Page 128 of Who's Playing You
I closed my eyes and groaned.
This was bad.
So bad.
I didn’t care if this came out in the media and fans or my team found out. I didn’t even care that my family would find out. But I hadnotwanted Scottie to learn about this.
This had been a secret that I had had no intention of letting Scottie in on - ever. Sure, there were other secrets that I had already told her, a few I was still keeping. But this one? This was one that she just had no need to know.
Now my hand was being forced.
Fuck my life!
“As messed up as this whole fucking thing is,” Loving said on half a chuckle, “I have to admit that I feel so much better now - getting that off my chest and coming clean to you guys. I’ve been dealing with this, and I hated keeping this from you guys. I’ve never kept a secret from either of you and this was literally killing me,” he finished.
And that was the final nail in my coffin.
The guilt that had been eating at me since draft night, that had been building since the season started in September… I felt like I was suffocating.
And when those words left Loving’s mouth… the word vomit spilled from my lips, “I’ve been keeping something from you guys too.”
They both stilled and stared at me.
“I’m so fucking sorry you guys,” the guilt overwhelmed me and I felt the tears gathering in my eyes.
“Dude! You alright?” Papas questioned, looking more concerned than I’d ever seen him.
“Nah, man. I’m not okay. Because I know-I just know that after I fess up to this that both of you are going to hate me.”
Loving let out a heavy breath in preparation. “Let’s hear it.”
“I fixed the draft.”
“Youwhat?” Papas yelled.
“Fuck,” I let out more to myself than them. “Yeah, so, San Fran wanted all of us. But Ineededto be in New York. Scottie was here and… I needed to be as close to her as I could. I’d waited so long for my shot with her and,fuck! I had to take it.”
“What in the actual fuck are you saying?” Papas yelled again.
“That I went behind your backs,” I admitted. “I tried to get The Rage to take all three of us, and I had worked it so that San Fran would trade for us next season - as long as we all did well this season. But The Rage didn’t need or want two more receivers. The only thing they needed was… me. So I took it.”
Nick and Nik stared at me in complete silence while I saw their faces turn red in anger.
“But it’s fine! Guys, it’s fine. I’ve got Scottie now and I talked to San Fran last week, they’re still interested in trading for us in the spring.Especiallywith how all three of us have been playing!”
“Fuck you, Soba. I’d rather quit professional football than to ever play with you again. We’re done here,” Loving said as he hung up.
“Fuck!” I seethed out and watched Papas.
“I can’t believe you…” he let out on almost a whisper. “You literally threw our fuckingdreamaway - and for what?A girl?!?! As Loving said, we’re done here. Have a great life.”
And with that, he too hung up on me too.
57
SCOTTIE ANDERSON
The fall semester was almost over and I couldn’t wait to get a month off from school. I was going to use it to enjoy mypregnancy, something that I was still wrapping my head around, as well as resting, getting back into my art work that had had to sit by the wayside for the past little bit, as well as tag along with Nicholas as much as I could.
