Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
5
RIGBY
I dropped the ball and kicked it before it hit the ground, sending it spiraling downfield toward the opposing squad’s endzone. We were playing a scrimmage game for practice, so the coach had broken us up into two teams.
Hale Bucannon, one of football’s top wide receivers, ran to catch the ball, but I’d put a fuck ton of power behind it and it sailed over forty-seven yards. He missed the catch by inches…but he still missed it.
When he stood and looked back at me, I pumped my fist. “Almost, old man!”
Hale shook his head with a grin and got back to the play. He was getting ready to retire, but he was still at the top of his game.
We jogged to the tunnel when practice was over, and I glanced up into the stands. I paused for half a second when I thought I saw Cleo, then silently berated myself for being a pussy since the bleachers were fucking empty. Irritated at myself because I couldn’t get her off my mind, I hurried to the locker room hoping to find a distraction.
I sat down on the bench, and as I removed my gear, Prentice clapped me on the shoulder. “Great play out there, man.”
I lifted my chin in acknowledgment, and one corner of my mouth kicked up. He smiled and walked away. A lot of people would have seen my reaction as a brush-off, but my teammates knew that it was practically the same as a three-paragraph letter, effusing how grateful I was for his compliment.
Once I had everything off, I wrapped a towel around my waist and trudged into the showers. It had been a hell of a practice, and I was aching everywhere. At first, the steam and the pounding of the hot water felt good on my muscles. But then my thoughts drifted to a certain curvy, pink-haired pixie, so I reached for the handle and twisted it all the way to the other side.
When I’d managed to calm my body and clean up, I shut off the shower and headed back to the locker room to get dressed. After I changed into a T-shirt and jeans, I grabbed my phone and a New York Nighthawks baseball cap, then set them beside me on the bench so I could shove my feet into my shoes. As I laced up and tied them, I noticed that I had a text from Natalie, so I swiped the screen to open it.
Nat: Thanks again for going with me last night. You’re my favorite brother!
Me: I’m your only brother, brat. And you’re welcome.
Then I grinned and shot off another message with my order for the next time she cooked for me.
Me: Spare ribs, twice baked potatoes, and cherry cheesecake.
Nat: LOL How about the Friday after Thanksgiving?
Me: So you can talk Mom into making it?
Nat: Busted. Love you, bro.
Me: Me too.
I was about to set my phone down when another message from her came through with a link. It was an article about Natalie’s win. The picture showed us together right after her name was announced.
Nat: See how handsome you can be when you don’t look like you want to murder someone?
I laughed and shook my head, then my eyes strayed to another headline on the sidebar, and my amusement quickly faded.
Gustavo’s mystery date!
Obviously, I was a glutton for punishment because I clicked on the story. There were several pictures of Gustavo and Cleo throughout the night, all looking happy and intimate. The article was all about the heartthrob’s mystery date and speculation about his relationship with her. Apparently, he’d been tight-lipped about his date, and once they saw her, they assumed it was because he’d been keeping their relationship a secret. It made me wonder how long he and Cleo had been together. Maybe they hadn’t been exclusive when we met? I closed my eyes and mentally groaned at myself. Do not go down the what-if rabbit hole, Hunt.
I sighed as my eyes scanned the locker room. The Nighthawks had a strict morality clause, but that didn’t account for the number of teammates wearing wedding rings. It seemed like something was in the water…but I never thought it would happen to me. Before now, I hadn't cared. My attention had always been fixated on my career. I'd never met anyone who had been able to penetrate my focus.
Until Cleo.
Something told me that she would have been worth it. Worth anything.
Anything except cheating. No woman would ever be worth that.
I looked back at the pictures of Cleo and felt profound regret that I hadn’t found her before that Brazilian pretty boy.
There were links to more articles, but I was pissed enough at myself for even reading the first one. So I welcomed the distraction when Ames, one of our offensive linemen, muttered, “Seriously, D,” as he plopped down on the bench in front of the locker between mine and Dempsey Tate’s, our starting wide receiver. “What’s got your panties in a twist?”