Forever Mine

  “Sarah I want you to know that I think you’ve been through enough. When I get out of there it’s up to you where you wanna stay. I don’t have a job here in Flagstaff anymore but if this is where you want to be. I’ll find a way to make it work. Otherwise if you’d rather stay in California, your aunt has offered to let us stay there until I get back on my feet. You think about it and let me know.”

  The choice seemed obvious. The only reason she’d want to stay in La Jolla didn’t want anything to do with her. In Flagstaff at least she had Sydney.

  She’d spent the whole day Saturday with Syd and his family. Carina hadn’t made an appearance. Sydney said she was busy and Sarah left it alone. Sunday after her visit with her mom Sydney drove her to the bus station and dropped her off. Each time she came back to Arizona she worried things would be different with her and Sydney but as usual it was as if she’d never left.

  Maybe it was the trip over the weekend or the fact that she hadn’t run in over a week. But Sarah felt off during her first run in practice. Coach Rudy had stressed the importance of taking it easy, and had wrapped her ankle pretty tight before letting her run. Possibly a little too tight, it was beginning to feel numb. She slowed to a walk and looked around for the coach but didn’t see him. He’d been adamant about her wearing it so she didn’t want to take it off. But it was really bugging her so she went into the gym to find him.

  She didn’t see him anywhere so she walked towards his office where he’d wrapped her ankle. The door to his office flew open just as she reached it and a girl in her cheer warm ups almost collided into her.

  “Sorry.” The girl said with a nervous smile.

  “That’s okay.”

  The girl hurried away quickly. Sarah watched her as she rushed off fixing her skirt. She opened the door to the office. Coach Rudy had a clipboard in one hand and tucked his shirt in with the other.

  “Hey, Sarah. How’d the run go?”

  His fly was half zipped and Sarah flushed, hoping he hadn’t noticed she was even looking there. “I … uh think the wrap is too tight. It’s making my foot numb.”

  He looked down at her ankle. “Alright have a seat.”

  Sarah sat down on the chair next to his desk and he put the clipboard down and leaned against the edge of the desk.

  “Bring it up here.”

  She brought her leg up and he caught it against his front thighs. Sarah suddenly felt very vulnerable. He unlaced her shoe and smiled as he pulled it off.

  “Did you get around the track at all?”

  “One time,” Sarah gulped. “But I walked at the end.”

  Once unwrapped, he massaged the ankle a little and worked his way up to her calf.

  “Feel better?”

  Sarah nodded. She had to admit it did feel a lot better. He moved her ankle in a circular motion and then back and forth. She glanced up from her foot and saw how engaged he was in working it. He began wrapping it again meticulously. And she felt silly about her unnecessary angst. She was letting Sydney and all the stupid rumors get to her.

  “Tell me if it’s too tight.”

  When he was done wrapping it he put her sock and shoe back on tying the laces himself.

  “Stand up.”

  Sarah did. The area between the chair and the desk was extremely cramped. When she stood her thighs touched his and her face was close enough to smell the gum on his breath. Sarah flinched back and almost lost her balance. Her eyes locked with the coach for a second.

  “Careful now.” He grinned.

  Sarah smiled feeling her face redden. The second wrap was much better and Sarah managed to get in a few laps before practice was over. She was feeling really stupid about the way she’d reacted in the coach’s office. Even her thoughts about the girl that had walked out of his office had been unreasonable.

  Sydney had told her to read into everything but that was so unfair to jump to such ugly conclusions. Coach Rudy was good looking and a very nice person as far she was concerned. What need would he have to get involved with high school girls?

  She saw Angel waiting by his car as she walked back to the locker room and her body reacted in the usual way. She concentrated on staying cool but her heart raced and she knew it had nothing to do with the laps she’d just taken. She’d already accepted that as long as she was here in California she’d never get over him. Not by a long shot. She would just have to do her best to avoid him until she went back to Flagstaff. But it was annoying how much just seeing him still affected her so much.

  Sarah was almost to the locker room when she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Coach Rudy walking toward her.

  “Hey, you looked real good out there. Anything hurting?”

  Sarah shook her head and smiled. “Nope, nothing at all. Good as new, coach.”

  The coach glanced down at her foot and then his eyes were on hers again. “Listen we’re going up to Mount Soledad this Saturday. You wanna come?” His lips went up in a crooked grin. “I promise I’ll give you a good work out.”

  Sarah’s mind raced to remember if she had any plans for that weekend. But running in the mountain trails overlooking the ocean sounded exactly like what she needed.

  “That actually sounds really good.”

