Page 18 of Playing Rucking Hard

“How’s the study going?”

“Fine.”

“Can I leak details?”

“No.”

“It would help …”

“No. I’m doing it to get ready for life after rugby league, not so it can be used as part of my branding.”

“But it would help …”

“No. I’ll fake date whomever you want. I’ll resist throwing the first punch on the field, but my family and study are off limits.”

“Okay, okay,” Warner says, but I know by his tone that he has only put the conversation on pause. “Hope you didn’t have any other plans for tonight because it’s the first of many date nights.”

I hang up before he’s finished speaking. I don’t have time for fucking date night tonight. I have an assignment that refuses to write itself. The Mavericks COO pulled strings to get me back into college. As a player whose league career ended in injury, Benz is all about supporting players who want to plan for life after the game. A business degree might not be rocket science, but it will demonstrate that I can add, think strategically, and write.

If I play my cards right, I’ll use my sponsorship contacts to open doors to a graduate position after college. But that means cleaning up my reputation and getting the best grades I can—so no one thinks I skated by on charm alone.

Date night. If Emma knew, would she care? While waiting for my paper to load, I open the next pink origami swan and prepare to write. How do you tell the girl you want to date that you’re being forced to date someone else—but they won’t mean a thing?

Chapter 8

Bad Date

Emma

If you could have any job in the world? #13275

Idon’t respond.

I can’t believe the swan is waiting for me when I arrive at training. What is he thinking? I mean, there is only one conversation in the locker room —Dylan Fleski is dating.Pictures of Dylan and some reality TV star from last night are plastered all over social media, and since we all have our notifications set to pick up the tea, I couldn’t avoid the news if I tried.

I shouldn’t care. We were one night almost a month ago, and I was the one who left. But to be replaced by a plastic smile and silicone tits hurts more than my pride. He can do better. He deserves someone who can hold a conversation—not Tessa whose claim to fame was confusing Australia with Austria on a map when her team needed one more point to score a supply of chocolate. Welivein Australia.

At the end of training, I pack up my gear to find another swan underneath my bag handle.

Spoiler alert. I would date for pleasure not for publicity. You? #13275

Damn him.

And damn him for asking a question I’ve started asking myself. Six months ago, I would have said cheerleading is my dream job. Now? It’s just a job to pay the bills while I study to become an occupational therapist. I can’t help my sister, but what if I can help someone else?

It’s so hard finding specialists who are taking on new clients, and I feel like most weeks I spend as much on therapy as I do on rent. But between cheer and tutoring high school students for cash in hand, it’s a constant struggle to keep up with online classes.

I would make a difference. Nyx

Chapter 9

Five Swans

Dylan

Crisis averted. It’s not as if I was holding my breath until a black dragon appeared in Emma’s locker, but I had run out of excuses for being in the girls’ locker rooms for the day.

I need a spy. I need to make friends with one of the cleaners to keep an eye on Emma’s locker and collect black dragons. But that would mean letting someone in on our secret—which would put Emma’s job at risk. I can’t do it.

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