the rest of our lives now. She played it off as a joke, but…” he shrugged again. Devon took a deep breath. “A few weeks after the test, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I told her that I appreciated what she did, but I couldn’t see her.”

  “Why didn’t she just come clean then?” I couldn’t quite believe it—and yet it made way too much sense.

  “I think she was afraid that she’d be in trouble too. But she’s held it over my head ever since—constantly threatening to tell that I’d cheated on the test, that I’d paid someone to take it for me. I never paid her, Jenn—believe me. She did it because she wanted a hold on me, and then once that was gone…” I sighed, shaking my head at how crazy Kelly had been to do all of this. I had to believe Devon; the evidence in front of me was clear. Kelly had been the one to suggest over and over to me—pretending it was a joke—that we should ruin Devon’s life, get him in trouble. She had been so crazy about him that she’d been willing to almost sacrifice her own college career in order to destroy his.

  “That’s…how could you just keep going with that hanging over your head?” Devon grinned slightly.

  “After a year or two, I figured she had to be over it. I mean, the threat was still there.” He shrugged. “I’m actually kind of glad she finally went through with it.” Everything was quiet between us for a long moment, and then Devon looked at me with confusion. “It’s kind of weird that she’d tell you, though, even if you are my girlfriend.” I bit my bottom lip. Devon had been completely honest with me; I owed it to him to come clean.

  “Not as weird as you might think,” I started. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Kelly and I have been friends since high school, and she’s my roommate. I thought—I really believed she was my bes
t friend.” I looked at Devon, feeling my eyes sting with tears. “She never even mentioned you until we hooked up, I swear. I didn’t even know you had any history with her at all.”

  “I believe you,” Devon said, reaching out and brushing my cheek. “You seem like the kind of girl who would have avoided a friend’s ex like the plague.” I laughed, even as tears started to spill out of my eyes.

  “She—she told me a ton of terrible things about you and suggested we could ruin you…and she tried to play it off as a joke.” I shrugged. “If I’d known she was like that, Devon, I’d never have stayed her friend as long as I did. She’s not even one of my friends anymore. She told me I had to choose between her and you and well…” I smiled sadly.

  “You chose me; I take it,” Devon said with a grin. I nodded. “No wonder you haven’t been in the dorm much if you’ve had to sneak around her.” He pulled me into his arms. “I trust you, Jenny. I trust what you’ve told me—and I know you wouldn’t have pulled something like this on me, no matter how pissed you were.” I kissed Devon, feeling so relieved that the fatigue of the day and the game finally started crashing in on me.

  “I’m glad I chose you,” I said, curling up in Devon’s arms as he pulled me down onto the bed next to him. “I’m also glad I came clean.” Devon chuckled, kissing me.

  “Now get some sleep. You’ve got a long day tomorrow.” He pulled me close under the covers, and I felt myself starting to slowly fall asleep. I cuddled close to Devon and sank down into the darkness, contented once more.

  Chapter Two

  The next morning, it felt so good to wake up next to Devon, to know that everything was absolutely clear between us, no secrets. We fooled around for a little while—kissing and touching each other—but Devon pointed out that I had class to get to, and suggested that he could make me breakfast again, give us a chance to just hang out and enjoy each other’s company.

  I grabbed a quick shower while Devon cooked breakfast, and when I joined him in the kitchen, saying hello to the few guys who were already up and watching TV, he gave me the smile I was already starting to love. He made scrambled eggs with cheese, toast, strawberries, and bacon—somehow managing to put it all together in the twenty minutes since we had parted. “I don’t think I’m even as good a cook as this,” I said, taking a bite of the perfectly cooked eggs.

  “Aw, come on—I’m sure you’re no slouch either.” I grinned.

  “I could make dinner for you some time; that’d be a good payback.” Devon chuckled.

  “I know just how you can pay me back—and you don’t have to chop a single onion to do it.” He stood, leaning over the table, and kissed me on the forehead. He sat back down. “I’ve been thinking,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee.

  “About what?” I ate a piece of bacon, sitting back in my chair; I was both worried and not worried at the same time.

  “Well—about what you said last night. I don’t hold it against you; I completely believe that you had no idea what kind of mess Kelly was, or you wouldn’t have been friends with her, or gone after me, one.”

  “Right. I’m so sorry I didn’t come clean sooner.” Devon smiled, reaching across the table and taking my hand.

  “And you trust me—you have no idea how much that means to me.” He gave my hand a squeeze. “But obviously we have a lot more connections than we thought. And I want this to be serious between us. I like you a lot, Jenn. In fact…” he took a deep breath. “I kind of think I might love you.”

  “Really?” My eyes widened. “You really think you might love me?” Devon chuckled.

  “Is that so hard to believe? You’re amazing! You’re smart and gorgeous and funny and just—great. All the guys are jelly.” Devon grinned. “But if we’re going to be serious, we have to agree to be completely honest from here on out—both of us.” I nodded slowly.

