LOGINShare
Chapter 37
publish date:
2026-07-26 01:57:33
Latest chapter
Taming the varsity player CHAPTER 47: SAFE HARBOR
ELOISEThe cold floor beneath me felt entirely detached from reality. The low, muffled bass of the lounge music thrummed through the dark hallway, but to my ears, it sounded like it was coming from under a mile of water.I'm done with this relationship. I'm done with you.Mike’s final words echoed over and over in my head, each repetition slicing deeper than the last. I sat curled up on the filthy floor right outside the restroom doors, my back pressed against the wall, my knees pulled tightly against my chest. Black mascara tracks stained my cheeks, warm tears pouring uncontrollably down my face. I couldn't move. I couldn't process it. My throat tightened so violently it felt like the air in the hallway was turning to concrete.Everything felt like a twisted, suffocating nightmare. He didn't just break up with me. That didn't just happen. It couldn't have."Eloise?"The soft, shocked voice broke through the static in my head.I didn't even have the strength to hide my face. Sl
Taming the varsity player CHAPTER 46: THE LOUNGE DISASTER
ELOISE"I’m telling you, El, Marcus is a total sweetie," Tasha said for the third time, adjusting her gold hoop earrings in the reflection of the off-campus lounge’s glass doors. "He brought his teammate, Trey. Trey plays wide receiver, he's premed, and most importantly, he doesn't act like he owns the university. Just relax and have fun. You deserve a normal night out."I forced a small, tight smile, smoothing down the front of my black fitted dress. "I know. I'm excited."It was a lie. The heavy, sickening truth of what I had overheard in the administrative wing hours ago—Mike, his father, and Coach Vance discussing underground point-shaving—was still burning a hole through my chest. But when Tasha had insisted on setting me up on a double date to celebrate our new friendship, I couldn't say no. Besides, Mike and I had agreed to strict secrecy. As far as the campus was concerned, I was single. I had every right to be here.The sports lounge was packed with Vanderbilt students, w
Taming the varsity player CHAPTER 45: THE POINT SPREAD
ELOISEThe rain had stopped by the afternoon, leaving Vanderbilt’s campus slick, grey, and smelling of damp earth. My mind was still reeling from the intense, silent confrontation between Mike and Caleb in the library. Every time I tried to focus on my classwork, the raw fury in Mike’s eyes flashed in my mind, making my hands shake against my notebook.I needed to clear my head, so I volunteered to head to the athletic annex’s administrative wing to pick up some generic housing forms my mom needed for her logistics records.The administrative wing was quiet, lined with polished mahogany walls and glass display cases showcasing centuries of Vanderbilt sports trophies. The liaison wasn't at her front desk, but the door to the inner executive conference room was cracked open.I stepped into the reception area, my sneakers making a soft squeaking sound on the marble floor. "Hello? Ms. Vance?"No answer. But as I turned to leave, a wave of deep, hushed voices drifted through the gap i
Taming the varsity player CHAPTER 44: THE SANCTUARY OF THE OUT-OF-TUNE PIANO
The heavy, humid August air clung to my skin as I hurried across the dark campus quad. It was 2:15 AM. The towering gothic buildings of Vanderbilt looked like silent, stone giants against the midnight sky, their windows dark and vacant.My heart hammered a frantic, high-voltage rhythm against my ribs, not from the cold drizzle misting my face, but from the sheer, exhilarating danger of what I was doing.Rule Number Three: Absolute secrecy.We were breaking it tonight. We had to.Following the cryptic text Mike had sent me an hour ago, I slipped through the heavy oak doors of the old campus chapel. It was a building rarely used now, mostly left to the dust and the memory of old alumni. The interior was pitched in near-total blackness, save for the pale moonlight filtering through the high stained-glass windows, casting long, colored shadows across the stone floor.I walked quietly toward the back staircase, my sneakers making no sound, and pushed open the door to the abandoned ba
Taming the varsity player CHAPTER 43
ELOISEThe quiet of the music hall's basement practice rooms was usually my escape, but tonight, the piano keys felt like lead beneath my fingers. I kept staring at the sheet music, my vision blurring. Every time I closed my eyes, I just saw Mike's radiant, carefree smile on that jet ski, surrounded by the golden campus elite.He’s happy, I kept telling myself, a heavy, hollow ache settling deep in my chest. You should be happy for him."You're playing flat, El."I gasped, my hands slipping off the keys with a discordant clash. I turned around to find Caleb leaning against the doorframe of the practice room, holding two cups of coffee. He was wearing his usual comfortable flannel, looking at me with a soft, perceptive frown."I'm fine," I lied quickly, blinking back the hot tears that threatened to spill over. "Just... tired. These classical composition classes are no joke.""Right. And I'm a classical cellist," Caleb said dryly, stepping into the cramped room and setting the co
Taming the varsity player Chapter 42
MIKE"Weller! Weller! WELLER!"The locker room was absolute, deafening pandemonium. The bass from Chad’s portable speaker was vibrating right through the concrete floor, shaking the lockers as the guys poured ice-cold water and sports drinks over my head.We had just obliterated State by twenty points in our home opener. I had dropped thirty-two points, nine rebounds, and five blocks. The adrenaline coursing through my veins was like pure electricity, hot and intoxicating.That's what I'm talking about!" Jake roared, slamming a hand against my shoulder pads as I laughed, wiping the cold water from my face. "Draft stock just went through the damn roof, boy! We're celebrating. No excuses tonight.""I'm in," I grinned, tossing my wet jersey into the bin.For the first time in weeks, the suffocating pressure of my parents, the PR handlers, and the heavy, constant ache of having to ignore Eloise felt... distant. Out on that court, under the blinding stadium lights with thousands of pe
You may also like
Pregnant For The Bully
Dbookishgirl135.5K viewsMy stepbrother
Thorns718.6K viewsThe Bully's Obsession
Angela Shyna563.7K viewsBEGIN AGAIN
Jolante42458.0K viewsDumped On Live TV, Claimed By The Hockey King
J.j237 viewsRuined by my Bully Stepbrother
LadyBee1.8K viewsLiving With My Hockey Star Stepbrother
Mercy's Ink 484 viewsPower Play With My Fake Boyfriend
Blessyinks342 views
