10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Adam

Letting Amelia know I was at the game was foolish of me, but I couldn’t contain the excitement I felt knowing we were in the same place at the same time. When she asked if I wanted to meet up, I froze. I’d love to meet her, but I’m not sure it’s the best idea.

I need to decide what I want to do soon. Then, I need to find a way to make up to her for not responding right away.

“Hey, hashtag Briosh! Wanna tell us what’s going on with this hot new girl of yours?” Derek Michaels, the Mavs quarterback, yells out, making me turn from my locker to see what’s going on.

I turn my head toward the entrance, a smirk on my face as I see Josh glaring at Michaels, a blush creeping up his neck. He’s in for it. The guys have been buzzing about needling him because of what Tea Time had to say about him and Brie.

Tea Time is Pleasant Hollow’s gossip column and has been around for decades. Apparently, this little gossip rag picks up everything, and today, it was about Josh and Brie getting cozy after yesterday’s game.

I shake my head and chuckle. Is there anything that this small town doesn’t have? A gossip column? Really? Come on.

My phone vibrates, and I see a text from Darius.

Darius: Everyone is pretty sure Josh has a thing for Brie, even though he denies it. Darius: He’s overprotective and gets defensive when anyone brings Brie up or if they talk about her wearing someone else’s jersey. Darius: This is the first time everyone gets to tease him about it, though, and we plan to take full advantage.

I wonder what Susie thinks about this Josh and Brie theory. Next time I see her, I’ll have to ask.

A grin slides across my face at the thought of having a reason to talk to Susie again. Her brother and her best friend are the perfect excuse.

I glance toward Darius and mouth, “Hashtag Briosh?”

I can’t stop myself from rolling my eyes, and Darius immediately starts laughing.

“Stupidest nickname ever!” He mouths back, and I press my lips together as I work to keep a straight face just as Josh gets to his locker.

“I noticed she was wearing my jersey,” Johnson yells, a teasing glint in his eye. “Maybe it’s me she really wants, and you’re just a replacement.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Johnson,” Josh throws back at Johsnon, a tightness around his mouth and a hardness to his eyes. There might be a little something to this rumor after all. “Brie has a soft spot for kickers. She feels like you don’t get enough recognition. Think of her wearing your jersey as pity, not desire.”

“WOOOOOOO,” comes a collective taunt from the entire room as I text Darius.

Me: Has he done anything else to make everyone think this way?

Darius: Have you seen them together? Darius: They are definitely into each other! Darius: I think I know who sent the video to Tea Time .

My brows raise as I look up at Darius before texting.

Me: Seriously? Me: Was it one of the guys?

If it was one of the guys who sent the video over to Tea Time, it could put a whole other spin on this story. I look at Darius, who has a mischievous grin on his face as he slowly nods. My phone buzzes.

Darius: We can talk about my theories later.

I look back at him, and the grin on his face sparkles before he joins in teasing Josh.

“Owens throwing down fighting words. Sorry, Johnson, but I watched the video. I would say that the first part of hashtag Briosh only has eyes for the second part. Whoever recorded that video caught the heat coming off of those two. I was waiting for the video to burst into flames.” He blows on his fingers.

I shake my head and laugh out loud at Darius’s goading. Before turning back to my locker I glance slowly around to see if anyone looks suspicious, but no one seems to be doing anything except laughing at Josh’s expense.

“I’ve known Brie forever; there isn’t any—”

“Owens,” Coach McGee interrupts Josh mid-sentence. “In my office.”

With Josh in the coach’s office, the guys get quiet and turn back to preparing for our typical Monday after a Sunday game. I do an easy workout and then analyze game film. I place my phone in my locker and grab the team playbook.

I turn to walk away when I hear a buzz from my locker. I walk back and pick up my phone to see a text from Finn.

Finn: Hey, Adam. Finn: Call me when you’re on your way home . Finn: There’s something I need to talk to you about.

My heart drops to my stomach, and my pulse races. The last time Finn sent me a cryptic message like this, he told me I was being traded.

I swallow against the lump in my throat and try to rub out the burning in my chest before responding.

Me: Is everything okay?

It feels like hours rather than seconds as I stare at the three dots before Finn finally responds.

Finn: Yeah, everything is fine.

I breathe out a sigh of relief. Then I get his next text.

Finn: Kind of.

Me: Kind of?

My stomach rolls and feels as if a volcano is about to erupt as I try to wrap my brain around what ‘kind of’ means. Either it is, or it isn’t .

Finn: There may be a little problem with your visa.

Problem with my visa?

I stare at the phone, re-reading the text, and a laugh bubbles up.

Traded at the beginning of the season, and now a problem with my visa. Anything else life wants to throw at me?

A hand cups my shoulder. “Everything okay, man?” Shaw, the Mavs starting running back, asks as he passes my locker.

“Yup, all good.” I nod stiffly. Staring at my phone, watching another message from Finn come through. “Just my agent. I’ll be heading over in a second.”

