Page 73 of American Beauty

I shake my head. “Not really. I hear bits and pieces here and there, mostly from Nate.”

“I’m going to fill you in, but you got to keep this on the down-low.”

“Sure.”

“Your replacement isn’t working out.”

That’s unexpected. “I was under the impression that David was satisfied with him.”

He shakes his head. “Nah. Kid’s got talent, sure, but he’s no Alex Sebring.”

A strange mix of pride and regret tugs at me. “So what’s the plan? They looking to trade him?”

Kye nods. “That’s the word.”

My stomach knots. I shouldn’t care, shouldn’t ask, but I can’t help it. “Please don’t say they’re looking at Tyson McRae.”

I brace myself for the answer.

Kye chuckles. “You’d rather set yourself on fire than see McRae in your jersey.”

I shake my head. “I couldn’t take that shit.”

Kye’s expression shifts into something more serious. “You don’t have to worry about that. They’re looking at you.”

I let out a short laugh, leaning back in my chair. “Good one, mate.”

But Kye doesn’t laugh. “I’m not kidding.”

The humor drains from my face. “I’m going to need you to explain what that means.”

“They want you back. Management’s been talking, and they’re interested.”

I blink, trying to process his words. It makes no sense. “They all know my injury never healed.”

Kye leans forward, his eyes locked onto mine. “But what if it could? What if your days on the field weren’t over?”

The weight of his words settles over me, and something stirs inside me.

Something dangerous––hope.

I look at Kye, searching his face for any hint that he’s having me on. But there’s nothing—just steady, unwavering certainty in his eyes.

A slow exhale leaves my lungs as I shake my head. “The ankle’s done. My playing days are over.”

The words taste bitter, even after all this time. Saying them out loud doesn’t make them any easier to accept.

Kye’s expression is unreadable. Then, that infuriating smirk of his spreads. “But what if those days weren’t over?”

I blink, surprised. “You’ve lost me.”

“Hypothetically speaking… if the injury was a non-issue, would you come back?”

No hesitation. “Of course I’d come back. I never wanted to leave. You know that.”

He nods. “That’s what I thought, but I wasn’t sure if you’d met the love of your life and moved on from it.”

I met the love of my life. And I lost her.

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