Chapter 19

Nineteen

T ori had woken up with renewed energy Saturday morning. She didn’t feel better mentally, but she at least felt like she could get stuff done.

She was making french toast for both her and Emmett this morning. He wasn’t up yet, no game due to the rain on the fields. She played music lightly as she plated the food and got ready to go wake him up.

“Mom?” Emmett’s sleepy voice made her jump.

“I thought you were asleep,” she laughed. “You scared me.”

Emmett fell to the floor laughing and she left the food to go tickle him. This was what she was missing the last few days. She needed to be there for Emmett and not wallow over a guy.

The doorbell rang. Tori grabbed Emmett around the waist, stopping him from taking off to the door. She wasn’t expecting anyone.

“Clean up and set the table so we can eat. I will see who it is,” Tori told him.

She brushed the crumbs off her shirt and walked to her front door, looking out the peep hole. For a moment her stomach flipped, thinking it was Chance, but the build wasn’t quite right.

Pulling the door open, she looked at the newcomer. “Maddox?” she asked.

“Tori.” He nodded. The first thing she noticed was he didn’t have his usual casual and happy demeanor. Something was wrong.

She backed out of the way and let him in. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Where’s Emmett?”

“Running around, waiting to eat.”

“I need to talk to you, but I don’t know if we want him to hear it.”

Now more curious than before, she went to the kitchen. “Can I interest you in some french toast before Emmett goes to get ready for the day?”

“Maddox,” Emmett jumped out of his chair and wrapped the man in a hug.

“Sounds great,” Maddox answered.

She gave him a slice from her plate and set it down for him at the table. Maddox was quiet making her concern grow. The only reason for him to be here is if it were something to do with Chance.

Emmett chatted enough for everyone. He asked Maddox a ton of questions about their upcoming game. Maddox answered every single one of them with no frustration showing.

“Emmett, can you go get ready for the day? I need to talk to Maddox about adult stuff.” That was their code for him to know he wasn’t part of the conversation. It was usually used with Isaac.

He did as asked after telling Maddox bye. She led Maddox into the kitchen where they could talk quietly but she could see the stairs to know if Emmett came down.

“I’m sorry for bursting into your morning.”

“Maddox, I haven’t known you long but I can tell something is wrong. I assume it’s Chance?”

He nodded. “The videos are out everywhere of him punching Isaac. I’ve done all I can but I’m hoping that you might come speak on his behalf?”

“Speak to who?” Had Isaac called the cops?

“The owner of Bardley and the coach. Chance has given up and won’t speak on his own behalf anymore. They’re going to cut him.” Maddox ran a hand down his face. “He’s given up.”

“What? Why?” It wasn’t like Chance to give up.

“He hasn’t been right since things happened between you two. I’m not going to get involved in it other than to say he really wasn’t listening to them and you weren’t a ploy to change his image.”

“I know,” she whispered.

“When Sam, the owner of Bardley, went and talked to him Thursday, Chance shut down. He isn’t letting anyone in and hasn’t tried to plead for his spot back. He just shut everything out,” Maddox explained. “They are making a decision about his fate by Monday.”

“Over this?” She held back tears. “They can’t do it over this.”

Maddox nodded. “I’m hoping you’ll come meet with Sam and see if there’s anything you can do?”

“Like what?” She was going to go, but she failed to see how it would help. “Isn’t that seriously overstepping?”

“Sam is a family guy. I think he will listen to you. I don’t have anything else to try,” he pleaded.

“Let me get dressed. Can you watch Emmett for a few?” She knew he was on the verge of coming down any second.

“Of course.”

She went upstairs and told Emmett to go talk to Maddox. As she got ready, she quickly texted Leah to tell her what was going on.

Tori threw her ‘soccer mom’ sweatshirt over her head and brushed her hair before running back down the stairs.

“Leah wants to know if there’s anything she can do?”

Maddox seemed to think it over. “I don’t think so. Tell her I will call her if I think of anything.”

Tori arched a brow, not realizing they had exchanged numbers but let it go. She didn’t have time for that. Later, she would grill Leah about it.

“I’m ready then,” Tori told him.

“I can drive so you don’t have to do all the security stuff.”

They moved Emmett’s seat over and were on their way. She second guessed bringing Emmett the whole ride. He was a valid person to speak about Chance’s character, though.

As they got out, a few teammates approached them.

“Sam is still in his office,” Buddy confirmed.

“We all spoke on Chance’s behalf,” Aaron told him.

“I brought reinforcements,” Maddox said pointing to her and Emmett.

“I don’t know what I can do, but I’m going to try,” she told the guys.

“That’s all we can do,” Aaron told her. “We don’t want to lose him even if he’s given up on himself.”

