The Hardest Fall

“Do you want me to knock your ass out?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I’d love to see you try, you fucker.”

“O-kay. As fun as this is to watch, I’m just gonna take my pizza and—”

“Sit down, Zoe, and eat your pizza. JP will be leaving soon.”

Her eyes grew big and her lips twitched. “Aye aye, captain.”

As she walked back toward the couch, I scrubbed my hand down my face and sighed. JP was apparently still waiting for an answer, because he was still standing in the same spot, arms crossed over his chest.

“I told you I found a roommate. Why the hell are you worried about it?”

He relaxed his stance and sighed. “Come on, man. Finding a roommate isn’t the problem here. You barely speak to the guys unless we’re on the field or in a meeting. Do you think they don’t notice how distant you’ve been? You’ve been ditching us for study groups, and you always get all tongue-tied whenever we ask where you’re staying. I get calls from Vicky asking me where you are, and I don’t even know if you’re talking to her again or if it’s just her crazy ass trying something. It’s not just you trying to keep a secret about where you’re staying for some damn reason. It’s our last year—you can’t pull this shit now. What the hell is going on with you?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zoe tuck her legs under her and hug the pizza box to herself as she lifted a slice up to her lips. At least one of us was enjoying the moment. I turned my focus back to JP. I really didn’t want to get in trouble with Coach by having JP in the apartment, but since he was already standing in the middle of the living room, I couldn’t see how I could avoid it either.

“Nothing is going on with me, JP. What do you expect me to do about the team? I’m not dropping the ball out there, that should be enough. I don’t think you’d act any differently if you were in my shoes. Do you honestly believe none of them saw what was going on with those three at that party?”

“I was at that party, Dylan, remember? Chris was there too. You think we knew what was going on?” he asked in disbelief.

“No, not you, but don’t tell me you believed them when they said it only happened that once. Screw that. I don’t even care about it anymore, but don’t expect me to trust them any time soon. On the field, we’re a team, always, and I’ll have their backs, but off the field?” I shook my head and leaned my back against the door. “No, man. I don’t have a problem with everyone, but nothing says I have to like those few who I’m sure knew what was going on just because we’re playing for the same team. And of course I’m going to ditch your ugly asses to study. You said it yourself, it’s our last year. Scouts are there, watching every game. This is it. We either make it or we don’t. I gotta give it my all. Instead of being a creep and following me around, you should be studying too since Coach will have your head if your average drops.”

“So that’s it? That’s all of it?”

“What else do you want me to say?”

My friend gave me a cold stare. “How about an apology for making me worry about your stupid ass like a mother hen?”

“You being serious?”

“Yeah. Let’s hear it. I had better things to do than follow you around to find out what the hell you were up to, not to mention I didn’t know which apartment you disappeared into and had to knock on a shit ton of doors before I found it.”

I laughed. “Fine. Sorry. We good?”

“Yeah. It’ll do for now.”

I pushed off the wall and we did a one-armed hug, thumping each other’s back.

“Awww, you guys love each other. Either my eyes are watering or there’s a dust storm happening where I’m sitting. I would’ve never guessed that football players would be this emotional,” Zoe said as she popped the last bit of a crust into her mouth, her fingers immediately reaching for another slice.

Amused, I shook my head and sighed. “JP, this is Zoe, my roommate and my new buddy. Zoe, this is JP, my surprisingly emotional teammate.”

“Fuck off.” After elbowing me in the stomach, JP made his way toward her.

Giving my friend a shy smile, Zoe wiggled her fingers at him. “Hi.”

“Do I know you from somewhere?”

Zoe’s eyes slid to me then back to JP. “I don’t know how you would.”

I walked around the couch to sit down. There went my plan of watching a movie with my so-called buddy and spending a quiet night in.