Page 48 of Illegal Formation
“Fine,” he said. “Maybe I’m wrong.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Leo mumbled.
“Or the tenth,” Holden added.
Kyle stuck his tongue out and shifted his head side to side at both of them in a mocking manner. But as the guys continued to jest, I swore Kyle’s eyes were looking at me, that he was asking me wordlessly if I really did have a handle on the situation.
Because out of all my friends, he knew what was really on the line for me.
Holden clapped once. “All right boys. Game time.”
“Go kill it,” Leo said.
“Don’t die,” Riley added.
“Text after,” Clay whispered.
Kyle gave a quick nod before the call dropped.
The screen went back to the group text, my playlist bursting back to life in my ears at the same time. It was too loud now, the music startling, and I closed out of my music app completely. But I didn’t take the headphones off. Instead, I sat there in the muted quiet the noise-cancelling technology provided, my eyes on my cleats.
The locker room noise still found me — music thumping, cleats scraping tile, the low murmur of guys getting ready to take the field.
But I just stared at my feet.
Kyle was right.
Ihadbeen distracted.
It didn’t matter how hard I’d fought not to be, how successful I’d been in not texting Emily or falling victim to my desire to make an excuse to see her since that day we were both at the stadium for team promo.
The fact was that she still took up space in my mind, and that was a real fucking problem — especially heading into a season with my contract riding on the line.
I wasn’t in college anymore. This wasn’t harmless flirting.
This was the NFL.
Everything was at stake here — my career, my future, my family.
Blood roared in my ears as I numbly tucked my phone away and grabbed my helmet instead, ready to head out to the field for warmups with the rest of the team.
Had I really been so tied up over this girl that I’d been willing to risk what I’d worked my ass off to build?
I jogged out with the rest of the team toward the tunnel, the roar of the stadium swelling as we burst onto the field. Itwasn’t as loud as it would be come regular season, but it was still enough to rumble through me like an earthquake.
Or maybe that was the distinct sound of my resolve snapping back into place.
The dancers were warming up on the sidelines, too. I knew it, even though I didn’t let myself look. I couldn’t risk getting mesmerized by those sequins catching the lights, by those pompoms flashing.
Byher.
I ran past them without turning my head.
But I swore I could feel her gaze boring into me like she wasn’t going to let me get away with forgetting her so easily.
Emily
I was electrocuted once.