  “Yeah, not being honest hasn’t done us any favors yet. If I’d been up front with you…” I shrugged. “But we can be honest from now on, right?” Devon nodded, grinning so broadly, his eyes sparkling with happiness.

  “Finish your breakfast, maybe we’ll have some time to fool around before you have to run to class.” I widened my eyes, feeling my cheeks warm up with a blush.

  “In that case I can totally do without breakfast, you know. I’ll be fine.” Devon laughed.

  “No, you won’t. Eat up; I didn’t cook this just to give it to those pigs in the living room. I made it for you! And then we’ll go fool around until you have to run to class. Deal?” I laughed with him.

  “Okay, fine,” I said, only a little disappointed. “It’s a deal.”

  As I went from class to class, I thought about my relationship with Devon. Everything felt so good and right; I was actually able to focus through the lectures—which I hadn’t been able to do when things were so up in the air, before. I was almost completely certain, after everything that we had been through, that nothing could possibly come between Devon and me anymore. I was pleased that he had come to me for help in passing the ACT, and I was even happier that he had been the one to bring the idea of being completely honest to the forefront. He wanted us both to be totally up-front with each other from now on; if he were planning on using me and then ditching me, he wouldn’t have been the one to suggest it, would he?

  I also thought about Kelly. What she had told me—what she had admitted—along with what Devon had confessed to me meant that I could never trust her again. I hated to think that I could be friends with someone so dishonest, and frankly crazy; it was insane of her to have tried to take Devon’s ACT for him, and just as absurd to try and hold it over him for the rest of his life, and then throw him under the bus once he got together with someone seriously. I shook my head to myself, thinking about it as I went from one class to another.

  I would have to stay away from her, at least while Devon and I were preparing for him to re-take the test. I couldn’t trust myself not to let something slip—and I couldn’t possibly trust Kelly not to figure out another way to get at Devon somehow. Would I now be her enemy too, since I was with the guy she had decided she needed to either have or get back at. What is wrong with her? It’s been so long since they dated; why would she still be clinging to this? It didn’t make any sense to me that anyone would continue so long after their relationship had ended.

  The more I thought about it, the happier I was. It was bizarre; there was so much stress, with the preparations for Devon to re-take the ACT and everything else that was going on in my life. And yet, I was more comfortable and at peace with my life than ever. If Kelly was going to get in the way of that, there was no reason for me to keep being friends with there, was there? I thought that if she was really going to be so horrible to me as well as to Devon—if she couldn’t just be happy for me that I’d found someone, and couldn’t just accept that it was never going to work with her and Devon—then there must not be any reason to try and keep things up with her. There was no reason to apologize, or to make up. If she was really going to lie to me, and she didn’t feel bad about it or even want to make amends, then I must have been mistaken about what good friends we had been before I’d even met Devon. She kept carping on how Devon was trying to use me…but she’s been using me all along. I could give up on the friendship with her, as far as I was concerned. It might make things a bit awkward with our circle of friends for a while, but if I just let her fade into the background of my life, then things would just move forward. It made me feel even better; I didn’t even have to worry about Kelly anymore if I didn’t want to be friends with her.

  Chapter Three

  That night, Devon and I went back to studying together. It was almost strange to me, how much the rest of the guys simply accepted the fact that I was hanging out in the frat house, spending time with Devon. I felt as if I was almost one of them; as if it was just a simple fact that Devon and I were together. I knew that some of the girls on campus—the ones Devon had fooled around with in the past and the ones who wanted to ‘tam
e’ him themselves alike—envied me, but I thought that as long as they weren’t like Kelly, I could live with a little jealousy.

  We started in on the material that Devon was weakest at, breaking it down into the different subjects and spending a little bit of time on each one. I switched between the books, picking the one I liked best overall to show Devon some tricks for the English section of the test—it had the best tips for breaking down the questions for that section—and one of the other three for the Math section. It almost amazed me how much better Devon did on the practice tests for each section after relatively little work. “You are way, way smarter than you think,” I told him, showing him the scores he’d gotten.

  “I have a great tutor,” Devon countered, kissing me passionately. We took a break before diving into the reading section, talking about what we would do together once all of the stress of him re-taking the test was out of the way. “The season doesn’t last forever, you know,” Devon pointed out to me.

  “Well duh, it wouldn’t be a season then,” I quipped. Devon grinned.

  “What I mean is, once we’re in the off-season, we can just relax. I’ll still have to hit the gym—gotta stay at my peak—but I won’t have practice, I won’t have games. We can go out on dates, see movies, all that stuff.” I rolled my eyes, grinning.

  “We do that now!” I gave him a playful shove. “You’re just looking forward to a time when you can keep me in your room all weekend without missing a practice.” Devon laughed.

  “No, I think that’s you,” he told me, pinning me down on the bed and kissing along the column of my throat. “You’re the most sex-obsessed woman I’ve ever met, babe. Seriously.”

  “Well, that’s thanks to you,” I told him, reaching up and threading my fingers through his hair, holding his face close to mine as I looked up into his eyes. “If you weren’t so great in bed, I probably wouldn’t be so obsessed with keeping you here.”