The Ex Project by Nia Arthurs

Chapter Five

Yolanda wantedto run away when she saw Coach Marden marching swiftly toward her. Heart pounding, she stuck close to Tay-Tay and reached desperately for his duffel, swinging it over her shoulder.

“Yolanda.” Coach Marden quickened his pace, waving a brawny arm over his head.

She froze, mid-escape. The other football moms stopped too. They turned as one and watched the beautiful sight of Coach Marden in motion.

He looked like he belonged on a big screen with that gorgeous face, startling silver eyes, and crazy-hot smile. His body was just as glorious. Bulging biceps. Long legs. He was breathtaking and it was unfair that the sun followed him like a spotlight.

Coach Marden stopped in front of her. He wasn’t breathing hard, despite how fast he’d been running. Sweat glistened on his forehead and neck, but the way it darkened on his shirt told her he’d been perspiring long before he saw her.

She swallowed her nerves, faced him and tried to forget that he had seen her naked. She spoke as primly as possible. “Coach Marden, how can I help you?”

Tay-Tay straightened, his eyes darting between her and the coach.

“Can we talk for a second?”

Tay-Tay chewed on his bottom lip. She glanced at his nervous expression and then back at Coach Marden. Her awkwardness slipped away as she flipped into full mama-mode. It didn’t matter if she’d had a one-night stand with this man. If it had anything to do with her son’s well-being, she’d put up with fire, hate, and anything else the world wanted to throw at her.

“Tay-Tay, wait here,” she said.

With a frantic look at Coach Marden, her son hissed, “Are you going to tell her?”

“Tell me what?” She planted both hands on her hips.

“Nothing.” Both he and Tay-Tay said at the same time.

She narrowed her eyes at her son. “Are you keeping secrets from me?”

He glanced away, cementing his guilt.

“It’s nothing serious,” Coach Marden said, flashing a flustered smile. His lips were pink and full, even as they tightened in a show of hesitation.

Her heart pounded. Why can’t I remember sleeping with this man? It’s so unfair.

“What do we need to talk about?” she asked, her words a little softer than they should have been.

“This way,” Coach Marden said, swinging his hands to indicate the opposite end of the field.

Tay-Tay took a step as if he’d follow them.

She lifted a hand. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

Coach Marden nodded at Theo and then turned, leading her far from the prying eyes of the football moms. They were lingering around the bleachers. A few looked like they wanted to follow too.

Self-conscious, Yolanda ducked her head and shuffled behind Coach Marden, but she caught herself. Why should she act ashamed? She was Yolanda flipping Walsh. Nothing Coach Marden could say or do to her would be harder than raising a child on her own. Her demeanor shifted in an instant. She raised her head and walked confidently beside him.

He stopped beneath the shade of a coconut tree, pointing to a spot under a large leaf where she was guaranteed to be out of the sunlight. His thoughtfulness made her heart flutter.

“What did you want to discuss?” Yolanda folded her arms over her chest.

He turned to her, his silver eyes gleaming like liquid steel in the sunlight. He stepped a little closer and she stepped back. He took note of it and tilted his head to the side.

“What?” she asked breathlessly.

“Did I offend you in some way?”

“Offend me?” She forced out a laugh that sounded like a creaky door. “No. Of course not. Why would you… no.”

“I see.” His narrowed eyes told her he didn’t believe her.

Yolanda bit back a moan of frustration. This was exactly why she kept to strict rules for her one-night stands. If Coach Marden was a stranger, she would never have to see him again and, thus, all these awkward conversations could have been avoided.

She spoke firmly. “Nothing has changed between us. In fact, I’d prefer if we could just forget last weekend ever happened.”

His eyes widened. “Forget?”

“Coach Marden—” Yolanda saw a frustrated look cross his face when she called him that, but she didn’t care. Calling him by his first name was a privilege she gave up when she got naked with him and then forgot about it. “My son just got out of his punishment and he’s very eager to be at practice. I don’t want what happened last week to cause any problems for him.”

Coach Marden worked his jaw. “Why would there be a problem?”

“Because…”

He stared at her, waiting for her to finish.

She sucked in a deep breath. “No matter what happened between us that night, I would prefer if you did not take me aside to speak to me about anything other than Theo.”

His thick eyebrows crashed over silver eyes. “You’re drawing the line.”

“I’m asking you nicely.” She dipped her chin. “You are my son’s football coach. You are someone he admires and looks up to. I make it a rule to never get… complicated with anyone in my son’s life, and I might have made a mistake last week, but I don’t intend on breaking that rule more than once.”

He opened his mouth. “Yolanda—”

“It’s not personal. The truth is, I would never get involved with any of my son’s mentors and that isn’t going to change now. What I did last week was crossing the line and for that I apologize.”

Coach Marden sighed.

She backed up a step. “Thank you for understanding. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Yolanda hurried away before she did something stupid—like whirl around, throw her arms around him and ask if they could be friends.