Two players she recognized as Shawn and Benson came up to her.

Shawn spoke first. “We wanted to apologize for causing any problems between you and Chance. We were just teasing him.” He elbowed Benson.

“Ooph. Fucker.” Benson muttered. “He’s right. We were just talking nonsense and we didn’t know that you could hear us. Chance wouldn’t really do that.”

It was almost comical that these two tall men were standing in front of her apologizing like they’d been called to the principal’s office and she was the principal. This group of men was a family, she saw that now more than ever, and she was in their fold with or without Chance.

Emotion filled her. “I talked to Chance, too. It’s okay.”

“We didn’t talk to Chance,” Benson told her.

“Maddox, Buddy, Steven, Taylor, and Aaron told us what happened,” Shawn explained. “We never meant to cause problems.”

She knew all those men as the ones from the clinic. Well, she knew them from the team, but more personally from the clinic.

“Thanks, guys. I appreciate the explanation,” she told him.

“Come on,” Maddox said to her. “We need to get up there before Sam leaves.”

Tori followed him and Emmett to Sam’s office. She’d wondered what was this high up in the stadium but didn’t think she’d ever know for real. Definitely wished this wasn’t how she was finding out.

Maddox knocked on an open door. “Sam. I have some people to talk to you.”

“Mad, I told you…” he stopped as he caught sight of her. “Well, it’s going to be interesting. Keep the kid with you for right now. Come in, Tori.”

Nervously, she looked at Maddox. “I’ll watch him,” he said.

She wiped her sweating palms on her sweatshirt and went into Sam’s office.

“I take it Maddox filled you in on what’s going on around here?” he asked. “Please have a seat.”

Tori took a seat across from Sam’s desk and waited for him to take his own seat. “He did. I’ll be honest, I don’t know what help I can be.”

“Me either, but I don’t want to lose Chance either so why don’t you just tell me what you think might help and we can go from there?” Sam said.

“I don’t know what to say, really. I don’t think Chance should be punished. Isaac, my ex-husband, was being a jerk and had looked him up. He was purposely pushing Chance’s buttons. I don’t really know why because anyone that looked him up would know he might hit you.”

Sam nodded.

“He seemed to be doing it to make my choices look bad or something. I don’t know and didn’t ask him. I sent the video to my lawyer and am using it to press for less custody with Emmett. I can also say that I don’t think it will be a problem going forward as Chance and I aren’t together.”

“You don’t think you guys can work it out?” Sam asked.

Tori dropped her shoulders. “I screwed up more than once. Then all this happened. I’d say it’s for the best that we go our separate ways.”

“Good decisions shouldn’t leave both of you a wreck,” Sam said.

If the team we a family, then Sam was the wise uncle you went to for advice, she decided. He was good at making you think about things. She’d been here for just a few minutes and already wanted to tell him more and get his opinion.

“Maybe. But please don’t punish him over this. He was clearly baited into it and I know he’s been working hard to get himself under control. Besides, nothing like that has ever happened off the field and if it weren’t for him meeting me and getting wrapped up in my crap then it probably never would.”

He nodded again. “I will think about everything you said. I can’t tell anyone the outcome before I meet with Chance on Monday.”

“I don’t expect you to tell me anything. Just please don’t let him go,” she pleaded.

“Come see the last game with us next week. Bring Emmett. My seats are better than the ones that Maddox already asked for.”

She smiled. “Thank you.” Hopefully, that meant good news would be given.

“Can I talk to Emmett?” he asked.

Tori opened the door and called Emmett in. After introductions she let Emmett talk about Chance and then about what happened that night. There was clearly more to it that started before anyone started filming.

Emmett explained more provocation from his dad and then the comments he made on the way home. Isaac hated Chance for some reason and had talked to someone on the phone on the way home and told them that he was definitely getting fired now.

“Chance is my friend,” Emmett said. “He is always nice to everyone. I don’t know why my dad doesn’t like him.”

“I think I can figure that one out but I can guarantee you it’s adult problems. Don’t you worry over it.”

Sam then led them out of the office, Maddox close behind. He walked them down to a closed door and unlocked it.

Maddox grinned as they waited in the hall for Sam to return. When he did, his arms were full.

“I guessed at sizes, so let me know if I was wrong.” He handed them several shirts and jerseys, some stickers, and other little team things.

She held back tears at the nice gesture from Sam. As she opened one of the jerseys she noted that it was Chance’s number. The tears spilled over.

“Mom?” Emmett’s concerned voice broke through.

“Happy tears, baby,” she told him. “Thank you, Sam.”

“I will see you guys next Saturday, got it?”

She nodded.

Maddox drove them home after chatting with the team in the parking lot again. There was nothing to do but wait now to learn what was going to happen with Chance.