Read Online This Round I'm Yours by Clarise Tan, Marian Tee, The Passionate Proofreader - Free Book Online

ceiling. You’re kidding, right, God? I’ve learned my lesson. I will never be sarcastic again. Just don’t take this away from me.
    If Silver left her, and if she was kicked out of the basketball team…
    She would have nothing left to her.
    “Calm down, Lace—”
    She threw her hands up. “If you’re going to kick me out—”
    “I said ‘might’.”
    Slowly, Lace started breathing again and she stopped pacing in front of Coach Rob.
    “You see, I’ve had a talk with your history professor.”
    Lace flinched, realizing what this was all about.
    “If you flunk your midterms…” Coach Rob’s tone sharpened. “I’ll have no choice but to suspend you from the team.”
    God. This was just…this was just so like her life. Every time she hit a rough patch, it would be followed by another and another and another.
    “I gotta admit…I never saw this coming.”
    She hung her head in shame. She knew why. Every damn guy in her team was a Dean’s Lister and here she was, their coach, and she couldn’t even get a stupid C in History.
    “You understand I have no power to prevent your suspension if you do fail?”
    “Yes, Coach,” Lace mumbled. “And I’m sorry. I’ll make sure my grades won’t be a problem.”
    “I’m relieved to hear that.” Coach Rob hesitated. “I know I’m not here all the time, but if there’s something wrong…you know my door’s open anytime.”
    She shook her head. “I’m good, Coach.” Like she’d ever tell him she was so stressed over Grant and missing Silver so much she couldn’t concentrate on her studies. Lace Wyndham having boy trouble? She’d rather flunk the exam outright.
    “There’s one last thing.”
    Her head shot up. Really? She almost wanted to look up and ask God if this was His way of showing love.
    “There’s been a change in tomorrow’s schedule, and the new match will be between us and your old school Northwest.”
    Damn. It. To. Hell.
    Even the name alone gave her the chills, and the thought of having to face her old team again, not to mention Grant…
    Did Coach Rob know what he was asking , Lace wondered dully. It was like…it was like being told she had to go through microfracture knee surgery tonight then being asked to play tomorrow… and win the game.
    Coach Rob eyed her warily. “That won’t be too much or…”
    She forced a smile. “Not at all. We’re going to kill it.”  
    And they were. They were. She was just going to borrow a page from Amar’e Stoudemire’s book. That guy didn’t just survive a potentially career-ruining injury, but he had also come back to wow NBA fans all over the world with his midrange jumpers, making it seem like his stint in rehab had worked like a sports camp instead.
    “You’re sure?”
    “Absolutely.”  
    Coach Rob was about to say more, but when Lace’s phone rang, he waved a dismissive hand. “Go answer that. We’re finished here, anyway. Just don’t forget, Wyndham: you can’t afford to flunk History, so be sure to study.”
    “Yes, Coach.”  
    He smiled briefly. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, though. You’re extremely good at what you do, but it’s normal if you stumble along the way. What’s gonna make you an exceptional coach is learning how to pick yourself up. Be that role model your boys need you to be.”
    Damn. It. To. Hell.
    Everyone was doing their best to make her cry right now.
    Ignoring her itchy eyes as best as she could, Lace nodded jerkily. “Thanks, Coach.”
    “See you tomorrow. Go and get some rest now. I’ll go and tell the guys myself.”
    Outside the office, Lace debated whether to answer the phone or not, already knowing who it was. But her phone continued to ring, and after five full minutes, she finally answered it. “What is it?”
    Grant chuckled over the phone. “You sound beautiful when you’re mad, Lacey baby.”
    Silver saying words like that somehow turned her on, but when it was Grant…  
    Her skin crawled. She couldn’t shake off the