Page 88 of Golden Rule

“I’m out, too,” Chase announces, glancing at the time on his phone. “Shit, the sitter’s gonna chew me out about being late again. Catch you all in the morning.”

He doesn’t wait for anyone’s response as he takes off so fast I’m not entirely sure he didn’t start sprinting out of the building and through the parking structure to his truck.

I pull on my boxers and jeans, and I’ve got my t-shirt halfway over my head when Dane takes a breath beside me. And just as I was starting to think no one noticed how today wore me down…

“So, are we gonna talk about it or what?”

“Nope.” I don’t even look at him, slipping my keys and phone into the pockets of my jeans.

“Thing is, whether we talk about it or not, we both saw you favoring your shoulder,” Sterling chimes in, and I fucking hate being outnumbered.

“I’m fine.”

Seems like I’m having to say that shit a lot these days, because every time I turn around, either one ofthesetwo are on my case again, or it’s Blue. It never seems to register with any of them that I’m managing on my own.

“Besides, I wasn’t favoring it. I was being mindful of not fucking it up, overplaying on the offseason. That’s all,” I lie, knowing good and damn well I was definitely favoring it.

My mind races, picturing this ticking clock that’s winding down on how long I can keep this up. While I’d like to think I’m still healing… I’m starting to wonder if it’s more than that.

Football has been such a huge part of my life for mywholelife, the thought of having it taken away from me scares the shit out of me. It’s how I take care of my family, how I keep myself sane. If I ever had to give it up…

Dane sighs, and I feel him about to get on my case again. “All I’m saying is, don’t put this off until it’s too late, West. This season’s too important to?—”

“Don’t you think I fucking know that shit?”

My voice carries, echoing through the locker room. Only now have the others’ gazes shifted toward us. This started as a private conversation, and while it’s still unclear why my brothers and I are disagreeing, I’m already regretting letting my emotions get the best of me.

“Damn it!”

Thoroughly annoyed, I grab my things and slam my locker on my way out, leaving my brothers standing there like the two assholes they are. I don’t need this shit every time they see I’m in pain.

I make it to my truck, but everything around me feels like a blur. I hardly remember the walk to the parking structure, because all I can hear are the words of my brothers cycling through my head on repeat. I punch the steering wheel, ignoring the surge of pain the motion sends shooting through my shoulder. I’m pissed, but not even at my brothers. I’m pissed atme.

For not being whole.

For potentially fucking up the opportunity of a lifetime here in Cypress Pointe.

For not seeing this coming.

Life has this way of shitting on me when things start getting too good. I married the woman of my dreams, my soulmate, and we haven’t been able to grow our family. Then, I got Coach’s invitation to move back to my hometown, and can’t even fucking play at full strength because of my damn shoulder.

I don’t even realize I’m panting until I actively try to settle down. Losing my shit won’t solve anything. What I need is a plan, an action I can take that might actually fix things.

Fix…me.

My phone’s already in hand, and I hate that I’m dialing the one number I probably don’t need to dial right now. But before I can hang up…

“Long time no hear from, Captain,” Tripp says on the other end of the line.

Despite knowing I shouldn’t have called, I smile a little, simply because he’s a familiar voice, and I kind of need that right now, something familiar to ground me.

“Hey, man. You good?”

He laughs into the phone, and I hear his video game go silent in the background. In this moment, I realize he’s not a whole lot different from when we used to run the ball together in high school and college.

Which seems equal parts blessing and curse.

“What’s up? I hear you’re back in CP. That a permanent move or are you just trying things out for a bit?”

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