Page 17 of Quarterback Keeper

“Nothing, Coach.” Frustration buzzed through my veins. No way would I unload everything to him. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

“I know you’ve got a lot on your plate with your mom’s illness, Wilder, but if you can’t get your head on straight for Bama’s game, I’ll have to bench you.”

“Understood.” I dragged my arm across my forehead, swiping some sweat away. “I’ll get control of it.”

“See that you do.”

I cringed at the shrill sound of Coach’s whistle as he signaled the end of practice. Several teammates clapped me on the shoulder or back as they passed by for the locker room.

“You’ve got this, Wilder,” Marc, the other tight end, said.

“Get whatever girl is messing with the game under you and out of your mind,” Steve, our center, growled as he slapped me on the back.

If only it were that simple. I uncurled my fists, wishing it weren’t the end of my time on the field. I needed to get back in the zone. Gia breaking through was unacceptable. Luckily, we had a line of demarcation that would not be crossed, symbolizedby her pillow barricade. It was a damn good thing she lived on the boat.

Ares fell into step at my side, Liam just ahead of us as we entered the building.

“You were off your game, and the only difference I could see was that chick,” Liam said over his shoulder. “You need to do something to get her out of your head. Tap that, quit it, and kick her to the curb for good. You have too much riding on the next few games.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” I got where Liam was coming from, though. During my first two years in college, I had been a player too. But never at his level. I cared about football and training more than partying or hooking up. Liam never slept with the same girl twice.

“A decisive win against Alabama could put you in a position to go pro without waiting for the draft,” Ares reminded me. “Florida and Philadelphia need a new quarterback, and I’ve heard they’re looking at you hard.”

“I’m not going to fuck up that game.”

“Then what’s going on?” Ares yanked off his jersey and tossed it into his bag. “It’s not like you to let anything throw off your game. But, man”—Ares glanced a few lockers over, dropping his voice so no one else could hear—“if Calvin leaks anything to the press about your performance today, he’ll spin it that you’re not stable or mature enough for an NFL contract.”

I threw my cleat harder than necessary. It thudded against the back of my locker. Calvin Fucking Matthews had been gunning for QB1 ever since I took over the spot my first year, when the former quarterback went on IR with a ruptured Achilles tendon.

It wasn’t going to happen. Calvin didn’t have the talent I did, or the ability to lead.

Still, I needed to do something to circumvent any more problems, and more would come. Because I knew how Calvin operated, and it wasn’t an if—it was a when. His social media presence was an issue. I glared in his direction, noting how he was already flapping his gums, live streaming some bullshit he shouldn’t. I knew what I had to do—eliminate any damage Calvin inflicted because of my “marriage” to Gia. Steady and mature wouldn’t be an issue.

Many coaches preferred their players to have stable home lives. Not that it was a deciding factor for recruits, but it wouldn’t hurt. It was why I needed to announce our engagement publicly. Decision made, I finished dressing in gym clothes to hit the weights. On the way out, I ran into Siobhan, a reporter for Baller News Blog, and gave her the tip that should help buffer me from multiple problems, just as my phone rang.

Dad.His timing just fucking figured.

CHAPTER TEN

GIA

Itook the bus to Kylian’s mom’s apartment and, after climbing the stairs, stood in front of her door, laden with groceries. On the run for so many months, I’d gotten good at finding bargains. And while I hated spending even a dime of the money Kylian gave me for living expenses, I didn’t mind sharing some with his mom. No matter how much I didn’t want to ask him for more, I would eventually have to because I had to squirrel away every little bit I could in case I needed to go on the run again—which was why I took the bus there and would walk home. Ubers were expensive.

Before I knocked, I slipped the engagement ring into my pocket. She didn’t know about it yet, and I didn’t want to be the one to tell her. It took a few minutes before the door opened and Evalyn stood in front of me. Deep circles etched the skin under her eyes, and her shoulders curled in.

I pasted a bright smile on my face. “Hi, Evalyn. I hope you don’t mind me stopping by unexpectedly.” I lifted the groceries a little to draw her eye to them. “I thought I could do some meal prep for you.”

“Oh, Gia. Of course. It’s so nice to see you.” She opened the door wide and stepped to the side to make room. “Come on in.”

“Thanks.” I lifted the bags slightly. “Mind if I go straight to the kitchen?”

“Go right ahead.” She reached for one of the bags. “Here, let me help.”

“It’s fine. I’ve got it.” The last thing I wanted was to use any of her energy.

I came to make things easier for her. Kylian had shared his schedule with me. It was insane. Most mornings, he ran with his teammates at the crack of dawn, followed by team meetings or strength and conditioning, classes, football practice, and dinner somewhere in there. Then, he used whatever time was left for homework or his mom. And I got the feeling he did his best to spend the most time with her. With everything on his shoulders, I suspected she wasn’t getting as much help as she needed.

I set the groceries on the counter by the sink and started unloading. “Did you have lunch?” It was close to that time, and I hoped I’d caught her before she’d made anything.

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