“Who’s going to take my place until I come back?” I ask, dreading yet knowing the answer.
Her lips twist. “Who do you think? Kennedy. He’ll love this. And maybe you’ll think about this next time you let your fucking temper take over and make you do something stupid.”
She nods to coach and stalks out the door, slamming it behind her.
He nods to the chair. “Sit back down. We need to talk and I don’t want to get a crick in my neck looking up at your ass.”
I slump into the chair, my body numb.
“This is a fucking disaster, Brooks. I’ve been trying to keep a lid on your temper but you just can’t be trusted out on that field right now.”
I eye him uncertainly. “Maybe you could talk to the guys upstairs and vouch for me?”
He sighs and I feel my heart sink. My hands start to sweat.
“I can’t do that. I don’t know what’s going on out there but right now I don’t trust you. So I damn sure can’t vouch for you.”
Ouch!That fucking hurt. I wince.
He nods. “Yeah. I know you’re nearing your retirement. I know you think you’ve got years left to play but we both know your knees have been acting up and your back’s a damn wreck. The physical therapist told me that she has to work on it twice as long as the rest of the guys. Your muscles can’t take this much longer. But I’d hate to see you go out like this.”
I nod, my head whirling. I knew that the therapist was probably talking to coach but I hoped that he still believed in me.
Now I know that he believes I’m nearing my expiration. Rage flares up in me and my hands clench.
I’m not ready to be done.
But I’ve got to learn to play the game or I’m gonna find myself benched way before I’m ready.
I nod. “I’ll take what was said seriously, coach.”
He eyes me skeptically, his dark eyes shrewd. “I sure as hell hope so, Brooks. I like you. You know that. You’re one of the best that I’ve coached. But the body you have now is not gonna win you a spot on the team forever, especially if that temper starts to rule your head.”
I stand up. “Got it. I’ll work on it, coach.”
“See that you do.” He nods to the door and I stalk out of it, closing it carefully behind me. Like it could break, like my damn heart right now. Because if I don’t have football. I really don’t have anything. No family, no friends beyond football players and Sebastian. No woman to warm my bed for more than one night.
And even that’s rare anymore. I just don’t want to put the effort into something that I know is going to go south in less than a few hours.
I pack up and head out to my car, sighing when I throw my junk in the back.
I slide behind the wheel and then slam a fist into it, growling angrily but barely feeling the pain when I hit a bruise from punching Kennedy.
I’m not sure I’m ever going to feel anything again.
Chapter2
Alexandra
Ishut the door and smile as I see my secretary sitting there already waiting for me to come in.
“Hey, Grey. How’s it going?”
He smiles up at me with a wince. “Could you take it down a little bit, doc?”
I throw my head back, laughing. “Had too much fun at the play last night, did you?”
He covers his ears and groans. “Please…I’m begging you.”