Page 61 of Penalized Love

Levi rubs a towel over his face before looking at me again. “It’s a risk, yeah. But you’ve got to trust that if it’s meant to be, giving her space won’t change that. Sometimes, you have to step back and let things unfold naturally.”

I pull off my pads and jersey, tossing them into my locker. “I know you’re right, but it’s difficult, especially when I have to see her often.”

Levi’s about to respond when Wilder walks over to us, already dressed and ready to head out. He’s got a grin plastered on his face, completely oblivious to the conversation Levi and I are having. “Are you guys planning on staying here all day, or what? Coach is gonna start wondering why you’re holed up in the locker room.”

Levi and I exchange a quick look, realizing we’ve been deep in conversation longer than we thought. Shit, had that much time passed? The last thing I need is for Coach to catch on to anything related to this.

“Yeah, I was just talking to Levi about something that I need to get done,”I respond without hesitation. I’m proud of myself for thinking of a vague comment on the fly like that.

Levi gives me a look as he picks up what I’m putting down.Don’t say shit.“Right, that thing… Well, I’m here to help if you need it.”

“Appreciate it.”

Wilder’s eyes jump from me to Levi and back to me before he raises an eyebrow.“Alright, just don’t take too long. Blaise and I are grabbing breakfast. You coming?”

“Yeah, I just need to shower first. I’ll meet you guys there.”I can guess which dining hall they’ll eat at since they often go to it for breakfast.

Wilder shrugs, tossing his gear into his bag.“Cool. See you soon.”

As Wilder heads out, I turn to Levi.“I’m going to hit the showers.”

“Alright, dude. I’ll see you later.”

I grab my towel and head toward the showers. What should be a relaxing shower is anything but because I know that Levi’s right. I need to give her space and let her sort through her feelings without me hovering over her. But the thought of losing her again fucking sucks.

I finish my shower and get dressed. I allow myself to have this one shitty practice, but I can’t let this affect my game and, in return, affect my teammates. They’re counting on me to be focused and to be there to help lead them to victory.

When I walk into the dining hall about fifteen minutes later, I spot Wilder and Blaise seated at their usual table. I grab a tray of food and join them, grunting a greeting.

“About time,”Wilder says just before he stuffs his face with a mouthful of eggs.“We were starting to think you’d drowned in the shower.”

I roll my eyes, stabbing at my food.“Yeah, yeah. I got into the showers late. It’s fine.”

Blaise raises an eyebrow at me as I start shoveling food into my mouth.“You good? You seemed a bit off at practice today.”

“Just didn’t sleep well last night. It’s nothing. Need to finish so many assignments.”

“Fucking tell me about it,”Wilder mumbles.

I look up, and I swear he hasn’t taken a second to breathe the way he’s inhaling his food.

“Speaking of finishing things, when are you and Knox going to cut the bullshit?”he asks bluntly.

I glance at Blaise, who’s stirring his coffee slowly, but his eyes are on me, waiting for my response. I let out a deep breath.“What?”

Wilder is not buying it.“Cut the crap. You can’t keep pretending there’s not something going on between you two. It’s like walking on eggshells at practice sometimes.”

Blaise nods as he sets his coffee cup down.“He’s right. The tension’s bleeding into everything, including how we function in our house. You and Knox need to figure out how to work this out before it affects our games.”

I toss my fork down, and it lands on my plate with a loud clack. Thankfully, the dining hall is loud enough that no one around us seems to notice.“It’s not that simple. Knox… I’m not even sure why he keeps trying to press my buttons. And I’m allowed to defend myself.”

Wilder’s expression is serious for once.“Look, I get it. But we are all on the same team, fighting for the same goal. We need to be united, or it’s gonna screw us all over. You don’t have to be best friends, but you need to coexist.”

Once again, I’m willing to admit that my teammates are right. I promised to figure it out, but other shit has come up, and I pushed it to the back burner. None of this is fair to the rest of the team. I know Wilder and Blaise are right. Whatever this is with Knox, it’s not just affecting me, it’s affecting the entireteam. And that’s not fair to any of them. They shouldn’t have to deal with the fallout of whatever the hell is going on between us.

This is something else that I need to own up to. “I get it, and I’ll figure it out. I’ll talk to Knox.”

Blaise nods, a small smile on his lips.“Good. That’s all we’re asking. We’re a team, and we need to act like it. Especially as we get deeper into the season.”

---