Screw My Childhood Sweetheart His Alpha Brother Marked Me First novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33

His mouth pressed into a thin line. “Noted.”

“Be whoever you want, just be real in the process.”

Anson stared across the gym, his focus seemingly nowhere in particular. “If you don’t show people the real you, it hurts a hell of a lot less when they leave.”

His words had a careless tone, but they sent little fissures cracking through my heart. “Anson,” I whispered.

Those green eyes glinted, not with mischief this time, but with anger. “I don’t need your fucking pity.” He turned and joined another boy at the front of the court.

“Making all sorts of friends,” Jasmine said with a smirk. “I knew it was only a matter of time before the wool got pulled back.”

I ignored her and took a place in the middle line. A whistle blew and the game began. I knocked into the people next to me at least half a dozen times. I managed to hit a few balls, but I missed a lot more.

Jasmine scoffed as I blew past another, catching only air. “You could at least try, new girl.”

I gritted my teeth and stayed focused on the game. The other team served again. Unfortunately, they’d realized I was the weak link. The ball came sailing towards me.

I focused on not closing my eyes, but it was instinct when a ball was flying at your face. I clasped my hands together and aimed. The frustration of the day, the conversation with Anson, and Jasmine’s steady stream of jabs bubbled below my skin.

The volleyball hit my forearms with a crack, the skin there stinging like a dozen wasps had just attacked. The ball flew into the air, hitting the massively high ceiling and then landing with a smack in the opposite court.

“Holy hell,” Coach said as he approached, rubbing the side of his face. “That’s out of bounds, but you’ve got an arm on you, Caldwell. You should think about trying out for the team this winter.”

I stared at the ball as it bounced off the court, then at the ceiling. How had I/done that? The whole game, I’d struggled to get the ball over the net, let alone who–knew–how–many feet in the air.

The other team served again, still aiming straight for me. I braced again. This time, I didn’t have a chance to go for the ball. Someone crashed into me from behind, sending me sprawling to the floor.

I landed on my side, my elbow and shoulder taking the brunt of the fall. The force knocked the wind out of me, as if I’d been taken down by a two–hundred–and–fifty–pound linebacker.

“What the hell, Jaz?” Anson barked.

“She screws up every time. I was just trying to get us a point.”

Coach blew his whistle. “Get off the court and cool off, Jasmine.”

28.6%

Marked Me First!

Chapter 33

She scowled at me but moved to the bleachers.

Anson’s face filled my line of sight, but I was too consumed with trying to get my breath back to truly notice.

“Are you okay? Can you move?”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify