I was across the locker room before he finished, my fist stopping the barrage of bullshit from his mouth.
We toppled over the bench as I swung again, pounding his face with my fist.
“Holy shit!” Someone shouted.
“Okay, okay.” Hendrix grabbed one of my arms as someone took the other—Nixon. “We’re going to need that hand today, buddy.” They hauled me away.
“He assaulted me!” Rick cried, scrambling to his feet and holding his face.
“You want to talk about assault, asshole?” I fired back, surging against the hands that held me back. “You really want to go there? Let’s talk about the mother-fucking bruises!”
He blanched as his gaze darted around the dozens of players surrounding us. “You sucker-punched me right in the face!”
Nixon scoffed. “That was hardly a sucker punch. In fact, I didn’t see anything. Did you, Hendrix?”
“Nope. I saw Roman trip and fall…just like you did a few weeks ago.” Hendrix shrugged.
The blood rushed back into Baker’s face, turning him red as a cherry tomato.
Nixon sat me on the bench. “Put some ice on your fucking hand.”
“Show’s over,” Hendrix announced.
Conversation resumed, but there was more than one questioning glance thrown in Baker’s direction.
“How did it feel?” Hendrix asked a few minutes later as I iced my throbbing hand.
“Better than it did the first time,” I admitted quietly.
“Look,” Nixon started from my other side, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’ve both given you some space for the last few weeks, and I know that right now, our heads need to be on the game…”
“But?” I prompted with a slight roll of my eyes.
“But there was a time that you told me to get off my ass and go get my woman, and if I hadn’t listened to you, I wouldn’t have my wife, and I’d barely get to see my daughter. So you need to get off your ass and go get your woman.”
My eyes narrowed on his perfect-life-having face. “I can’t give her what she wants. What kind of selfish prick makes his woman sacrifice her dreams? This isn’t about her wanting to volunteer in a third world country, Nixon. There’s no compromise to be had here. Either she wants me, or she doesn’t.”
“Then at least have that conversation with her. The way you two left it…you’re both a mess.” Nixon sighed.
“You’ve seen her?” Holy shit did that sting.
“Liberty has.”
I shook my head, and noticed Hendrix’s jaw ticking. “What, you too?”
“I’m the last fucking person to give relationship advice. My longest relationship includes me calling her an uber. But, I will say that you two are pretty damned perfect together if not for this one thing.”
“Yeah, well, this one thing is her everything, and if she’d wanted to talk, she would have shown up or called. She has a fucking key.”
We fell into an awkward silence.
“And on that note, go team?” Nixon gave me a sarcastic thumbs up.
“We’re going to win today,” I said with a decisive nod. “Something has to go my way.”
* * *
We lost.
It wasn’t because Baker tripped, or I ran too slow, or any other tangible reason. We simply got outplayed.
Our season ended, and I drove home, growing a little more numb with each passing mile. Apparently, my soul had a pain limit, and I’d reached it. There was nothing left to feel.
I hit the remote for the gate, then drove through after it swung open. I’d bought this huge house and all this land…for what? At the time, I’d figured I could move Mom and Dad in when they’d need care, but what about until then?
I rounded the curve, and my heart stopped, then pounded.
Teagan’s car was parked in front of the house.
I steadied my hands but not my heartbeat as I parked and headed inside, only to find Teagan walking in from the back yard at the same time.
Her eyes flew wide, and her lips parted as Walt pushed by her. I dropped to my haunches out of pure habit, rubbing him behind the ears.
“Sorry. I. Um…” Teagan swallowed and shook her head. “I just took him out.”
“That’s okay.” That’s okay? That’s the best I could come up with? Hope welled in my chest, but I shut that shit down.
“I listened to the game,” she said softly, closing the door behind her. “I’m so sorry.”
“It happens.” I stood slowly, taking in everything about her. She’d lost a little weight, which meant she wasn’t eating, and her face was pale…drawn, like she hadn’t been sleeping.
“I know how badly you wanted it.” She wrung her hands, her fingers sliding over the skin where her ring used to be.
“Everyone wants it. It’s just part of the game.” Fuck, I’d missed her. Just seeing her had my lungs simultaneously expanding fully for the first time in weeks and screaming in pain. “Look, I’m really happy to see you, T, but what are you doing here?”