Page 2 of Pump Fake

“We have a problem.”

I waited for Coach to continue, as I had nothing to add. The two men flanking me remained quiet.

“A sex video of you and an unnamed girl has been uploaded behind an OnlyFans paywall. What I want to know is, what the fuck were you thinking?”

“What?” I blinked once, twice, but everything stayed the same. An oily feeling slithered beneath my skin.Goddammit.I couldn’t believe some woman had blown my trust and put me on public display against my will.

Coach looked ready to blow a gasket, and the two guys next to me weren’t making eye contact but staring at Coach instead.

“I never would have thought you were stupid enough to pull a stunt like this. Because of your actions, the university is dealing with a lot of heat. And the boosters are not pleased that one of our star players is involved.”

“I-I’m at a loss for words. I didn’t allow anyone to video me having sex.”And when the fuck was the last time I had sex?I was too busy for women with everything else in my life. It made no sense. Being a college athlete allowed little time outside of sports and academics. And football training was year-round. I didn’t fuck around.

Jack finally made eye contact with me when he handed over his phone, cued to the OnlyFans site. I took it and hit play. The room was shadowed, and the only light came through the window, so it was hard to tell who the two people were. Until he—I—picked up the girl and laid her down on the bed, minus her red bra and matching thong. Fuck, I recognized that. Spring break. I’d finally let Liam talk me into barhopping and letting loose.

How could this happen to me and not Liam?He was the love-’em-and-leave-’em guy, never to sleep with the same girl twice… except for the one time he’d had a go at a relationship. I rarely had one-night stands—other than last spring break. Fuck, I was in so much trouble.

“That’s a complete violation. I never agreed to this. And this is from last year, over spring break. I don’t even know this girl’s last name or where she lives.” We were in my bedroom. She must have set up the phone on the dresser when she’d asked me to grab her a drink.What the hell will my family think?Momwould be horrified, and my nephew… Shit, it was a bad example for a fourteen-year-old who was struggling with the loss of his parents. I was screwed. “What does this mean for me?”

“As I’ve already said,” Coach growled. He hated to repeat himself. “The video’s backlash has put unwanted pressure on the university. What were you thinking?” Coach stood and paced behind his desk. “You’re a senior in your final year before the combine and the NFL draft, for God’s sake. Use your head. Stop thinking with your dick. I would expect this from a first-year athlete, but not you.”

I took the dressing down because I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t put myself into situations like that. Anger and frustration vibrated through my six-foot-four frame with nowhere to go. And on the heels of all that, the gravity of what had happened sank in.Would this jeopardize my scholarship?Anger ripped through me, and I argued against the injustice. “I never gave consent to be filmed like this. Why isn’t the heat on the woman making the quick buck? I met her in a bar near campus. She’s probably a student. Can’t the university go after her? Or OnlyFans, based on lack of consent?”

“She’s not a student, and the university is in contact with OnlyFans working on getting the video down, but it’s on the internet, and you know what that means. Once something is out there…” Jack explained. “Another thing to note is that the university holds our athletes to a higher standard.”

It wasn’t my fault. “Will I be benched? Or lose my scholarship?” I gripped the chair’s armrests until my knuckles turned white. I’d worked my ass off.Would this cost me a spot in the combine? In the draft?

“Both should happen.” Coach narrowed his eyes. “But…”

Oh, thank God there was a but. A small stirring of hope lit in me.

“Neither will happen. If you weren’t one of our best players and the reason the boosters and alumni are happy with the teamdominating the division this year, you’d be on the bench and possibly out of a scholarship to play here.”

A small amount of tension seeped from my body. I wouldn’t get off scot-free, though. I waited for him to hand down my punishment. When Coach didn’t say more, I asked, “Is there anything else?”

“Isn’t that enough?” Coach snapped.

“Yes, Coach.” I had to work hard not to growl the words through my teeth.

“Do better.”

“Yes, Coach.”

He leaned back in his chair and narrowed his eyes, his features hardening like he was calling a game-winning play. “I suggest you find a good woman and settle down,” he advised. “I want you to follow Kylian’s lead, not Liam’s.”

I nodded, at a loss for what to say to that.Find someone to date seriously?I had no idea how I would find the time for a girlfriend, nor did I want one.

“Get to practice. And, Ares.”

I paused, halfway standing.

“I expect better.”

“Yes, Coach.” My heart dropped. Coach Becket was someone I looked up to. He’d had my back when my family life had gone to hell and when my mom had needed me most. But I’d disappointed him, and that killed me.

I left the office, too embarrassed to look Mrs. McKenna in the eye, so I mumbled a goodbye instead. My mind raced with what I’d learned. The university IT department should be able to take down the video or lodge a formal complaint with OnlyFans about consent, but the damage had already been done.

I’d put myself in that position. I wanted to blame Liam, but no one was responsible except me. Anger bubbled beneath the surface, and all I could think about was getting on the field and working as much of it out of my system as possible. I pushedCoach’s firm suggestion about a steady relationship like what Kylian had to the back of my mind—for the time being anyway.

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