Page 23 of Fever Dream
“No, you’re not,” he replies, steepling his fingers as he peers down at me. “I’ve gone over all your scans with Thornfield and McLean, and we all agree it’s for the best to sit you out this week.”
I nod. “Yeah, okay. I get it,” I agree.
“I’m kind of impressed at how well you’re taking this,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “I admit I expected a few more dramatics.”
I chuckle, fully aware he would have gotten a hell of a lot more dramatics if not for Harrison’s intervention. “Maybe I’m just growing as a person.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Coach nods back. “Harrison wants one more week with you off the football track but the second we get his green light you’ll be back at the top of the roster. Let’s hope for next week.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I agree. Coach holds his hand out to me, and we shake before I leave his office, searching out Harrison in the medic’s office where I left him after we drove in to the club together.
He looks up at my approach as I park myself on the corner of his desk. “How did it go?” he asks, concern in his eyes.
“It was fine,” I sigh. “He even complimented me on my lack of dramatics. Thinks I’m growing as a person.”
Harrison can’t even hide the laugh from his face as he sits back and grins at me. “Yes, absolutely no dramatics in sight. Glad you’re keeping things in perspective.”
“Perspective? Absolutely,” I grin, not able to stop myself from reaching out to poke the dimple out on full display on Harrison’s face. He bats my hand away with a shoo sound, but I know a pretend frown when I see one. Besides, Harrison could never really be mad at me. We’re not like that.
“You going to be okay?” Harrison asks, concern etched on his face. “We can schedule in an extra session this morning while the boys do their Captain’s run.”
“Yeah. That would be great actually,” I say with a sigh. Harrison just … gets me. He knows how hard it will be for me sitting out on today’s last training session before the team fly out tomorrow. And I think that kicking a ball with him, even if it is a round soccer ball, will be just the thing to take my mind off everything.
***
I am not expecting the phone call I receive from Coach on Friday evening. The team are flying down to Melbourne tomorrow morning and I had already made peace with the fact I will not be going. But Mick asks me to come along on the road trip with the team for moral support and my heart lifts with excitement. I also get the feeling he maybe wants to show off the Fever’s shiny new prized acquisition, but I don’t care about his motives.
I am desperate to join the team. Harrison will be there as part of the medico team too and I think that was only making matters worse for me, the fact my bestie would not be around to alleviate the pangs of loneliness.
It’s the first time I’ve been back to my home city since I moved up to Sydney and I admit I do feel that little tug on myheart strings as we touch down in Melbourne. But it’s not as sharp as I thought it would be, and I let my gaze fall on Harrison across the aisle from me and wonder if he has anything to do with that. There’s something about him that kind of feels like … home.
The bus takes us to our team hotel where I discover another big win in my favour which is that I am rooming with Harrison. It’s only because I’m not a listed player and probably won’t reoccur again but I smile at my bestie as we’re handed our room keys, and he smiles back at me in a way that could almost be described as a grimace. But I don’t believe that for one minute. I’m sure he’s as excited about this as I am.
Harrison has work to do for the team for the next few hours and I know I will just be a bother if I keep hovering around him. So I take the opportunity to jump in an Uber and go and visit my family who I also haven’t seen since I moved to Sydney.
It’s really great seeing them again. Luna and I text each other pretty much every day so I still feel like I’m keeping up with her life. And although I miss them all, Luna especially, I am again struck by the fact that I really am okay with where I’m at with my life right now.
And once again I’m left wondering if that’s all down to Harrison Thornfield and the way he makes me feel.
CHAPTER 11
harrison
Iknow I told myself I wouldn’t be surprised at the interest in Casey Calloway, but even I couldn’t have predicted the media speculation about him being sidelined this week. The conspiracy theorists are out in force with their speculations, most of which are wilder than the actual truth, tempered by the wiser heads of some of the more seasoned commentators.
I’d been kept busy treating players on the sidelines but even I could see that Casey sitting in the Coach’s box attracted as much attention as the game actually being played out on the field. Which the Fever lost by a fairly wide margin.
I also could never have anticipated the still burning anger and sense of betrayal from the supporters of Casey’s former club. Everything had been mostly positive until we arrive back at the hotel on the team bus, our timing unfortunate as we step out at the same time as a group of football fans walking past. They wear the black and blue scarfs of the Elsternwood Dragons and I feel Casey tense at my side as they recognise him, his name repeated like an echo down the street.
“Hope the money’s worth it you filthy flog,” yells a man in Casey’s direction.
“Pathetic sell out,” spat another. “I hope you tear your ACL.”
“Fuck off, idiots,” Izak steps in as Sonny and I automatically circle Casey. The men seem to take this as a call to arms as they start posturing back, and more Fever players come to Casey’s aid. Fortunately, hotel security is nearby, and they are quick to intervene, leaving me standing by a slightly shaken Casey. His face has paled, and I don’t miss the slight tremble to his hand as I brush against it.
“Alright, Callie?” the Fever’s Captain, James Langton asks.
“Don’t listen to them, Callie,” Sonny says, clapping Casey on the shoulder. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”
