And proper now, I personal this.

Wynter is someplace behind me, however I haven’t dared look in her path since I ran on the sector. I do know she has questions. I owe her extra solutions than she’s even conscious of. This includes her too. Extra so than ever earlier than. However this isn’t the second to lose focus. Not after we’re this near victory.

She should sense that as a result of she hasn’t come over to me since I took the sector.

The additional level kick is sweet, after which I head again to the bench the place my offense has congregated. Kneeling on the chilly earth, I begin going by performs and technique, when the offensive coordinator comes over to me.

“Asher, what the hell are you doing?”

I look up at him. “My job. Main my group to a W.”

He shakes his head, his mouth tousled. “You possibly can’t go towards your coach like that, man. It’s profession suicide.”

“When that is throughout, I received’t be the one one with issues to reply for. Not by a protracted shot.”

And one thing about that appears to do the trick as a result of all of a sudden, my offensive coordinator is teaching us up, working by performs with me, and that’s how we do issues for the remainder of the sport. Joe doesn’t come close to us. Not as soon as. The truth is, he retains his mouth shut and his eyes on the sector.

However I do know higher than to assume that he’s declared defeat.

If something, he’s resting up, recharging his batteries in preparation for our subsequent battle. Solely he has no clue what’s coming for him. None.

* * *

The sport comes all the way down to a area purpose within the ultimate seconds of the sport. We received, however there’s a heaviness within the air as all of us trudge into the locker room, Joe main the pack to provide the phantasm that he nonetheless maintains management. I don’t reply any of the reporters’ questions, although they swarm me and Joe the second they’re allowed on the sector.

I began a coup, and customarily, that doesn’t maintain so properly in sports activities.

I search round for Wynter however don’t see her wherever, after which I push my approach towards the locker room, ignoring the questioning appears to be like from my guys as we go. I might want to deal with this with them. With Wynter. With everybody.

I cease one of many trainers and ask about Leo. He tells me that Dr. Horowitz took him to the hospital, and that’s all he is aware of proper now. I can solely hope he’s okay.

Joe is nowhere to be discovered—evidently deciding to forgo his postgame speech—so I stand in the midst of the locker room and deal with my guys.

“I do know you all have a whole lot of questions on as we speak. I can’t offer you solutions but, however I’ll. I promise. You all performed a hell of a sport on the market as we speak, and I need us to all ship up a silent, therapeutic prayer for Leo.”

The fellows grunt and all circle round me, after which I head for the showers to get myself put collectively. The press convention is scheduled for after the sport, and I do know the press are already in there, ready on me after what I pulled as we speak.

The truth is, I wager it’s standing room solely with reporters. Hell, ESPN is lower than a two-hour drive. I’m undecided what I’m going to say. I would like to talk on to Joe, and I would like Wynter and the group proprietor, Randolph there for that.

I bathe rapidly and alter again into the go well with I wore right here because the group has a gown code for us. Slipping my cellphone out of my pocket, I have a look and see I’ve dozens of missed calls and texts. However it’s the textual content from Wynter that has my breath stalled.

Ice Queen: Is that this true?

There’s a hyperlink to an ESPN information article with the headline. “Asher Reyes Uncommon Mid-Season Commerce Deal With LA Presumably Put On Maintain With Leo Dodd Harm.”

Fuck. Chaos brews inside me. I bolt as much as my toes and head for the exit. How on earth did they hear concerning the commerce? I can solely think about the ideas going by Wynter’s head.

Me: The place are you?

The dots begin to dance on the display screen, and anxious reduction swarms by me. No less than she’s nonetheless speaking to me. I ought to have advised her. I ought to have talked to her this morning, however after assembly with Lenox, I ran out of time earlier than I needed to report back to the sector, after which I didn’t see her a lot, and I actually didn’t have the chance to talk together with her about something this concerned.

I couldn’t try this on the sector. However I had deliberate to speak to her tonight. I used to be going to inform her every part.

What I hadn’t deliberate on was Leo’s head damage or overthrowing my coach or popping out publicly about my relationship with Wynter or her discovering out concerning the commerce from a goddamn information article.

She received’t perceive this. I do know she received’t, and I already know her thoughts goes to some very darkish locations.

Ice Queen: Reply my query.

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