Page 62 of Second Shot

“Alright,” Coach Donnelly says, setting his tablet down on the table. “We’ve got a full-blown mess on our hands, and I need to know what your side of the story is, Jacobs.”

“Freddy Morrison’s allegations are bullshit,” I rasp. “We shouldn’t even give them the time of day.”

“You think we can just ignore them?” Coach’s eyebrows shoot up. “Son, I’ve got seventeen different news outlets calling this office, plus three agents, two lawyers, and someone from the league office. This isn’t something we can just ignore. This is a goddamn category five shitstorm.”

“Coach,” I say quietly, “Morrison is lying about me reaching out to him. That never happened.”

“But Caldwell did bully you?” His voice is hard, but not unsympathetic

I wince. “Yes.”

“Yet, you’ve been defending him since this story broke.”

I nod. “Also yes. All of that stuff happened fourteen years ago. He’s not that kid anymore. Neither am I.”

“So, you knew who he was the minute you saw him? But you said nothing.”

I let out a shaky breath. “Look, Coach, I fucked up by not telling Ryan who I was. I’m more than willing to own that. When he didn’t recognize me, I should have had a hard conversation with him. But I didn’t.”

“Were you… afraid of him? Is that why you didn’t tell him?”

“God, no. It wasn’t like that.” I don’t see the point of telling him about my initial plan of trying to get revenge on Ryan. That plan fizzled out almost immediately when I got to know Ryan. “I mean, there was some stuff I had to work through,” I admit. “I had to come to terms with the fact that neither one of us is who we were at that age. We’ve both grown up and matured.”

“Sure.”

“But the fact is, even though he didn’t recognize me from school, he expressed remorseto me over and over again for how he was in middle school. It really bothered him. Surely that counts for something. He’s not that angry kid anymore. He’s a good person.”

He grunts. “You don’t have to tell me that. I know he’s a good guy. But bullying is a big deal. Every one of you on the team is supposed to be a role model. Management is concerned with the optics of a bully being on the Seadragons.”

“The optics,” I say bitterly. “Ryan’s not just some optic. He’s a person.”

“The people making the decisions don’t see it that way. To them, it’s all about image and revenue.”

Uneasiness shifts through me. “Please don’t trade him or kick him off the team. It would be so unfair. Plus, we have the playoffs to think about. Losing Caldwell right now would be devastating to the team’s chances.”

He shrugs. “I agree. We’re just four games out from clinching the playoffs, and only two days away from facing the Monterey Tides. If we lose Caldwell, our chances of winning take a serious hit. But the final call isn’t mine to make.”

I clasp my hands on the table, frowning. “I don’t understand why everyone is just believing Morrison without any proof. Morrison is lying about those text messages between us. Theynever happened. Maybe if we could prove that, then his credibility would be questioned.”

He looks at me like I’m a naive fool. “Kid, right now the problem for the organization isn’t whether you texted Morrison first or not. It’s the bullying itself.”

I slump. “Oh.”

He studies me, his expression empathetic. “I realize that’s probably the biggest issue between you and Caldwell though. The betrayal he believes happened.”

“Yes,” I say quietly.

He clears his throat. “This might be kind of personal, but I have to verify the information I’m hearing in the media. Were you and Caldwell in a romantic relationship?”

My face warms, but I don’t see the point of lying. I’m not ashamed of being gay or of being with Ryan. “Yes.”

He purses his lips, studying me. “The NHL and the Seadragons have no rules against players having a romantic relationship, but I’ll be frank with you, it does make me uneasy. Things like that can mess with the dynamics of the team.”

“I understand, sir.” I hold his gaze. I do understand. The Seadragon organization isn’t a matchmaking service. It’s a business designed to make money. Personal drama can sometimesinterfere with that. That bias was one reason I hadn’t wanted my relationship with Ryan to go public.

Coach Donnelly leans back in his chair, his gray eyes shrewd. “Can I be brutally honest with you?”

“Yes. I want you to be.” My stomach churns as I wait for him to speak.

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