Page 76 of Dangerous Play

All images of Ivy and I were archived and wiped from my socials.

I had not talked to her since she left the hospital and I sent her the screenshot. I left her messages on read.

My manager had accepted a few charity-related projects for me to show I cared, which felt forced and stupid, but I didn’t dare voice my opinion.

And of course, everyone expected me to perform in the finals and win the cup despite all of this. Winning it was key to show I was still the same person no matter the little slip-up.

I opened my mouth to defend myself, to explain how I really liked Ivy and it was becoming serious, but I closed it and decided against it, just like I did the past five times. My heart and my mind were at war, and I knew I had been played. My emotions, my caring was a weakness to the team and on the field. I was a liability because I cared and was kind.

Guess the whole issue with Thalia hadn’t taught me anything. All those lessons just flew past me.

Granted, I would never forget this shitshow that went down. Not when it cost me my friend’s season and my future career.

“Max?” Sky squatted. “I think this meeting has ended.”

At some point as I was lost in thoughts, everyone had left the room. “Thank God,” I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Hey, one slip-up is not the end of the world,” he tried calming me as my knee bounced. “At your age, I did bigger shit.”

“Yeah, difference is you had a contract locked in and you were the Golden Boy,” I reminded him. I was nothing but a college kid with a big dream. A college kid with a reputation that no soccer club would want to touch.

“There are worst people than you. In the grand scheme of things... all you did was try and help a friend. It backfired, but you had good intentions. Was it ethical and the right way? That is debatable.”

Dex’s recovery was going to take nine months, he was lucky. We had no striker for the finals either.

“Wallowing in self-pity is not a good image,” Sky continued.

“I beat myself up when I make a wrong pass... how do you think I feel?” I asked. No one knew me better than Coach McCarthy. Even Coach Parker and I didn’t have the same close relationship as I had with my mentor.

“Angry,” Sky said. “You’re angry because you did the right thing by everyone in your book. And you are now in deep shit. But at the same time, I watched you all morning, you wanted to go ahead and defend that girl. You’re not willing to drag her through mud.”

“I know people manipulated this situation.” I cracked my knuckles and stretched my stiff back. “But she... she was a mess. Sanchez destroyed her, and I felt bad. I might have even felt more than just bad for her. It wasn’t all pity. It was real to me and for her. It wasn’t fake. It just sucks because it could have been so much more... it could have developed into something permanent and meaningful. It had the potential. We meshed well and it felt like it was meant to be. Now because it didn’t start out as everyone thought it did... I can’t even talk to her. It’s not like by me keeping distance I will get a spot on the National Team. What’s done is done.”

Sky contemplated my words. “If that’s how you feel, why did you agree to remove her from your social media?”

Good point.

“I was pissed off, angry for being manipulated, but I honestly don’t think it was her. She is a victim as much as me. Even more because whilst I do have my very sour looking and asshole of a team,” I smiled softly as I said that, “she’s alone. She has no one else left. Her best friend sold her out, her sister is dating her douche of an ex and everyone else on campus acts like Ander Sanchez is a God. She only ever had me during this whole semester. And now she doesn’t even have me.”

He stared at me, and I blinked.

“Does any of this makes sense or am I going crazy?”

“I think you have feelings for this girl.”

“I’ve gotten that far, thanks,” I muttered sarcastically.

“You feel too much, too soon. And now the trust is broken and you are not sure what to do about it, how to proceed and what to believe.”

“What do you suggest?”

Sky laughed and stood. “If I could make that decision for you, it wouldn’t be called a life decision. It’s up to you to decide, Max.”

“Yeah, but...”

“There is no right or wrong. You can either follow your heart and give it a go or you can follow your mind and focus on your career do the steps we drew up, hope for another National Team invitation next year and a contract.”

“I always wanted to play a World Cup,” I muttered. “But I guess there is always a next time, in four years’ time.”

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