Page 127 of Red Zone
My stomach tightens, but I just nod, set my stuff down, and follow him inside.
Coach Harding shuts the office door behind me, and the muted buzz of the locker room fades.
I stand just inside, trying to keep my expression neutral, even though my stomach’s already in knots.
He drops into his chair, leaning back and folding his arms across his chest, his sharp gaze fixed on me like he can see right through me.
I shift my weight from one foot to the other, my hands balling into fists at my sides.
“You wanted to see me, Coach?”
He doesn’t answer right away. Just studies me, his lips pressed into a thin line.
My chest gets tight.
Here it comes.
I knew this day would come eventually.
The way he’s looking at me, like he already knows what I’ve been doing. Like he already knows I spent the night with hisdaughter. Like he’s about to tear me apart piece by piece for daring to even look at her, let alone?—
“You want to tell me what’s going on?” he asks finally, his voice low.
I swallow hard, my mind scrambling for something to say.
“Look, Coach,” I blurt. “I know what you’re thinking?—”
His brow furrows. “You do?”
I nod quickly, heat crawling up the back of my neck.
“And I just—” I hesitate, then sigh. “It wasn’t planned, okay? And I know it’s crossing a line, and I swear I’m not trying to hurt her or?—”
He cuts me off with a raised hand, his eyes narrowing.
“What the hell are you talking about, Hayes?”
I blink. “Uh…nothing?”
His brow stays furrowed, but he shakes his head slightly, muttering something under his breath.
Then he straightens and grabs a stack of papers from his desk, sliding them toward me.
I glance down at them.
Logos. NFL logos. Team letterheads. Notes.
“You’ve got three teams asking for extra film on you,” he says flatly.
I stare.
“And another two asking if they can come watch you at practice next week.”
For a second, I can’t even speak.
Coach leans back in his chair, arms folded, his eyes still on me.
“You’ve been putting up numbers all season,” he says. “You’ve been carrying yourself like a pro, on and off the field. And they’re noticing.”