  “Great, I’ll pick you up at ten. Bring water,” He tapped her behind with his clipboard and winked before walking away.

  Sarah stood still for a moment and then shook it off. Lots of coaches patted the players on the behind, even guys. She saw it all the time. She was done jumping to conclusions.

  CHAPTER 28

  Friday morning Angel sat in the kitchen going over last night’s Spanish homework. After switching his schedule around to get out of his physics class he got stuck with the same Spanish teacher as the previous semester. At the time he hadn’t cared, all he could think of was getting out of seeing Sarah every day. Now he was seriously regretting it. The amount of homework this lady packed on was unreal.

  Alex was fixing himself a protein drink when Sofia walked in. “So, dad said if one of you can come into the restaurant for me tomorrow morning I can take the morning off.”

  “I’ll go in,” Angel said, without looking up from his homework.

  “Where you gonna be?” Alex asked.

  Sofia stuck her head in the refrigerator and said something Angel couldn’t make out.

  “Where?” Alex asked again.

  “Running with the team.” She poured herself a glass of orange juice.

  Angel looked up. Sofia avoided looking at him. “On a Saturday?”

  “Ah hu,” she pulled out the toaster and plugged it in.

  Angel frowned, she was being weird. Ever since she’d told him about her feelings for Eric and been so brazen about going through dad to get her way, he’d wondered how long it would be before she’d start to get sneaky.

  “Why on a Saturday, Sof?”

  Alex poured himself his drink from the blender and leaned against the counter. “Yeah, your track meets don’t start yet, do they?”

  “It’s not a track meet. We’re just going to go run the trails at Mount Soledad.”

  “So, it’s a field trip?” Angel asked, feeling the tension release.

  “Well, no,” Sofia buttered her toast and spoke with her back to them.

  “Well, what the hell is it?” Alex asked.

  Sofia exhaled but didn’t turn around to face them. “The coach is taking a bunch of us to run the trails. That’s all.”

  Angel’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re going in his car?”

  “Oh, hell no,” Alex’s scowled in Sofia’s direction but she still hadn’t turned around.

  “Sofi, what did I tell you about watching out for this guy?” Angel stood up.

  Sofia finally turned around. “You said not to be alone with him. I won’t be. There’s going to be other people from the team there. Sarah will be there.”

  That only soured Angel’s mood further. “So, he’s taking a bunch of girls up to the mountains with
him?”

  “I don’t know. Sarah’s the one that told me about it. I figured if she would be there it would be okay. We’re just running.”

  “Forget about it,” Alex’s tone was final.

  “But why?” Sofia looked up at the ceiling frustrated. “You guys are SO unreasonable. Dad said it was okay.”

  “Does dad know he’s a pervert, Sof?” Angel demanded.

  “Don’t worry I’m sure he’ll agree with us when I’m done talking to him.” Alex said on his way out the kitchen. “You’re not going Sof.”

  Sofia looked at Angel exasperated. “Don’t bother going into the restaurant tomorrow. I’ll be there.”

  She threw her toast in the trash and walked out.

  Angel was fuming. What the hell was Sarah thinking? He thought about what Eric had said. Maybe his warnings hadn’t been enough. If he hadn’t heard the rumors about the perv being accused of rape and he’d been at this school a lot longer, maybe she hadn’t either.

  His only consolation was that she wouldn’t be alone with him. Sofia said there were a bunch of them going. The guy wouldn’t risk doing something stupid after being chased from one school already, and not with a bunch of kids around. Sarah should be okay.

  *

  Sarah woke up late Saturday morning. She had waited until yesterday to tell Sydney about going to Mount Soledad with the coach. And as expected he wasn’t thrilled. They stayed up pretty late talking. He gave her the usual warnings, but in the end was glad she was finally getting out with friends even if the coach would be there also.

  The coach had texted her late last night to let her know three of the other’s going had cancelled but that it would still be four of them all together. Sarah was fine with that but was kind of uneasy when Sofia told her there was no way she was going. Knowing that Angel was dead set against it made her speculate what he must be thinking of her going. She’d seen the way he looked at the coach the day he showed up at her practice.

  She’d just gotten out of the shower and was drying up in her room when her phone rang. It was the coach. Sarah glanced out the window as she answered.

  “Are you guys here already I didn’t realize I was running that late?”

  He chuckled. “No, actually I was calling to ask if you still wanted to go, or if we should try this another time.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Nobody called you?”

  Sarah looked at her phone. She had no missed calls. “No, nobody called.”

