Page 52 of The Way We Fight

Fuck you, Brett.

Ouch, okay maybe not.

Chapter31

Charleigh

Itossed my phone across the bed, annoyed at Levi’s text. Just when I thought I may betray Bobby for him and warn him about the fight, he reminded me of how much he wanted me to fail, and I no longer cared if he was outed in the ring.

Maybe if Richard found out about his boxing hobby, he would pick on him and leave me alone. So, fuck him and his fight. Fuck his need to see me ran off the football field. And fuck the way our night at his place made me feel. It was all nothing but complications and distractions.

Mistakes.

I would see him Sunday, and everything would be back to normal as I called my best game and he bitched behind me about how much I needed glasses.

In the meantime, I was going to enjoy my week. Having the weekend off always rejuvenated me, and the work I had planned at Bobby’s all week was something I was looking forward to, mostly because I was taking Jesse with me a few days so he could get a workout in himself.

On a whim, I took my phone and blocked Levi’s number, not wanting to risk him messaging me anymore and ruining the good mood I knew I would have all week. Then I called my mom and planned a shopping date for good measure. Even though I hated shopping, it made her happy to browse and spend time with me. Making her happy made me happy.

I was already getting my Levi-free week off to a great start.

* * *

I was right–my week was bliss.

Simple.

Like old times.

Lots of family time, me time, and time at the gym with the people that cared about me most in the world.

Then Sunday came back around, and my high fell down to my toes. It wasn’t that I didn't want to officiate the game, but more about fighting off the feelings I had for a man that wanted my demise to be imminent and messy. It didn't matter how good he was at making me come, his chauvinistic attitude was the biggest red flag I had ever seen.

Still, I sought him out when I made my way onto the field. I met with the crew and we exchanged small talk as the teams warmed up around us. I couldn't find Levi, but I kept searching, getting more and more obvious about my intention as time went on.

Finally, I saw him, standing back behind a crowd of people watching warmups. He was in his normal stance of concentration–legs wide, arms cross, one hand to his bottom lip, tugging as he watched.

I turned back to my crew before he caught me and tried to shake how sexy he looked out of my vision. There was something else about the way he looked, though, but I couldn't place my finger on it. And I sure as hell wasn't going to do a double take and figure it out.

Somehow, I managed to get through the entire pregame without looking back at him again. But when I started making my way down to my locker room to collect myself before the game, I spotted him off to the side in the corridor. He was animated, angry, and telling someone all the things he wasn’t going to do.

Whoever he was talking to was slightly hidden behind a wall. If I ventured too far out to see who it was, they would have been able to see me, so I stayed close to the edge of the corridor and tried to hear whatever I could.

It wasn’t much, though. Levi was saying, “I won’t…” and the sound would trail off. Then I would hear, “I can’t…” and the rest was indiscernible. His arms threw into the air and he turned around to stomp off, but with another quick thought he turned back around.

When he did, he saw me, standing there with my eyes wide like I had been caught doing something wrong. But I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Instead of looking away sheepishly, I just raised one eyebrow at him, as if to say, “What?” I didn't hear anything but who cares if I had? He should have had his argument somewhere more private. He was the one having the animated conversation where everyone could hear.

With me staring at him, he chose to not say whatever he was turning around to say and walked off toward the locker rooms. I stepped out a few steps to see who he was arguing with, but they were gone.

I rolled my eyes at how nosey I was and made my way to my own locker room. Whatever Levi had going on that week shouldn't have bothered me. He was a man with a lot of stress and anger, so I shouldn't have even been shocked he found someone else to fight with.

A splash of water to my face, a drink, and a quick change of my socks–for good measure–later, and I opened my door to head back out to the field for the coin toss.

But I gasped when I took my first step, immediately stopped by Richard Elder standing against the wall outside of my door and away from where everyone could see him.

“Can I help you?” I asked politely, not wanting him to see my disdain for him so bluntly.

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