Sacking The Player

I let it go, and just grab her hand, giving her a slight squeeze. Both of us stay seated the rest of the game, I feel bad. Tate will probably ask what I thought, but I won’t have an answer for him, because I spend the rest of the game worried about my best friend.

There are only minutes left in the game. Tate chucks a thirty-yard strike to Adams, resulting in a touchdown. It’s not enough to win the game though. I don’t know much about football except that I love how sexy my man looks in those tight pants.

I make a quick trip to the bathroom and when I return to the stands it’s the final play. Bucky is lined up to kick. Everything looks good and seems to be going okay. However, the kick is blocked and lands near the centerline of the field. Tate has the ball and when he throws it, he suddenly goes down. Damn. I hope he isn’t hurt. The ball is intercepted by the defense of the opposing team and the guy runs fifty yards for a touchdown. Shit. That’s the game and I watch as my man limps off the field.

My first instinct is to run to him, but I won’t even be able to get near him right now. I won’t be able to see or talk to Tate until tomorrow, but I send him a text to let him know I hope he’s okay and that I’m thinking of him.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Court tells me as we exit the stadium. “You hungry?”

“No.?

??

“Are you okay? You never turn down food.”

I shrug. “I guess I’m feeling anxious and nervous about Tate’s ankle.” He told me about his injury from before, and I can’t help but worry that it could take away his chances at getting picked up in the draft.

Chapter 21

Tate

I’

m suited up and ready to take to the field. I never get nervous before a game. I live for getting on the field and throwing a smooth pass. So why do I feel like I could blow chunks all over the fucking place? Amaya said she would try to be here. Courtney said she would make it happen. She’s been fooling around with Adams. It’s a clusterfuck. Tex is losing his damn mind over it, but he fucked up.

Coach is giving us a motivational speech. Which is basically kill it on the field, or I’ll run your asses off next practice.

The game passes by in a blur, I was out of the zone. My mind was too busy wondering if my girl showed up to see me play. One minute I was playing my ass off and the next thing I know, Coach is giving me another speech.

“You played like shit tonight, King! Don’t think I didn’t notice. You gotta get your shit together, son. One more game like that and you can forget going pro,” Coach’s voice roars in my ear as he lays into me.

I don’t know what happened. I was playing great, but my ankle gave on me, and I went down hard. I’m on the table now getting checked by our head trainer. Damn, if my ankle is fucked, I’m finished.

Dean rubs my ankle and it’s tender, but I don’t dare flinch.

“How is he?” Coach asks, getting a bit softer now that he’s let me have it.

“I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. Just a twist. Some painkillers and keeping off it a few days should do the trick. It’s not swelling yet, but that doesn’t mean it won’t. If he has any issues just call me.”

I take the mild pain reliever and hit the showers before Coach can start on me again.

I start thinking about Amaya, wondering if she saw me play today. I check my phone and sure enough she did. Thirteen text messages demanding I call her to let her know if I’m okay. I smile. She does care about me. I knew it. All the brush offs, telling people we’re not dating, or our dates aren’t really dates—I knew it was all bullshit, at least only to her.

Maybe I’ll give her the brush off until the Halloween Date Auction tomorrow evening. If she wins me, all the bullshit over the last two months is done and over with. I don’t give a flying fuck if she fights it, I’ll be claiming her as mine and that’s that.

No more games.

Just me and her.

My girl.

All mine.

**

On the bus back home, I sit next to Adams. Bucky and Big Tex are in the seat behind me. Adams has a weird look on his face and the tips of his ears are red. “Who you texting?”

Caught, his entire face gets red. “Uh, Courtney, keeps sending me uh, pictures.”