Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 121095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Glaring at me, Jacob mutters, “You’ve got to be shitting me.”
“I shit you not.” With that, I turn on my heel and march toward my father to emphasize my point. Dad is way too busy to even notice me coming to a stop next to him, but his sheer proximity makes me feel safe and warm. Not to mention powerful. Surely my decision to stand next to the head coach who’s also my staunchly protective father is sending a message to Moriarty, loud and clear.
When the moment passes and my heart rate slows down, I focus on the game again, just in time to witness our rookie quarterback fumbling the snap. Goddammit! As one of Miami’s players falls on the ball, securing offensive possession of the ball for his team yet again, everyone on our sideline groans loudly.
Everyone but me, anyway. I don’t care about the latest Mastodon misstep on offense in this moment. I’ve got bigger fish to fry.
Luca loves me.
Now that I’ve deciphered the puzzle of what went down between us last week, I feel alive again. Like my heart can beat anew. The bad news, of course, is that I still can’t talk to Luca or tell him what I’ve figured out about his stupid motivations for trying to decimate me. Not till he kneels and earns the privilege of hearing my voice directed at him again, like I demanded in that hallway. But the good news is I’m confident that day will arrive, and sooner rather than later.
Luca’s stubborn, but he’s no match for me. So I know he won’t be able to resist making amends and begging for my forgiveness before too long. In fact, I give him a week at the most. Two at the outside. And when he finally relents and grovels, I’ll then coax him into confessing he loves me, since I refuse to say it first. And everything will go back to normal. In fact, considering how nebulous my job has become again, I bet I’d even be able to convince Coach Martinez to let me go back to personally coaching Luca to get that man onto the active roster. Not because of Bellamy’s job offer this time, but because I genuinely believe that’s where Luca Maguire deserves to be, if only he can get out of his own fucking way.
CHAPTER 34
Luca
I STEP ONTO the field for the first all-team practice since our starters returned from getting slaughtered in Miami. It was a bloodbath, so it’s no wonder everyone’s morale is in the toilet. We all thought we’d make a much better showing at our opening game of the season. As a team, we all had high hopes that this time would be different for the Mastodons. But instead, we’re once again the laughingstock of the league. The butt of the joke. And now, walking onto the field feels like attending our own funeral.
Okay, maybe not for all of us. I’m sure all the practice guys are secretly feeling as buoyed as I am about the starters wetting the bed on Sunday. True, we’re all Mastodons, technically, and, true, it’s literally our job as practice players to get the starters ready for each and every game to the best of our abilities. But the duality of being a player in my shoes is you’re always simultaneously hoping for the team’s overall success while also praying for the abysmal failure of the specific guy keeping your name off the active roster.
In my case, sadly, Moriarty was the only bright spot of the game on Sunday. It was everything that happened around our superstar—fumbles and fuckups by the offense and special teams players—that led to our demise. But even so, I’ve got a spring in my step as I walk onto the practice field because today, thanks to my cousin Marco, I’ve got some game-changing news for Chelsea.
When I spot my mathlete, she’s chatting with the defensive coordinator by the Gatorade cooler, so I bide my time till she’s free while pretending to tighten up my cleats. When she’s finally alone, I stride over to her and come to a stop, casting a shadow over her gorgeous face as my noggin blocks the early-morning sun behind me.
“I realize you’re still not speaking to me,” I begin with a smile. “But hear me out. I totally get why you’re not willing to go to the Thunderbolts now. In retrospect, it was a nonstarter of an idea. But guess what? I’ve lined up an even better opportunity for you—an actual job interview with the Knights, courtesy of my cousin Marco!”
I pause to glory in Chelsea’s smile. Or better yet, for her to drop her vow of silence and thank me profusely. The Knights are the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl this season, so even the most entry-level position in their organization would be a godsend for someone with Chelsea’s skill set and career goals.