Page 23 of Gridlocked on the Gridiron

She was so sick of the tone in these texts. As if he wasn’t the reason their relationship had ended. She finally broke the radio silence she’d been giving him.

Lucia

Fuck you, Max.

She knew it was immature, but she was still angry, and maybe it was time for her to stoop to his level.

Lucia

Hope you’re enjoying the blonde.

She put her phone on Do Not Disturb, tucked it into the pocket of her green pantsuit, and continued her walk.

Colton had asked her to be at his press conference after the game, though he’d been in far higher spirits when he’d made the request. When he finally entered the room and the cameras began rolling, his eyes met hers, and she could see the disappointment in them. She was sure all he wanted to do was jump into an ice bath and sleep off the aching in his muscles and tightness in his chest he’d once told her accompanied a loss.

The moment he sat down, the questions began.

“Tough loss today, Colton. Can you walk us through what happened on that crucial interception in the fourth quarter, and what you might have done differently looking back?”

He paused to think. “Yeah, I mean, I saw the coverage and thought I had a window to make the throw. I should’ve recognized the pressure from the defense and scanned the field for another option.”

“It seemed like the offensive line had some struggles today, allowing multiple sacks. How did that impact your ability to execute the game plan, and do you think protection is an area that needs improvement?”

“I think we were struggling as a unit, but the blame is on me. I need to do better at scrambling when the time is right.”

She had to stop herself from scoffing. He needed to stop taking responsibility for things that weren’t his fault. His offensive line had been shit all game, and he’d been scrambling well until the last quarter.

As if he sensed her thoughts, he met her eyes again. “We talk about protection every week. It’s always an area that can use improvement.”

Her chest constricted as she watched his shoulders droop a bit. She realized he’d completely internalized the loss as his fault, just like the preseason losses, as if he were a one-man team. When the Sabers lost, it was his fault. When they won, it was a team effort. No wonder he was the team captain.

“You've had some great moments this season, but today was a setback. What's the team's mindset moving forward, and how do you plan to bounce back from this disappointing loss?”

“Absolutely, today was a setback, but our mindset remains positive and determined. We've had great moments this season, and we're fully aware of our potential. We'll go back to the drawing board, study our mistakes, and use this loss as motivation. We're not defined by one game, and our goal is to bounce back stronger and more focused for the next challenge.”

“Thanks, Colton.” The journalist turned to Coach Turner. “Coach, tough loss. What will you be focusing on this week during practice?”

Lucia tuned him out as she watched Colton stand and walk out of the room quietly. She left from the other door, meaning to catch him before he went home for the night. At first, he didn’t notice her in the shadows as he stalked toward the exit that led to the facility. His jaw was tight, his lips pressed firmly together.

He finally saw her, pausing in front of her. His eyes were dark, swirling with all kinds of emotions she couldn’t place, but she knew he was mad. She knew it from the set of his shoulders and the dip between his brows.

Lucia didn’t know how to make him feel better. All she was good for was numbers, and that was the last thing he needed. She stepped forward into the light, and his eyes tracked her movements warily, fixating on the hand that raised slightly at her side.

Before she knew what she was doing, heart pounding, she’d placed her hand on his stubbled cheek, the way he had when she’d seen that dreaded headline a week and a half earlier. He leaned into it, just barely, just for a moment.

Then the moment was over, and his large hand was clasping hers, gently pulling it away from his face. He squeezed it once and disappeared out the door, leaving a very confused and very warm Lucia.

Chapter ten

Colton

Colton knew he was wearing on Lucia’s nerves, but watching her temper rise distracted him from that familiar tightness in his chest. It’d been less than two days since the loss, and his father’s words still echoed around in his head.

“Your season is up. It might be time for you to hang up your helmet and look for some coaching jobs. You’ll be lucky if you can get a spot as a quarterback coach with a D3 team.” And more like that. His dad was such an ass, but once again, he couldn’t disagree. He hadn’t played well, and he could very well be on his way out of the league.

“Colton, are you even listening? God, it’s literally like working with a ten-year-old,” Lucia sighed exasperatedly.

“You’ll be pleased to know that I am, in fact, smarter than a fifth grader. I got a very prestigious degree from Crestview.”

---