Page 96 of For Emery

“I’m sorry. We must’ve just missed you. And Cal confiscated my phone so I couldn’t call.”

“Doesn’t matter. What’s gonna happen with football?”

I said nothing partly because I had no clue what would happen behind closed doors.

“Jordan? What’s gonna happen?”

“I don’t know.”

“I won’t be able to live with myself if this is what ends your career.”

“Em, up until this month, I had no idea a future in football even existed for me. If I lose that opportunity, it was never meant to be anyway.”

“Jordan.” She pulled back so her eyes met mine. “This is me. Tell me it sucks. Tell me how angry you are. Tell me you blame me for coming back into your life.”

“Em.” I leveled her with serious eyes. “I would do what I did again in a heartbeat if it meant protecting you.”

“Well, I blame me.”

I pulled her back into me, pressing my lips to the top of her head. “It will all work out,” I assured her, though I wondered if it was me I was really trying to convince.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Grady

I sat on my parents’ sofa beside Emery, holding her hand tightly for support while my head hung low. Emery’s mom stayed in her room, giving us privacy as we waited for the news from my uncle. My parents sat on the love seat across the room making small talk with Emery, knowing nothing they could say to me would ease my nerves.

“Jordan?” Cal called from the kitchen, having just walked in the side door.

My head whipped up. “In here.”

My uncle walked in, greeting all of us before sitting in the corner chair. He folded his hands in front of him and looked me in the eyes. “You’re not playing this weekend.”

A cold shiver rolled up my spine.

Emery’s squeezed me hand, trying to calm what she knew had to be escalating rage inside me.

“When can I play?” I asked.

“I’m still working on that,” he said.

“Can I stand on the sideline?”

He shook his head. “They don’t think it’s sending the right message to have you there so soon after being taken into custody.”

“What does he need to do?” my father asked.

“Stay out of trouble while I try to work things out on my side,” Cal said.

I scoffed. “My record’s been clean to this point. I’m not gonna get in any trouble.”

“Cal,” Emery said softly.

We all looked to her.

“Wayne is a suspected felon who broke into my room. Isn’t that breaking and entering? Has that even been discussed? Can’t you work that angle?”

“Oddly, your dorm doesn’t have cameras on the floors. Only the front and back entrances.”

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