It was a con. A road that led straight back into Coach Marden’s bed. She could never be ‘just friends’ with a man she’d already slept with. Secondly, she didn’t need the drama. Yolanda was already struggling to make parenting work with Devon. Adding another man to her life did not appeal at all.

She returned to Theo and tossed her chin at the parking lot. “Let’s go.”

“What did coach want to talk about?” He dug his fingers into his duffel and twisted.

Her mother’s intuition went off. Narrowing her eyes at him, Yolanda turned the question back in his direction. “What do you think we were talking about?”

“Mom.” He groaned.

“You’re not to keep secrets from me Theodore Walsh.”

“I’m not.”

She narrowed her eyes at him.

Face flashing with guilt, Tay-Tay gripped his bag and hurried to the car.

Yolanda wanted to pursue the topic, but her phone rang when she got behind the wheel.

It was Devon.

She scowled at the number and tossed the phone back into her purse. He’d been calling her ever since the debacle at the bar. She was still annoyed about that, so she ignored him. It wasn’t hard to do since he seemed to have left Belize City for business. Unfortunately, he’d be back soon, and he’d make himself a physical annoyance again.

She threw her head back and groaned at the ceiling of her car. Dealing with Devon was exhausting. She sometimes wondered if it would have been easier to pretend Tay-Tay’s father was dead.

Gritting her teeth, she turned up the music.

Tay-Tay turned it down. “Let me answer it.”

She whipped her head around, taking her eyes off traffic to pin them on her wiser-than-his-years son.

“It’s dad, right?”

Her heart sank straight into her stomach. Trying to play it off, she shook her head. “No, it’s a wrong number.”

Tay-Tay reached into her purse and pulled out her ringing cell phone. Turning the device so the screen faced her, he arched an eyebrow.

Yolanda winced when she saw Devon’s name parading over the screen. Why does he have to be so smart?

Tightening her fingers on the wheel, she focused on the road to avoid Tay-Tay’s shrewd eyes. “I’ll get back to him when I’m not driving.”

Tay-Tay swiped his thumb across the phone.

A moment later, Devon’s voice squawked through the speakers. “Finally you answer!”

“Dad,” Tay-Tay spoke, looking at her, “it’s me.”

Devon went silent.

“Did you need something?” Yolanda asked stiffly.

“Nah, I was just… checking on you and Tay-Tay.”

“We’re fine,” Tay-Tay replied.

“I’ll call you back, Devon!” She capered at Tay-Tay. End it. Hang up.

“I’m going to football practice again,” Tay-Tay said.

Devon went deathly silent.

Yolanda would have face-palmed if she wasn’t driving.

“What?” Devon exploded. “He’s doing what?”

“I told you we will talk about this later,” she said through gritted teeth.

“I don’t think he should be seeing that football coach, Yolanda. We don’t know what kind of man he is.”

Tay-Tay’s expression twisted. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Tay-Tay,” she cautioned.

“He’s a washed-out, injured football player. What can he teach my son anyway?” Devon grumbled. “You know what they say. Those who can’t, teach.”

“I’m not quitting football,” Tay-Tay barked, his eyes gleaming with anger. “I just got back on the team. And I already apologized to Yanique. Coach said he sees leadership material in me.”

“He’s just saying that to make you feel good. He doesn’t mean it,” Devon said.

Tay-Tay’s nostrils flared.

Yolanda launched over the dashboard, grabbed her phone and ended the call.

Swift and harsh silence filled the front of the truck.

She tossed the phone into her purse and shot a glance at her fuming son. “Tay-Tay, you know your dad didn’t mean it that way.”

“Coach Marden is a good coach.”

“I know that, baby.”

“He’s the only football player in Belize who went pro. He can teach me.”

“I know, sweetie.” Yolanda was starting to panic because she could sense that Tay-Tay was both hurt and frustrated and she didn’t know how to reach him. “Your dad is just busy right now. He didn’t mean to say anything to—”

“He meant exactly what he said,” Tay-Tay hissed, folding his arms over his chest.

“Sweetie…”

He turned away from her, curled his knees up into his chest and stared through the window.

Yolanda sighed heavily as she slowed the car at a red light. The weight of the world fell on her shoulders and she dipped her head on top of the steering wheel. Why did Devon always do this? He tore Tay-Tay’s heart out of his chest, crushed it and then left her to pick up the pieces.

“Baby,” she crooned, “your father is proud of you. He thinks you can accomplish all your dreams. You know that.”

Tay-Tay remained silent.

Yolanda rubbed the back of her neck, searching for more encouragements. Just then, her phone rang.

It was her mother.

She groaned, not wanting to deal with her mom’s pushiness right now. Ignoring the call, she kept trying to cheer her son up, but he refused to smile at her.

When they got home, Tay-Tay shot straight up the stairs and disappeared into his room. Sitting wearily around her dinner table, Yolanda pulled out her phone to check her messages.

There was an invitation to her sister’s art gallery along with a text that made her soul leave her body.

MOM: Come to your sister’s gala this weekend. And bring your boyfriend.