  He was quiet for a moment then spoke again. “Yeah, looks like it’s just you and me. The other two flaked out at the last minute. But if you’re not okay with that we can totally do this some other time when everyone else can go.”

  Sarah’s stomach stirred. She knew what Sydney would want her to say, but she felt bad. “I um.”

  “It’s okay, Sarah. We can try again next week with the whole team, if that would be more comfortable for you.”

  Sarah felt silly. He could’ve just picked her up without telling her and not given her a choice. And she’d looked forward to it all week. “No, I’m fine. If you’re still up for it, I am.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Sarah smiled feeling more relieved. “Yeah, totally. Just give me fifteen minutes.”

  Sarah went over all the possibilities while she dressed. She knew Coach Rudy was harmless but something still gnawed at her gut. She was glad Valerie and her aunt had taken off early for a day of shopping. Valerie would’ve probably made her feel bad about going.

  Last night’s conversation came crashing in her mind again. One of the only reasons Sydney had finally been okay with her going on this run was that it was a group trip. She felt like a liar now somehow.

  Maybe that’s what was bothering her so much. If she didn’t tell him now it would bug her all day. She picked up her phone and called him. She’d learned a huge lesson about coming clean. Her motto now was no matter how bad it is, it’s best to come out with it sooner not later.

  “Hey, Lynni.”

  “Sydney, I don’t have time to talk, the coach will be here any minute. Just wanted to let you know, it’s gonna be just me and him today.”

  Sydney didn’t say anything then she heard the unmistakable censure in his tone. “What?”

  “Everyone flaked out, he called to ask if I wanted to just reschedule for another time when everyone could go.”

  “So, why didn’t you say okay?” Sarah could almost picture his eyebrows furrowed.

  “Because I looked forward to this all week, and it would be silly not to go. We’re going to be in broad daylight at a park. What’s there to worry about?”

  “Sarah,” he uncharacteristically raised his voice, “isn’t this the same park you said has a lot of abandoned trails and you could walk for miles without ever seeing anyone?”

  Sarah sighed. “I’m sure we won’t be running on those, Syd. I just called to tell you because I didn’t want you to be mad later. Not to worry you. I’ll be fine. I promise.”

  “How did it just so happen that everyone else flaked out?” Sydney paused and then in an even louder tone said, “Are you sure he didn’t plan it like this in the first place?”

  “Will you stop?” Sarah saw the coach’s car pull in the driveway. “Why would he plan it then call and ask if I would rather reschedule?”

  “Maybe that was part of the plan?”

  “He’s here Syd, I gotta go.”

  “I don’t think you should, Lynni. Seriously, I got a bad feeling about this.”

  “Sydney, please stop worrying,” She blew a couple of kisses in the phone and hung up.

  Coach Rudy waited for Sarah without getting out of his car. Sarah leaned in the open passenger window. “Morning, coach.”

  “You look good.”

  Sarah looked down at her sweat suit and shrugged. “You know me, coach. I got all fancy for the occasion.”

  She got in and put her seatbelt on.

  “Sarah, if you don’t mind, I don’t have a problem with you calling me Rudy,” He pulled out of the driveway. “Up to you though, I’m just saying I’d be cool with it if you did.”

  He stared straight ahead as he drove and Sarah took it into consideration. That wasn’t so unreasonable. It would feel a little weird at first but it was no big deal. She could get used to it.

  “Okay, Rudy.”

  He turned to her and smiled. “I like that.”

  The ride to the park was cold. The clouds were really swallowing up the mountain. All the times she’d come here with Angel had been in the fall with beautiful blue sky’s and rays of sun shining up every angle of the park. Now it seemed so dark and ominous. A tribute to how she’d been feeling lately.

  “Didn’t figure on the weather being so bad,” Coach Rudy peered out the front windshield at the sky. “Forecast is calling for rain later but we should be out of here by then.”

  Sarah stared out her window. She focused on relaxing. She couldn’t shake the unease she felt after hanging up with Syd. Everything about the day seemed wrong. Her gut feeling was telling her she should’ve listened to Sydney but a huge part of her still wanted to believe the coach, Rudy was a good person.

  They parked in an open area. Only a handful of cars where in the parking lot. She didn’t really remember this part of the park but it was so huge she was sure there was plenty she still hadn’t seen. They got out and he opened the hatch in the back. It was much colder up here than it had been when they left her house. He grabbed a small back pack and their water. He handed her a bottle and Sarah flinched when his finger caressed her hand.

  Their eyes met. “You Okay?”

  Sarah’s face flushed. She felt like a goof. “Yeah.”