“Sounds good. See you in a bit.” I watch Shaw walk out of the locker room and turn right.

When I’m sure I’m alone, I rub my hand up and down my face. Finn’s messages are not lacking his normal lightness which tells me he’s worried. I swallow past the lump forming in my throat.

Finn: My assistant is looking into it now. Finn: It should be fine. Finn: Just make sure to call me after practice.

Me: It should be fine?

Finn: It will be fine. Finn: We’ll talk after practice. Finn: Don’t worry about it—I’ve got it covered. thumbs up emoji

I toss my phone in my locker, grab my playbook, and head to the film room. Chills run down my body, and my chest tightens.

I’m praying that Finn can handle whatever is going on, because I’m not sure how much more change I can handle.

It took every ounce of me to keep my focus on what my offensive line coach, Smitty, was saying during film review, and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t that focused, considering he had to call me more than once a few times.

My stomach is in knots, and I noticed that my pencil has a bunch of teeth marks all over it.

“Dude, are you okay?” Darius whispers over my shoulder, pointing at my pencil.

I shrug. “Depends on what you mean by okay…” I whisper back.

He gives me a questioning look but doesn’t say anything else as Coach switches from last week's game to our next opponent this week. It just so happens to be the Jags, which is good because I don’t have the bandwidth at the moment to study a new team.

“Daniels.” I snap my head up, put the pencil on my desk, and look at Smitty. “Have any inside information that can make our job a bit easier planning this week’s strategy?”

My lips lift at the corner, and I nod slightly. The tension in my body eases a bit as my focus shifts to easily accessible information.

“Good! I’ll check in with you after your workout.” The sound of chairs scraping against the floor floods the room as the offense gets up and heads out to tackle our workout.

Turns out that physical activity was exactly what I needed to get my mind in a better place. Then sharing trade secrets about my old team with Smitty felt good.

Last, I take a shower and then head out. I throw a Mavs sweatshirt over my head and grab my phone for a quick look.

No new texts from Finn. I’m concerned, but if Finn tells me he’ll fix it, he’ll fix it.

I grab my duffel bag and start to head out.

“Daniels, wait.” Owens’ voice follows me as I head down the hall. I stop and wait for him to catch up to me. “How are you adjusting?”

His words catch me by surprise as we walk down the hall toward the exit together. “It’s moving in the right direction. Sunday’s win with the team helped a lot.”

I look over at him just as he rolls his shoulder and see him grimace. “How are you? And don’t tell me you’re ‘fine’; I can tell you aren’t.”

He shrugs. “Coach had me do some PT today, and Shawn is concerned enough to send me for a CT and MRI first thing tomorrow.”

I nod but don’t offer any comforting words because injuries are the one thing no player wants to think about.

Injuries and being traded are taboo subjects, so we continue to walk to our cars in silence.

“Talk to you later,” I say as Josh continues on his way to his car, which is a few spots further than mine.

I slide into the Jeep, start the engine, and begin my drive home. I dial Finn’s number, and he answers on the first ring.

“I don’t have any real news for you yet.” I squeeze the back of my neck and groan. “I know. I’m doing my best.”

I blow out a breath. “What exactly is the problem with my visa?”

Finn laughs nervously, and my stomach knots. “Well, it’s a funny story, really. My old assistant may not have sent in your paperwork.”

“What?!” I yell, heat creeps up my neck, and I clench my jaw. “Are you telling me that my visa has expired? Finn, please don’t tell me that—”

“I’m not sure if your visa has expired,” he responds, his tone calming, like he’s talking to a wild animal staring at him like he’s lunch. My hands grip the steering wheel. “I’m trying to find out what happened. But until I know more, I don’t want you to worry. Okay?”

I scoff but don’t say anything.

“Adam, I know that these last three weeks have been tough. I—”

“You think,” I snarl. My reaction to this news is completely out of character. I usually take everything in stride, but this is just too much. Being traded was bad, but the thought of not being able to play at all is soul-crushing. “What do we do if it is expired?”

“Let’s not talk about that yet—”

“Finn,” I cut him off. Panic rising. “What if it is? I need to know what my options are…”

A nervous giggle comes through the line, but what he says next has me wondering if he’s completely lost his mind. “You could always get married.”

Did he just say I could get married?

“I’m kidding,” he spits out. “Well, maybe I am. First, let’s see what my assistant finds out tomorrow.”

“The assistant who may have forgotten to file my paperwork?” I ask, pulling into the coffee shop's parking lot. From the window, I see Susie at one of the tables, and a wry grin crosses my lips.

“No, my new , competent assistant, ” Finn responds. “She’s on top of it, and I have no doubt she will have news for me tomorrow. As soon as I know something, I will call you.”

“Okay. I’ll wait for your call.” I hang up before Finn responds. The woman I’m watching intently, the one who is staring at her laptop, has redirected my attention.

After Finn’s news, I need a peppermint tea, but finding Susie here is a very welcome surprise.

The grin across my face widens as I realize I have the perfect excuse for talking to her.