Page 62 of Twisted Assist

"Would she be willing to volunteer as well?"

"Probably. With her season over, she will be jonesing to get back on the field."

"She plays soccer, right?" I'd done my homework, so I knew the answer. Having a female player in the camp would attract more girls, which would be a huge win.

"Yeah, for the University of Miami."

Again, I knew that, but it made me pause, a light bulb going off in my head. It was the first time it had dawned on me that Hunter and Rhys also had a connection.

Ash Keller. Rhys' girlfriend and Hunter's player for the women's team.

In fact, she was the girl he approached in the bar the one night he and I went out together. She and another player were drunk, and they called him Coach Crazy. I laughed and pulled him away, but he never spoke about it after that. He never told me that was Rhys Peyton's girlfriend.

So many pieces of the puzzle were falling into place right there during my interview with Rhys.

"You okay?" he asked, clearly seeing I had gotten lost in thought.

"Oh um," I started scrambling for something to say to lessen my embarrassment, but nothing came to me.

"Hey," Tripp came up, tapping Rhys on the shoulder. "About to scrimmage."

"Okay," Rhys smiled, nodding at me and forgetting how awkward I had just been. "Let's do this."

Tripp gave me a small wink as Cruz Martin walked up from behind me. Cruz looked between us, and his eyes widened. Cruz knew who I was somehow, and that small wink from Tripp was all it took for the dots to connect.

"I'm coming!" Cruz yelled toward the team. Then, before going to the goal, he stopped and stood beside me while putting his gloves on. "If he fucks with you, we will fuck him up."

He wasn't talking about Tripp; he was talking about Hunter. And if I had any doubt about that, it was made clear when he snubbed Hunter's attempt at a handshake. Looking back at me, he made sure I knew it was intentional, and my heart warmed a little. Tripp must have confided in Cruz, and he was acting the way I wished Colton had.

A scrimmage between the team and the new guys was essentially a complete game where the head coach separated them into what he felt was a competitive contest. That put Hunter, Tripp, and Cruz on the same team, with Rhys headlining the other team as the leading player.

Tripp and Hunter hadn't spoken the whole day, as far as I could tell, but once the game started, that changed as they played alongside each other. Hunter would call for a pass, and Tripp didn't hold back just because he hated Hunter. He was in the moment, and if Hunter was open, he passed it to him like the professional he was.

Tripp was heading up the field with the ball close to halftime, looking for someone to pass it to. Hunter had his arm up for the pass, but Tripp didn't appear to see him as he pushed the ball closer to the side of the field. The defender was on top of him, and he couldn't get a clean pass off, but he spun around and, without looking, kicked it with the back of his foot, trusting that Hunter was there and ready for his assist.

As if they had played together forever, Hunter had moved where he knew Tripp would pass it, taking the other team by surprise and kicking it into the goal. Both teams raised their arms at the incredible play, and the coach clapped. Hunter and Tripp, however, were eyeing each other quietly from across the field.

Rhys stopped cheering, seeming to be the only one who saw what I saw. There was pure hatred between the two players, who appeared to assist each other perfectly on the field.

"Half!" The referees there for the camp called the game for a break, and the players started making their way to the locker room for a few minutes of air conditioning. As Tripp neared the tunnel, he pulled his sweaty jersey off and tossed it over his shoulder.

My eyes couldn't help but linger, knowing how those abs flexed when he pushed his body into mine. It was hot, and even though I had been in the shady area all day, I was practically melting in front of everyone.

"Tripp!" Rhys called, getting Tripp's attention before he could pass by me. Tripp turned around and returned to Rhys, who was standing near the field's sideline. Meanwhile, Hunter walked past me without even a glance, and I felt a twinge of relief that he didn't make that moment worse than I feared.

Both teams were off the field, but Rhys and Tripp stayed put. Rhys' hand was on Tripp's shoulder, and their heads leaned together as Rhys spoke quietly. Even though I didn't understand more than the basics of soccer, I would have loved to know what they were talking about.

But then they both turned toward me simultaneously, and my back stiffened with worry. Maybe they weren't talking about soccer after all. Rhys patted Tripp's shoulder and walked off, giving me a nod before he yelled back, "That isn't what I meant."

Then he was gone, leaving Tripp still standing there alone.

What just happened?

Tripp gave me a slight nod and then looked toward the end of the field where another tunnel existed. During the game, that was where t the field crew was, so I wondered why he was trying to get me to look that way. When he started walking toward the entrance, I casually started following him. Everyone else had already taken off for their own break, and no one was out there to see us. So, despite the risks, I took the chance and disappeared with Tripp, curious about what he had to say that was so important he couldn't wait.

ChapterThirty-One

Tripp

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