Ruined By You | 18+ | ✓

10: bailey | past

I'd retreated further into myself. I quit the soccer team after sitting with my family at my Uncle Owen's and hearing them plan how one day JJ and Hunter are going to be playing at the professional level. No one said anything about my future in soccer.

It wasn't a complete surprise to my coach either when I let him know. I'd been skipping practices for the past three weeks after the fire.

I did tell Hunter that I quit, but he told me I was insane and that I should ask for my spot back. Except he didn't ask me why I quit.

It helped that we were in Charlotte for a few days afterwards and I was able to meet with Carter again. I know what I overheard my parents saying about Kiera, but just because she might want revenge on them, I'm still a little wary of Carter. Everything he's said so far has lined up. I don't want to deny the evidence in front of me, but it's getting harder to keep doing that.

A part of me wants to believe him because he's making more of an effort than anyone else.

It's been two weeks since I quit the team and my parents still haven't realized. JJ has been giving me quizzical looks that tells me he knows, he's just waiting for me to approach him about it. I have no intention of doing that though. Mom and Dad are too preoccupied with Henry and Mirabelle's relationship status to realize how things have gotten around the house.

I cut all my hair off a couple of days ago and Hunter and I look every bit of the identical twins we are.

My parents weren't home when I got here so I went straight to our shed in the back to wax my surfboard. I lose myself in the groove, my thoughts slipping away from me.

This simple and mindless task is one that I really enjoy doing. This is something that I can control so it soothes my raging thoughts.

A knock on the wall causes me to look up and I see Kaitlyn standing there. "Permission to enter?" She teases despite already being in here.

Her presence soothes me more than waxing my board. I can already feel some of my tension slipping away.

"Permission denied," I reply, cracking the smallest of smiles so she can tell that I'm joking. I don't think she'd listen to me anyway.

She walks further in, her dark hair that's pulled back in a ponytail swinging as she does. "Permission overruled," Kaitlyn says with a smile as she drags her fingertips lightly over the board. "Care to wax my board too?"

I raise my eyebrows at her because I don't know if she knows how that sounds, but my mind heads straight into the gutter. She looks at me curiously as I don't respond and then her cheeks flush.

"I-I didn't mean that how it sounded," She says flustered before hopping up onto the counter next to me, kicking her legs slightly.

I know she didn't mean it that way, but that doesn't mean I don't wish she meant it that way.

"How was cheer?" I ask, focusing back on my board.

"Didn't have it today. Coach had a doctors appointment or something. Figured I'd come to see what you're up to since you quit soccer."

Stopping my movement as my brain processes her words, I inhale slowly. "Hunter told you?" I ask, despite knowing the answer. He had to have or maybe it was JJ. Either way, I know that I wasn't the one who told her.

"Yes, but it was after he told me that something else is going on with you." She says casually, but when I steal a glance at her, I can tell that Kait is watching me closely.

"I don't want to talk about it."

She'd never look at me the same way.

"Bailey, please? I want to help."