Aced (Blocked #2) by Jennifer Lane Page A

no one can witness your intimidation, ¿sí?”
    Coach glared at his assistant. “Brian, get him out of here.”
    Brian nodded and jogged toward one end of the court, where a ramp led up to the stands. But Alejandro didn’t appear to be finished.
    “I don’t know how your teams win with you bullying them at every turn.”
    “ Out of here!” Coach pointed to the door.
    “You think you’re such a big man, Holter.”
    “Ay, Dios mío,” Lucia cried softly.
    Coach yelled something back at Alejandro, but Kara’s appearance by my side distracted me from hearing it. “Hey, Maddie.” She cradled my elbow. “Coach asked you to leave. How ’bout you go now? Let Coach cool down a bit?”
    I gasped. “Am I kicked off the team? But how will I train for camp?”
    “I’m sure you’re not kicked off forever,” she said. I started breathing again. “But for now he’s about to blow, and I don’t want you here when he does.”
    I glanced at Nina to make sure she wouldn’t gloat about my departure, but she was absorbed in the Coach-Alejandro soap opera like everyone else on the team. I looked back at Kara. “Okay, I’ll go.” As I walked on unsteady legs to the locker room, Lucia joined me.
    “Oh my God. Alex has lost it.”
    I looked up as Alejandro’s agents pushed him to the exit with Brian trailing behind. He kept yelling at Coach but had shifted to Spanish.
    “Wow, your brother’s awesome. He’s really letting Coach have it.”
    “Good thing Coach doesn’t speak Spanish. But I’m a dead woman. I bet Coach will boot me out next.”
    “Don’t you get ejected on my behalf.”
    She clutched my arm. “I can’t believe he’s making you leave instead of Nina. Why didn’t you cry? You told me Coach freaks out when we cry. It would’ve stopped him in his tracks, and he probably would’ve let you stay at practice.”
    “I think I’m all cried out, Rez.” I frowned. “By the way, don’t let Nina get to you. She wishes she could be as strong as you. And she’s still jealous about Dane.”
    Abruptly, Rez giggled. “Dane will be so mad he missed this!”
    “Lucia!” Coach barked.
    She jumped, then sprinted back to the court.
    As I headed to the locker room, I noticed Tina standing by a wall with her arms folded across her chest. Uh-oh . I knew that appraising look; she’d obviously witnessed my meltdown. Her index finger curled toward her chest. Could I ignore her? I sighed. I knew she would hunt me down if I didn’t talk to her now. I changed course to follow her into the training room.
    “What’s going on with you?” she asked.
    The adrenaline from the altercation began to fade, replaced by shock. I just got kicked out of practice the first time in my life. My serves have never sucked so bad. I told a teammate to fuck off, and then I almost punched her. Fatigue weighed down my shoulders. “I’m—”
    “And don’t tell me you’re fine, ’cause you’re so not fine, Maddie. I’ve never seen you act that way.”
    I swallowed.
    “Here.” She handed me a business card. “Call her.”
    Carly Valentine, PhD , the card read. Highbanks Sport Psychologist . “But it’s just a breakup.” My voice trembled, and my throat burned. Don’t cry .
    “It’s more than that. You’re a hot mess.”
    I wasn’t sure if the burst of air from my mouth was a laugh or a cry, but it certainly wasn’t a happy sound.
    Tina patted my shoulder as she looked up into my eyes. “Talk to her, Maddie. Figure out what’s going on with you, okay? I miss your smile.”
    I blinked quickly. I missed my smile, too.

Chapter Eight

    “W HAT D ID I J UST D O ?” I ran my hands through my hair as I crumpled back against the wall. The dim lighting of the arena hallway hopefully hid my embarrassment.
    Frank approached and cupped my shoulder. “You got a little heated back there.”
    “Oo-rah,” Brad said. He raised his palm for a high-five, and I gave it to him. Though I didn’t want to celebrate my eruption, I