Coast (Kick Push Book 2) (The Road 3) by Jay McLean Page A

smash the second she leaves. But then she steps closer, and closer again and her arms start to rise and a part of me wants to run, wants to push her away, because I know she’s about to touch me… and when she finally does, her arms around my neck, I feel the burst of life kick in… the exact same moment I feel a part of me die.
    Her cheek presses against my chest and my arms go around her waist and I die a little more, and the longer we stand there, my arms wrapped around the only person who’s ever truly seen me, I can feel myself sinking, drowning, begging for air. I force myself to pull away, but she holds me to her, her head lifting and her eyes locked on mine. Her smile’s gone now, the frown back in place, and I get lost in her gaze, a place that holds all my secrets, my fears, my desires. Then she rises to her toes, her mouth against my ear, and her breath warm against my skin. “Thank you,” she whispers .
    My eyes widen in shock, my heart… I have no idea what it’s doing, but apparently she finds my reaction amusing because she laughs, or at least her version of a laugh and seeing it gives me the same feeling of life and death. I’m about to speak but my name being called cuts me off. Chris walks up the driveway, his look of shock matching mine from only seconds ago. “Becca.” There’s distaste in the way he says her name and I know why, I just don’t want her to know why. So, I release her quickly and turn to Chris, squaring my shoulders as I move her behind me.
    “Thanks for coming,” I tell him.
    “It’s no problem. In fact, I’m glad I showed up. Who knows—”
    “We’ll talk about it later.”
    “No, Warden,” he says. “I think we should talk about it now.”
    Shaking my head, I narrow my eyes at him. Then I give in to the inevitable and turn to Becca. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
    Her bottom lip traps between her teeth, her eyes worried as she looks between Chris and me.
    “It’s fine,” I assure her, then face Chris and motion toward my apartment.
    The second we’re behind closed doors, he lets me have it. “What the hell are you doing, Warden?” he yells.
    “I’m not doing anything! Jesus Christ.”
    “Oh yeah?” he asks, his eye roll adding punch to his sarcasm. “I can totally see that.”
    “Not here. Not now,” I grind out. “Give me a fucking break!”
    “A break? You had a break! You took two weeks off after the shit you pulled in St. Louis.”
    My head lowers, my hands at my hips. “So fucking what?”
    “So fucking what?” he repeats. “This isn’t a fucking game, Warden. You’re a pro athlete now. You have people paying you big money and those people depend on you—”
    “I don’t want any of that shit! I told you that. I just want to skate.”
    His eyes narrow. “That shit is what allows you to skate for a living. It’s what allows you to travel with your son everywhere so you don’t have to miss a second of him growing up. You think I’m doing this for me? I have money, Josh. I couldn’t care less about any of that.”
    “Get off your high horse. I’m the one who fucking earned it!”
    “Exactly!” he shouts, his voice echoing in my ears. “You earned it, Josh, and you can’t just throw it away over some girl!”
    I step to him. “Watch your fucking mouth.”
    “This is bullshit,” he murmurs.
    “Why are you even here, then?”
    “Because as much as you don’t want to believe it right now, I’m your fucking friend.”
    “Yeah, well you’re not being my friend right now. You’re being my agent.”
    “No. Right now I’m being both.”
    I shove his chest. “What the fuck is your point, Chris?”
    His jaw sets, but he doesn’t push back. He seems to take a calming breath, or ten, all while the frustration and anger settle in the pit of my stomach. He says, “My point is that if her being here is going to push you off track again, then let me know. If I need to cancel your commitments for the next few weeks, then I’d