78

Ryan

You Never Were

All of my teammates piled on each other and Adam grabbed me by the jersey, shaking me before he laughed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. This was it . The highest we'd gotten to in the conference. The excitement from the crowd was overwhelming and people flocked up to us, cheering us on.

It was one whirlwind after another and I was pushed off to the reporters and the coaches while everyone from the Marrs family was delirious with happiness. The fucking Birchwood Bowl was in sight.

"You motherfucker," King laughed and punched me in the shoulder. "I thought you didn't have it in the second quarter."

"You fucking doubted me? " I demanded, breathing just as heavily as he was.

And the best part was for the last. We cleaned up in the locker rooms and everybody lost their shit, pleased as hell.

And I had an art girl back home waiting for me. In one bus ride, we'd head to Adam's to celebrate and then, I'd get her for the rest of the night. I grinned just as wide as the rest of them while the guys chanted in the corner, shouting at each other.

"Cross!" Coach Lawson called.

"Coach?" I grinned, heading off his way.

"You did fucking amazing, kid." He grinned back at me, the post-game grin. "We're going to talk all about it, I promise."

"I didn't doubt us for a second." I laughed.

"What time do you want the car to pick us up?"

Still grinning, the laugh stopped. "What car?"

"The car to go talk to Coach Robinson." New lines crossed his face and he took a longer look at me. "The Louisiana Big Greens coach."

Everyone else in the locker room was hooping and hollering, shaking each other, banging on the lockers, while I stood there, grin slipping away.

We did discuss it. In the summer.

I made a dedicated schedule to talk to any and all coaches I could before I became pro and we'd planned out this dinner months in advance with Coach Robinson.

"I'm not…?" I hesitated. "I'm not going back home with the guys?"

"Kid, you never were."

Oh. Fuck.

"You wanted to talk to Robinson and Dunn, both of them said they could make it." Coach Lawson frowned, glancing back at the assistant coaches. "You didn't forget. You were the one who decided it."

Goddammit.

My teammates were still yelling with happiness behind me while I stared at my coach. Slowly, I nodded. I did agree to it. The plans were already set. How could I have forgotten?

Easy. Because I'd been so focused on getting back to her.

"I didn't—uh—check the email." I rubbed the back of my neck. "What time am I supposed to be getting back?"

"About two."

Two o'clock in the goddamn morning?

The disappointment couldn't be put down. I tried to smile when some of the other guys grabbed me by the shoulder on the way past but I couldn't. I turned back to Coach Lawson and took a deep breath.

"Could I get a phone call?"

"Yeah. Of course." He took an amused look at the rest of the team, still celebrating in the locker room. "I'm going to take a wild guess and guess you need a private place?"

Slowly, I nodded and followed after him.