Page 44 of Press Your Luck

“Give it your best, dickhead.”

I held my breath, praying that this wouldn't escalate into a full-blown brawl.

Big Ed's gaze darted around, his shoulders tensing as if preparing for a fight. Then he backed off with a snarl. "This isn't over, Coach.” He pointed a meaty finger in my direction. "I'm gonna make your life difficult." Then he stormed off, leaving an uneasy silence in his wake.

My heart pounded in my chest. The victory that had tasted so sweet only moments before now felt tainted by the ugly confrontation with Big Ed.

"Are you okay?" Max asked, his eyes filled with concern.

I nodded, trying to brush off the incident. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for stepping in."

"Of course. Don’t let anything he says mess with you. He’s just blowing off steam.”

I nodded, although I wasn’t going to brush Big Ed’s vow aside. If Big Ed followed through on his threats, things were about to get a whole lot more complicated.

Max stepped closer, wrapping his arms around me in a comforting embrace. His body pressed against mine, warmth radiating from him like a protective shield.

For a moment, I allowed myself to lean into him, grateful for his unwavering support through all of this. "Thank you.” But then I remembered the media and stepped back, giving Max a sheepish smile. “I appreciate your support, but I don’t want to add more fodder to the fire.”

He looked around and winced. “Right. Sorry. Shall we go back to the party?”

“You know what, I’m exhausted. And really, the victory is yours and the team’s. You celebrate. Just don’t do anything that will be bad for the team."

“Are you sure? You’re a part of the team.”

“I know. I’m just tired. Will you give my excuses?”

“Should I walk you to your room? In case Big Ed is lurking about?”

I shook my head. I could only imagine someone seeing us together, and it would be in the media how Max came to my room. “I’m fine, really.”

"Alright," Max agreed reluctantly. "If you need anything, let me know."

"Thank you, Max." With those words, I turned away from the celebration over in the bar and made my way to the hotel elevators.

Once inside my room, I locked the door behind me and leaned against it. The tension from the night's confrontation washed over me like a tidal wave, leaving me feeling vulnerable and exposed.

I changed into pajamas and crawled into bed. Exhausted, I closed my eyes, willing sleep to come quickly.

The sunlight streamingthrough the curtains woke me the next morning. I groaned, feeling a slight pounding in my head from last night's drinks, but I pushed it aside as excitement bubbled in my chest. I couldn't wait to see the coverage of our team's win. Stretching across the hotel bed, I grabbed my phone and quickly searched for news about the game.

Love Triangle Drama:Coach Withers Caught Between Players

I gaped at the headline. Below it was a photo of Max hugging me in the hallway, his arms wrapped around me protectively. Another photo showed Big Ed towering over me in the hallway, his face contorted with anger. My heart dropped, nausea creeping up inside me. What the hell was going on?

This was the last thing I needed after everything that had happened. I dialed Todd's number, my fingers trembling as I pressed the call button, not caring that it was still early in Las Vegas. He picked up on the second ring.

"Naomi. Have you seen the news? Genius, right? We're going to sell out the whole season."

"Genius. This is wrong, Todd."

"Hey, now,” he replied, unfazed by my outburst. “This type of story sells tickets.”

The realization hit me like a slap in the face. Todd was behind this. He’d orchestrated the entire thing. “You set this up, didn’t you?” I accused, my voice shaking.

“Actually, I’m more of an opportunist. The media started this, but seeing how it brought in fans, I hired a team photographer.”

What the hell?

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