Page 140 of Scoring the Player
“No!” Sid and I bark at the same time.
“Let’s go,” Sid says, nodding toward the door.
I don’t stop walking until I reach the end of the hall, where I kneel and fold my head into my hands. My lungs burn like I’m back in the ocean.
“Tell me what’s going on.” Sid kneels next to me. “Who is he?”
Before I can answer, Sid’s head darts up, and then he’s on his feet.
“Sid, may I have a moment with Arnaz?”
I flinch at Aiden’s voice.Still so fucking polite.
“Yo, walk the other way,” Sid warns him. “He doesn’t want to talk to you.”
I screw my eyes shut and lean against the wall.
“Okay,” Aiden says calmly. “You both should know that I was approached by the Royals for the position. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and I couldn’t pass it up. I don’t mean to stir up any trouble for him.”
I channel power that I don’t feel and stand to face him.
It’s fucking surreal staring into his dark, diamond-shaped eyes.
“I’m sorry if my joining has caused trouble. It’s the last thing I wanted to happen.”
“Why this team?” I question.
“Arnaz—”
I cut him off. “You know where we left things. What did you think would happen if you showed up?”
“Alot of time has passed. I thought it wouldn’t matter as much.”
“It doesn’t!” I bark.
“Alright,” Sid interjects, addressing Aiden. “You said your piece. Bounce.”
“I’m out.” I punch open the double doors. “Tell Coach I’m sick or something.”
“Your team needs you,” Aiden calls out. “You’ve worked too hard to let me mess with what you’ve built here. I’m no one.”
I let out a scoff.
At one point, he was everything.
I drive around aimlessly for hours until Sid hits me up that he’s home.
He’s talking to his bodyguard, Jett, when I pull into his garage.
“You good with grilled salmon burgers?” Sid asks as I trail him into the kitchen.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
He reaches into the fridge. “Make yourself a drink.”
“Want one?” I head for his bar, pour a double of the eighteen-year Japanese whiskey, and throw it back, grunting from the burn.
“Nah, just water for—Actually, yeah. Can you grab a wine glass and the buns over there?”
