“Is he okay?” I ask one of many trainers.
“Sure. He bought his bell rung and most undoubtedly has a concussion. Dean is taking him again for an X-ray and probably a CT scan, relying on what he discovers throughout his neuro examination.”
“Good.” I breathe out a sigh of reduction. “I’m glad Dean is on it.” Leo is a pleasant child. A bit too cocky for his personal good, however a pleasant child.
Joe glares at me from the sideline, and I give him a cheeky grin. He grumbles one thing I can’t hear after which turns again to the sphere. What his downside with Asher is, I’ve no clue, nevertheless it doesn’t matter. We’re on the market now. Asher simply made us public, and any peace and quiet we had earlier than is now gone.
I needs to be indignant about that. It’s not what we talked about in any respect, however I can’t discover my ire wherever. My man is on the sphere, and that appears to trump the whole lot else in the intervening time.
“Don’t fear,” one of many gamers, whose title is Aaron I believe, says to me. “They’ll maintain him protected, and Asher is the perfect within the league at evading the sack. I believe he solely had six all of final season.”
“That’s not rather a lot?” I ask, gnawing on my lip.
He grins at me. “There are quarterbacks who’ve six in a sport.”
“Oh.” I grimace. “Okay. Received it.”
“You get used to it,” he tells me. “My spouse by no means used to look at my video games, however now she comes to each house sport now we have.”
“Thanks for that,” I inform him. “It helps.”
My cellphone buzzes in my pocket, and I slip it out to see it’s Fallon.
“Excuse me.”
I shift over towards the facet—and the heater, let’s be sincere—for some privateness that I doubt I’ve any of.
Fallon: Asher kissing you is throughout each sports activities community proper now, whether or not they’re broadcasting the sport or not. You can even inform that he says I like you to you.
Me: Fabulous. What are the percentages we make it house and not using a media storm or with out individuals discovering that Asher is my child daddy?
Fallon: Subsequent to none. They’ll know your title and who you’re by the top of the sport. I’m sorry.
Me: Thanks. It was sure to return out in some unspecified time in the future.
That’s the spin I’m going to placed on it as a result of it’s the one one I’ve bought. Asher steps onto the sphere, and the place erupts into thunder and lightning, vibrating the earth beneath my toes with its depth and flashing infinite mild from digital camera telephones. Asher throws his hand up within the air, thanking the followers, after which he’s all enterprise, going into the huddle and main his workforce.
My coronary heart hiccups into my throat and stays there, lodged like a lump of clay unable to be expelled. My fingers knot up and tuck below my chin like a six-year-old. I by no means actually watch the video games after I’m out right here. I imply, I watch a few of it. However I don’t observe performs or downs or the rating—or a lot of something—apart from the clock that I used to be all the time counting down.
However proper now, I’m invested, my breath held together with each different fan right here.
Ryder snaps the ball, and proper off the rattling bat, two guys on both facet of the sphere go working the space together with one other man I’ve heard known as a decent finish. Asher fakes handing off the ball to the runner after which he sidesteps, dodging the advance of a defensive participant, and lets the ball fly. Joe curses audibly, ripping his headset from his head and thrashing his arm out as if he’s about to chuck it. The ball sails in a excessive, tight spiral that hits one of many gamers downfield midstride.
With the ball in his palms, he sprints down the sphere, solely to be tackled on the twenty-yard line. Asher fist pumps into the air after which factors at his broad receiver, however that’s the one emotion he exhibits. Identical to that, he’s clapping his palms, and getting his workforce to run down the sphere, calling one thing out to every of them as they go.
Joe is dropping his absolute thoughts on the sideline after which calls a timeout.
Asher is livid, yelling at Joe in a method I’ve by no means seen him do earlier than as he comes working over to the sideline. The 2 of them go head-to-head, shouting phrases nobody else can hear as a result of roar of the gang. Ryder inserts himself between the 2 of them after which begins strolling ahead, pushing Asher again onto the sphere.
“Comply with the fucking performs I name!” I hear Joe belt out, and all Asher does is shake his head.
“I do know!” He factors at Joe over Ryder’s shoulder. “I fucking know all about you, Joe. You’re not calling shit right this moment.”
I do not know what’s happening, however I’ve by no means seen Asher like this. And what the hell did that imply? He is aware of about Joe? What does he know? Ryder grabs Asher by the facemask of his helmet, after which he’s saying one thing that has Asher nodding. The timeout ends, and Asher is on the sphere, calling the play, going fully rogue.
Joe’s headset goes flying, skidding throughout the grass, forcing two gamers to leap so it doesn’t smash into them, after which it crashes towards one of many heaters. He’s ripping at his hair and for a person who’s notoriously cool and composed, he’s fully unhinged. The gamers shift, giving Joe a wider berth. Not even his assistant coaches will go close to him.
My cellphone vibrates in my pocket once more.
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