Page 48 of Golden Rule

Tough break, girl.

Later, peeps :)

—P

Chapter Fourteen

West

All team facilities have a very specific feel and scent, and this one isn’t any different. There’s nothing like the smell of turf, sweat, and disinfectant spray first thing in the morning.

Sterling and I are barely coherent, groggy from only getting a few hours of sleep before our alarms went off, but Dane came through in the clutch. He awoke to Pandora’s post like the rest of the city did. So, after texting Sterling and I to get therealstory,he stopped off to grab a few energy drinks to help us get through today’s workout. Luckily, I already feel it kicking in.

The sun beams through a row of windows near the top of the thirty-foot ceilings as me and my brothers make our way over to the free weights after warming up. A warmup that included fifteen reps of leg swings, ten sets of lunges, two reps of high knees, and a whole hell of a lot more.

It was slow-going at first, especially for Sterling, but he’s starting to pick up the pace now. Apparently, in addition to having a rough night, his morning didn’t get off to a great start, either. As expected, Tiffany was pissed that he left out so late to meet Lexi, but according to Sterling, somewhere in between bouts of yelling and cursing at the top of their lungs, they came to an understanding. One where Tiff finally seems to comprehend that Sterling’s only interactions with Lexi are about Jaxon. Hopefully, this will be the fresh start they both need.

I’m in the middle of a set of bicep curls when more guys from the team stroll in. Some look hyped up and ready to make the workout count, while others would clearly rather be anywhere but here.

It's never easy foranyof us to leave our warm beds or our wives to push our way here, but it comes with the territory. We get used to missing important appointments and events. For instance, at this very moment, Blue’s heading out to meet our realtor at the building she found on the south side, and I would’ve loved to have been there with her. But I committed to this life. She and Ibothdid, actually, knowing it would mean sometimes having to miss out on things that are far more important.

Dane pulls his arm across his chest to stretch as he speaks. “Damn, didn’t realize how much I needed this. I even got up and out of bed before my alarm went off.”

Those words perfectly contradict my thoughts, which has me smiling a little.

“Listen to you, getting all sentimental and shit,” I tease, parking my ass on the bench before grabbing the dumbbell again.

“Fuck you,” he laughs. “Just saying, we’ve always had football, so it feels like something’s missing without it.”

“Balance.”

He nods at my answer, so I’m guessing that was the word he was searching for. I know, because I’ve felt it, too. All three of us have, I think. Even with all the bad shit in our past, football has been one of the few constants.

I’m in my own head, thinking about my dad as well as a bunch of other bull that probably shouldn’t be my focus. My thoughts should be clear, locked in on the workout.

Sterling nods toward Finn over on the squat rack. “Look at this guy. His form’s terrible. A hundred bucks says he pulls a muscle before he finishes his set.”

“Should we tell him?” Dane asks, but I’m shaking my head before he gets the last of his question out.

“Up to you, but I’m not wasting my breath.”

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t think twice about giving a teammate advice when he needs to fix his form and decrease the weight. However, these aren’t normal circumstances, because we still haven’t sorted out who’s friend or foe.

“Shit.”

Both my brothers’ heads snap in my direction when that word hisses through my teeth. Then, the dumbbell lowers to the floor with a loud clatter. Their eyes are fixed on my shoulder as I rub it, and more than the pain, I hate the way they’re staring at me. Hate that I know what’s coming next.

“It’s still giving you trouble?” Sterling asks. “Maybe you should take it easy for today.”

“I’m fine.”

“You say that now, but?—”

“I’m fine!”

I don’t mean to snap at Dane, but between the pain and being fucking annoyed, there’s no softening it.

Neither of them look away as I pick up the weight again and finish my set. I wish they’d just go back to their workouts and mind their fucking business, but if the tables were turned, I probably wouldn’t let it go so easily either.

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