Wes lets out a short laugh before rubbing a hand along his jawline. “No. Coach Alberts is great. So are all the guys. It’s got nothing to do with football. It’s—I don’t want to do another three years of long distance with Maeve.” He sighs. “I barely saw her all fall. We were both in season, adjusting to new teams. She spent half of winter break skiing with new friends. And then this spring, there’s been all this shit with my parents. Now she’s off at this fancy soccer camp.”
“Canyou transfer? I mean, you’re the starting quarterback for a Big Ten team, Wes. That’s not an easily replaceable position.”
“The NCAA came up with a onetime transfer rule a couple of years ago. Before then, I would have had to get permission from Lincoln and then sit out for a year as a penalty for transferring. But now…yeah. I can transfer once and play immediately.”
“Play forArlington?”
“Yeah.”
“Do they want you?”
Wes grins, his first happy expression in this whole heavy conversation. “Of course they do.”
I roll my eyes. “They’d give you the starting spot?”
“They’d give me whatever I want. We beat Arlington 67-6 when we played them last fall.”
“Don’t you need to decide…soon? It’s the middle of June.”
“Yeah, I do.”
“What did Maeve say?” I ask.
He takes a swig of his beer and swallows. “I haven’t mentioned it to her.”
“You…why not?”
“Because she doesn’t seem to have any issue sticking with long distance.”
“Oh.” I’m not sure what else to say in response. I’ve barely seen Wes and Maeve together, and we don’t usually discuss his relationship.
“It’s not—it’s more complicated than I’m making it sound. Maeve has always wanted to go to Arlington. It’s her thing. Soccer gets a decent amount of attention there. And Liam is on the football team there.”
For a split second, I consider telling Wes I saw Liam Stevens at the police station earlier. But for some reason, I don’t mention it. I want to pretend my visit there never happened.
“Well, he already hates you, right?” I joke. “I wouldn’t worry about pissing him off more. It’ll be up to the coach who plays. He can’t blame you for that.”
“I’m sure he’ll manage,” Wes replies, his tone dry. “Plus, the coach might be part of the problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“Arlington made John Stevens an offer. His old head coaching job back.”
“He used to coach at Arlington?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow.” Wes is considering leaving a program that’s arguably the best in the country to be coached by Glenmont’s former one. Despite his choice of girlfriend and the fact he only moved here freshman year, I know Wes feels some loyalty to Alleghany. Takes pride in his victories here. Rivalries unite and divide. “You must really love her.”
I say it as a tease, an attempt at levity.
But Wes’s response is serious. “Yeah. I do.”
“I’m happy for you, Wes. I’ve probably never said that before. I’m sure she’s great—for a Glenmont girl.” I nudge his knee with mine, making him smile.
“I didn’t think you cared that much about the rivalry bullshit.”
“You didn’t think it was bullshit before you met her.”