Page 142 of Call the Shots
“It’s not fun when you play,” Nick muttered.
Bear grinned until his phone rang and everyone around the room glanced back.
Denali sighed. “Did you talk to him?”
“No.” Bear silenced the ring. “Not yet.”
I frowned. “Talk to who?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Bear said while half of the room answered with, “Vernon.”
“Vernon?” I repeated. “Why is he calling you?”
“He’s pissed off,” Nick replied.
“He’s upset because Bear skipped practice,” Montoya whispered.
Bear tried to switch the conversation, but I didn’t understand. Why didn’t he tell Vernon about my hospital visit? Why was Bear avoiding his calls?
“What he’s doing is looking for an angle,” Fridge said coolly. “He wants a reason for Bear losing the captain badge.”
My mouth fell open. “You’re not alternate captain anymore?”
“Nope. It’s Twinkletoes,” Elijah muttered.
“Rileyis alternate captain?”
The good mood vanished, revealing an underlying strain, everyone shifting in their seats, restless. Nobody was happy with the change. Bear especially. Even if he played it off, I could feel it from him, an undercurrent he tried to hide from me.
Bear was hurt.
My lips pressed into a hard line and something bent inside me. Bear was putting himself out there and breaking free from his comfort zone—how could Vernon do that to him?
I was furious.
I held out my hand. “Phone.”
“Uh, it’s fine?—”
“Bear.Phone.”
He passed me his phone. “Are you going to turn it off or?—?”
I answered the call, and Vernon’s voice thundered through. “Beau, this is the kind of behavior that?—”
“Vernon,” I said, my voice deadly.
Everyone in the room fell silent. Fridge paused the game.
“Who is this?” Vernon demanded.
“This is June, Cleo’s assistant.”
“What are you doing taking Beau’s calls?”
“His name isBear,” I punctured his question like a balloon. “And this is June, who had a medical emergency. Bear droveme to the hospital this morning which is why he couldn’t attend practice.”
Vernon didn’t say anything.
