“I’m fine. Thanks.” She turns to stare out the front window.
Despite the good news we got at the hospital, she’s been surprisingly quiet since she got discharged.
“I’ll be at the training facility.” Coach Santos called a meeting. I’m bracing myself to get my ass chewed out for a party I didn’t throw. “Call me if you need anything. I can feel my phone vibrate in my pocket.”
She doesn’t say anything, just nods.
I’m not sure what else to say to reassure her. Leaning over, I kiss her forehead. “I’ll text you if we run late.”
Silence.
She’s probably exhausted. The hospital was traumatic. As if fearing early contractions wasn’t enough, hearing that guy code in the room next to hers was terrifying.
When I arrive on campus, half the team is already in the conference room at the stadium. I sit next to Cam and Billy, annoyed I got dragged into this situation because of some dumb photos.
I nudge Cam. “Maybe next time you shouldn’t take pics in my bed.”
“Swear to God, dude, I don’t even remember anyone breaking out a camera. I’m not the exhibitionist type.” He winces. “Didn’t know you and Heidi had been a thing. Wouldn’t have encroached there if I had.”
Turning in my seat, I face him. “You know I’m fully committed to Magnolia, right? Which means I don’t care if you sleep with every single one of my old girlfriends or hookups or whatever. That shit’s history.”
Billy leans over Cam. “Who punched you? You have a weird alpha male thing going on right now, and that swollen eye makes you look like a pirate.”
I don’t get a chance to respond because Santos and his staff head to the podium. The room goes quiet.
The Saint gives us the death glare, which snags on my black eye, and then shakes his head with disgust. Shit.
Coach sighs. “I wake up on a Sunday morning, six days before our first game, to news that half my team had an orgy in a damn swimming pool. Forget for a moment that you’re disrespecting your partners by engaging in something like this in a public arena, unprotected sex can change your life in an instant.”
Billy coughs. “There were condoms in fishbowls.” Santos gives him a look. “Sir.”
“I don’t care if you personally wrapped everyone’s wiener in a prophylactic, nothing about that situation says you’re thinking with the big head on your shoulders instead of the little one in your pants.”
Billy looks like he wants to challenge the assertion that he has a small dick, but Cam elbows him.
Coach continues. “Trust me when I say you do not want to catch an STD or get someone pregnant. An unplanned pregnancy can wreck your future. And sure, I’ve heard about Kingston and Rodriguez and their daughters. Those two are the exceptions, not the rule. Most of you have no clue what that kind of responsibility entails.”
Having babysat both of those kids, I’m pretty sure I have a good idea, but he definitely has a point about a pregnancy changing your life.
“Get your big heads in the game, gentlemen. I’m calling it right now—no more parties.”
A collective groan emerges around me. Personally, I’m relieved. I don’t have time to babysit my teammates.
Coach points at us. “You’d better hope all of those girls were of age and consenting, because the ethics committee will be investigating. And just to underscore my point, if you have another party like this one, you’re off the team. I’m not here to fuck around. I’m here to win some football games and hopefully mold you into respectable human beings. Looks like I have a lot of work ahead of me.”
He dismisses us, and I let out a relieved breath it’s over.
But then he calls my name. “My office. Now.”
Fuck.
* * *
Santos slowly taps on his desk while he stares at me. Am I supposed to say something?
I clear my throat. “Sir, I had no idea things were going to get out of control like that. I wasn’t even planning to attend the party, which, for the record, I did not throw, but the AD’s daughter wanted to interview several of us and asked to meet there.”
His eyes close as he lets out a curse. “Are you telling me Liam’s daughter was there last night?”
