Page 93 of I Blame the Club

He takes us through Taber’s courtyard as a shortcut, the crisp fall air and fallen leaves leaving no doubt that winter is just around the corner. There are a couple students studying together on the benches lining the stone walkway, their easy laughter and chit chat reminding me of my own freshman year before the accident.

“Was it Nico?” Cody glances at me, casually clocking my reaction.

“To what are you referring to?”

“The conversation that kept you overtime.” He grins, “Unless there’s something else you want to tell me.”

I feel my defences creep up as I turn my attention back to the scenery around us. Until last weekend, I had never acknowledged the bisexual label out loud. Once I discovered my appetite for both sexes, it became a fact that was internally known rather than stated.

Frankly, it was something I never felt the need or desire to share. It was the one part of my life that was completely my own until I met Nico Montez.

And then he fucked it all up.

“It was Wes, actually. He wanted to talk to me about my relationship with Montez.” I glance at Cody to gauge his reaction. Not a flicker of surprise crosses his features.

“Fair enough. Are you still enjoying coaching the team?”

My shoulders lift in an easy shrug, “It’s a nice break from the board meetings. Has the potential to be rewarding if the players continue their improvement.”

Cody lets out a whistle, “Improvement? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you speak so highly of your teammates, O’Brien.”

I frown, “Don’t get ahead of yourself. These guys have a long way to go before anything impressive happens.”

He smiles, “And there’s the O’Brien mentality. Always striving for a goal that will never standstill long enough to be attained.”

My frown deepens as the truth of his words sink in.

There has never been a time when I’ve been truly satisfied with my performance, when I’ve walked away from a tournament without a list of things to improve on. It was the way my father raised me but I hadn’t realized it had crossed over into my coaching as well.

Clearing my throat, I voice the question suddenly burning the tip of my tongue.

“Did I provide positive feedback back when I was captain?” Meeting his gaze, I force out the second, more important part of the question, “When I was your mentor?”

Cody’s brown eyes flick between mine, his silence an answer in itself. I swallow thickly, turning away from my friend before he can see the disgust in my eyes.

I’ve become my father.

“I wouldn’t say you provided me with positive feedback.” Cody speaks slowly, his considerate tone breaking through my dark thoughts, “But you were the role model both me and the team needed. Never settling for average, you were the reason the Tigers became undefeated champions. Because you weren’t afraid to push for more.”

He shrugs, “Maybe some validation would have been nice, but at the end of the day, it was your drive and commitment to the team that got the results. And that was enough for me.”

A laugh escapes me, “I knew there was a reason you were my favourite. You always know the right thing to say.”

He grins, shifting the books in his arms, “I was your favourite because I was the only player who didn’t complain about the extra time in the weight room.”

“That too.”

Cody chuckles just as we arrive to the science building. The beige structure looks identical to all the other buildings on campus, except for the faded science sign hanging above the main entrance.

“Seriously though, don’t get in your head with all this coaching stuff. You’re a natural leader, Mo, and nothing like your father.”

Pulling the science door open, I shoot him a look, “Who said anything about my father?”

Cody grins, “Your face did. Oh, and good luck with Nico. I think you’ll need it.”

I give him the middle finger and he laughs, bounding through the door before I can let it swing shut on his ass.

Nico

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