Parallel Plays | P.B & C.C

15. don't blame me - RILEY

But then she pulled away.

"Thanks for the help, Prescott," she said, voice clipped. "I've got it from here."

I clenched my jaw, stepping back, the frustration bubbling beneath my skin.

Because I didn't just care about Caitlin as a trainer. And I was starting to think she didn't just care about me as a friend.

But she kept pulling away.

And I had no idea why.

The tension had been thick since the game ended, but now? Now it was suffocating.

Caitlin had barely said a word to me since leaving the training room, and I could tell she was stewing. She was always like this after a bad game, after an injury, after anything that made her feel even the slightest bit out of control.

I followed her out into the hallway, my jaw tight. "Caitlin, you need to take this seriously."

She scoffed, turning to face me, eyes flashing. "And you need to stop acting like I'm made of glass."

I exhaled sharply, trying to stay calm. "That's not what I'm saying—"

"Yeah, it is," she cut in, stepping closer. "Every time something happens, you hover. You push. Like you don't think I can handle myself."

"Maybe I wouldn't have to if you actually listened to me for once."

She let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head. "You think I don't listen to you? Riley, you think I don't hear every single thing you say? You're in my head all the damn time."

That caught me off guard. My stomach flipped, but I forced myself to keep my expression neutral. "Then why do you keep fighting me on everything?"

Caitlin ran a hand through her hair, looking frustrated—like she was warring with herself.

"You wanna know why I push back?" she muttered. "Because I don't know what the hell to do when you're right."

I frowned. "Caitlin—"

"You make me—" She cut herself off, shaking her head like she didn't even want to finish the thought.

"Make you what?" I challenged, stepping closer.

Her eyes flickered with something—anger, frustration, something else entirely.

And then, before I could react, before I could process, she grabbed my face and kissed me.

It wasn't soft. It wasn't careful. It was a collision—rough, desperate, fueled by whatever had been building between us for weeks.

I froze, my breath hitching, brain short-circuiting.

Caitlin Clark was kissing me.

And all I could think about was how good it felt.

Caitlin pulled back just as fast as she had kissed me, her breathing ragged, her eyes burning with something I couldn't name.

I stood there, frozen, still trying to catch up with what just happened.

"You done talking now?" she muttered, her voice low, rough.

I blinked, my pulse hammering in my ears. "You—"

"Don't." She shook her head, jaw clenched. "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" I shot back, my voice sharper than I intended.

"Like you want an explanation."

I scoffed, a humorless sound. "Maybe because I do?"

She huffed, stepping back like she needed the space. "It doesn't mean anything."

I felt something twist in my chest, something I wasn't ready to name. I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay steady. "Right. Got it."

Caitlin's eyes flickered over my face, like she was checking if I believed her. Like she was checking if I was gonna push.

I didn't.

I didn't know what I would even say if I did.

She let out a sharp breath, raking a hand through her hair before turning away. "I'll see you at practice."

And just like that, she was gone.

I stood there for a long time, my lips still tingling, my mind racing.

It didn't mean anything.

So why the hell did it feel like it did?

Authors note: hey guys owner 1 posted her chapter and wattpad made it weird so 14 looks like it posted before 13. We tried getting it back to normal but wattpad was just weird, so sorry 😭😭 — owner 2