Page 9 of Power Pucking Play

And I fell for it.

It was hard not to. A month ago was right around the time that Aaron told me about the trade rumors floating around. That he needed to do something about my reputation and fast.

And this was the perfect solution. A puff piece, as Gabi called it, that would show I'm more than just a hot-headed player who won't commit to anything, not even anger management.

But now that it's actually happening, I'm not so sure anymore.

I grimace at the thought of weeks of having some reporter follow me around, invading my privacy, digging up dirt on my personal life. And all under the guise of "humanizing" me to the public.

Just what I need, another reminder of how much of a fake and selfish prick I've become in the eyes of everyone else.

My brain says, "fuck that”, but what my mouth says…

I exhale, long and loud. “I’m not sure. I haven't decided yet. I need more information."

"All...right. What do you need to know?"

I take a deep breath and run a hand through my hair. "Everything."

"You want to narrow that down a bit?"

"Fine. What's his name?"

"Whose name?"

"The reporter that's going to be following me around like a lost puppy for the next month?"

There's a pause on the other end of the line. My grip on the phone tightens as Gabi sighs.

"It's a she, actually," she says.

"And her name? Is it a state secret or something?"

"Right. Well, her name is Lexi." She hesitates. "Lexi Brookes.”

The locker room suddenly feels too small, too hot. I struggle to keep my voice steady.

“You’re kidd…no. Absolutely not, Gabs. No. I’d rather eat glass and shit razor blades than have her following me around for several weeks."

"First of all, eww. Second of all, that's a bit dramatic, don't you think?" Gabi replies, completely unfazed by my outburst. "Gio, come on. This could be huge for your career. For the team."

"I don't care. Find someone else."

"There is no one else. Lexi's the best in the business. And she's my best friend. She'll be fair."

I bark out a laugh. "Fair? Are we talking about the same Lexi Brookes? The one who's made a career out of making mincemeat of me in the press?"

Gabi sighs. "Look, I know you two have had your...differences."

"Our differences being that one of us is a heartless egotist and the other one is me," I mutter under my breath.

"Stop acting like a Broadway diva. This is important. Think about it, Gio. This could be your chance to finally set the record straight and show people who you really are."

I close my eyes, leaning my forehead against the cool metal of my locker. Images from that night flash through my mind again.

Lexi's eyes, dark with desire. Her fingers tangled in my hair. The way she gasped my name.

"Gio? Are you still there?"

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