Jax looks at me with a raised brow. Everyone knew this was coming after the shit game I played. Honestly, I’m surprised he didn’t reem me out after the game. It wouldn’t have been a great move on his part. My mood was shit and I would’ve lost my job in a hurry. Not that I need the job. But I love playing this game.
I walk into his small ten by ten office looking at the pictures on the walls of his family. The pictures of the last championship we won. It’s the picture of him and our GM, Marcus Alton that pisses me off.
It’s hard to look at the man whose son assaulted my sister. Logically I realize it’s not his fault. He had no control over the little fuck. And he literally handed him over to us when it all came out.
It doesn’t really make things easier though.
“Sit,” Coach Baily tells me. His tone tells me he’s still pissed about Sunday’s game. I get it. My head wasn’t there, and I fucked up. Nearly costs us the game, so I will take whatever is coming to me.
“Want to tell me what the hell happened Sunday,” he says with his dark eyes boring holes into me. He uses this look to intimidate. To remind the player just who’s in charge.
I have to fight not to smile because I’m definitelynotintimidated. If I had to wager a guess, I’d say that coach know this about Jax and myself. In fact, after all the mess with Alton, I’m pretty sure he may be slightly afraid of us. I hope not. He has no reason to be.
“My head wasn’t in it,” I tell him honestly. “But that shouldn’t be a problem anymore.”
He shoves a printed Internet article across the table to me. “This have anything to do with where your head was at?”
It’s an article printed from some online tabloid. It should piss me off that someone made a buck off of my moment with Tori, but do I really have the right? I was the one kissing her in the middle of the street in the rain. The picture actually makes me smile. “Yeah,shehad something to do with it.”
“I know you’re a passionate guy, Valen. I get why problems with a girl would mess with your head. But next time if you’re going to fuck up my game, let me know ahead of time. And can you please keep the making up off the internet.”
I give him a smirk. A smirk that everyone is well familiar with. “Will do Coach.”
“You know I should bench you or something for that shitty performance but even shitty, you’re still better than any other receiver on the team.”
I shake my head with a laugh. “Only because I work well with the quarterback.”
“Don’t give me that false modesty, Valen.”
“All right.”
“Get the fuck out of here,” he says turning back to his computer.
I walk out of his office with a smart-ass grin on my face. I’m not sure how I got off with barely a raised voice. Probably because he knows it wouldn’t work on me. Jax and I are definitely special in the way we react to situations.
Jax see my face and starts laughing.
“How the fuck do you manage to come out of that office with a fucking smile?” Anao’I asks, shaking his head with a laugh.
“Southern charm,” I tell him with a slap to his wide back.
“More like redneck bullshit,” Jax snorts.
“Whatever,” I mock grunt as we walk out without showers because we’re both in too big of a hurry to get home. Our showers are better anyway.
“Tori going back to New York?” Jax asks once we’re back in his car. Jax loves this car.
“Fuck, I hope not. Haven’t had much chance to talk about it yet.”I look out the window of his car as we make our way onto the interstate wondering if Tori does have intentions of going back to New York right now. I don’t really have any expectations of her staying here with me. I can’t imagine she would leave New York which sends my mind off into another direction. Wondering how in the hell I’m going to work this out because I can’t leave Zoey plus my team is here but dammit if it’s not getting harder and harder to be away from her. The last several weeks have been shit without her.
Of course, reading my thoughts, Jax ask, “How are you going to do this Zane? Her there, you here? It can’t go on like that forever.”
“What would you do if it were Zoey?”
“I’d fucking follow that girl to the ends of the earth. You know that.”
“I can’t leave Zoey or you. I don’t want to live in New York. Everything is here. Everything but Tori.”
“Why haven’t you asked her to move here?”
