Page 8 of Calm Before the Score

I do a quick scan of the field to make sure Hartley isn’t here yet. I’m not surprised. He rolls up to practice “on time” every day. To me, on time is at least an hour early. I like the peace of working out on my own before the rest of the team shows up. I can’t keep my thoughts clear this morning, though. I feel like the biggest jerk in the world. How do I explain myself last night to Hartley?

You felt bad for her. You didn’t want to hear Locke’s big mouth all week.

I don’t know what I was thinking or who took over my body, but that was not me. I don’t let girls get inside my head. I’m better than that. I’m the Springs U star running back on track to get drafted once I graduate. I’ve worked for this for years and can’t lose my head over a girl I just met. I need to focus so Ican finally give my mom the life she deserves. She won’t have to worry about medical bills and can do things she loves. I can bring her on vacation. We’ve never done that before. I had to send that text last night. I couldn’t have naive little Violet getting any ideas in her head that the kiss meant anything other than what it was.

But it did….I shake my head trying to eliminate the thought.

No, it didn’t, and it will never happen again. Hartley is probably ready to punch my face in, bright and early this morning.Lovely.Violet is his baby sister. No one messes with her. He made that very clear to the whole team, and I crossed the line. Hopefully, I can spin this in my favor. Better me than Locke. She would have been embarrassed, and he would have taken it way too far. His greasy hands would have touched the velvety skin of her back and traced under her bra strap. His hands don’t belong on her. I did the right thing.

But I remember how her lips felt on mine, how she fell into me and allowed me access to her, how I grabbed her hair and made her mine even if it was only for a few minutes….

Right on cue, Hartley’s car screeches in the parking lot of the practice facility. He storms onto the field and fists my shirt. I fly across the bench and onto the grass. Hartley is on top of me and screaming like a maniac.

“I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY, BUT YOU COULDN’T HELP YOURSELF!” he screams as he charges toward me with white knuckled fists. The fury burns in his eyes right before he pummels me into the freshly mowed grass. I’m not one to start a fight, but I will finish it. Everyone else just watches. I jump off the ground and flip him to his back. Before I know it, we are punching each other senseless. He gets a cheap shot across my jaw, so I reciprocate and get a few more square in in his chest. Coach blows the whistle, jolting us from the fight.

Great, this is exactly what I need this year.

“HARTLEY! RYAN! OFF MY FIELD NOW. If you two want to fight, take it to the locker room!”

We both drop our hands from each other. Now that the adrenaline rush is over, I can taste blood in my mouth. I’ve never had a fight on the field or at practice before, and Hartley has to lose his cool over a stupid party game. He needs to get a grip. We’re Division One athletes hoping to get drafted sooner rather than later. This behavior won’t cut it in the NFL.

Once we get to the locker room, Hartley starts pacing and running his hands through his hair. He says, “Dude. I’m sorry. She's got a lot going on in her head without you messing it up for her. She came home sobbing last night.”

“I know I crossed a line. I just wanted her away from Locke, but I promise you, man, it will never happen again.”

Hartley takes a deep breath. “Be her friend. She needs that, but don’t do stuff that’ll mess with her head. She needs a fresh start here.”

“I got you.”

“If it had been Locke, I swear to God…” he says with a far-off look in his eyes. We bump fists as we drop our things in the lockers and head to the showers.

After a cold shower and time to think, I pull out my phone to check my messages.

Liza: Wanna meet for lunch?

Ryan: Sure. Where?

Liza: Cafeteria. I’ll grab us a seat close to the window!

Ryan: See ya soon.

Liza is a good friend, and she always reaches out first. I need that push to do anything social beyond parties and practice. She came around the team a lot when she and Locke had whatever they had going on.

I take the short walk from the practice field to the commons area. The smell of fried chicken takes over my brain. After practice meals are huge, even if all I did was get a few punches on Hartley. Liza spots me by the entrance and waves me over to her table. I set my bag down and make a towering plate of carbs. Liza opts for a chicken Caesar salad.

“Long time no see. I miss our lunch meetups. How’s practice been?” she asks as she takes a bite of her salad. Liza used to join in on impromptu team lunches when she and Locke were whatever they were.

“Good. I need to keep my head on straight this season if I want to get drafted in a year. All eyes are on us,” I explain.

“You’ve got it. You know how talented you are,” she says with reassurance.

“Yeah, but talent only gets you so far. When you want to get drafted from a mid-sized school like Springs U, you have to stand out.”

“Soooooo, did you have fun at the back-to-school bash?” she asks with innocence, knowing what she’s about to stir up.

“Yep,” I shrug my shoulders with nonchalance in an attempt to get her off my back.

“That was quite the show you put on with that kiss, Ryan Shane. It was almost like you were…jealous?” She nudges my shoulder playfully.

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