“Calm down, Kel,” I stated, pushing him back with my forearm.
“Nah, Ty, you know as much as I do, this kid is asking for it,” he growled, pointing the hand that held his gold and black Cougars helmet in Leonard’s direction.
“Kid? I ain’t no fucking kid!” Leonard snapped, pushing forward.
With the forearm I had planted against his chest, I pushed him back against the hardwood panel of our lockers.
“You need to chill the fuck out,” I growled, looking toward Leonard. “What you did out there today was bullshit and you know it,” I stated sternly. Riggs had caused the entire team a penalty when, after he caught a pass and made it into the endzone, he’d taken his sweet fucking time to showboat and do a long dance. That was just before he tossed the ball to the ground and ran to the bleachers, high-fiving fans in the stands.
“Ah, man, it was all in fun and shit. It’s early on in the season, you two need to relax.”
I glanced over my shoulder to see Kelvin sauntering off, shaking his head after giving Leonard one final glaring look.
I moved my arm, effectively releasing Leonard and trying to remind myself of coach’s words about putting guys in their place the right way. This would be good training for my future coaching career.
“Early on in the season is the most pivotal time. It sets the tone for how the next five to six months are going to play out. It’s more difficult to come back from a poor start in the beginning of the season than to keep the momentum up from a great early start,” I replied firmly, crossing my arms over my bare chest. We were all in various states of undress, needing to shower and change after the game.
“Whatever, man. What’re you trippin’ for? We won, didn’t we?”
I nodded. “But that penalty you cost us could’ve meant the difference between a win and a loss. I’m sure that fine you incurred with be a wake up call.” I stepped closer, not quite crowding his space but close enough so he could see the serious look in my eyes. “And if it’s not, the players on this team will be.”
He frowned, wrinkling his forehead looking over my shoulder and side to side at the rest of the players around the room. I already knew some of them were staring at us. Riggs wasn’t winning any friends on the team. At least when I fucked up, I hadn’t pissed any of my teammates off. This guy still hadn’t learned who his friends and enemies were.
“Whatever, man.” He pivoted to walk away, but then stopped short, turning back to me. “You might not want to worry so much about me. Instead, worry about your girl.”
He tried to walk off after that but was stopped by my open palm meeting the center of his chest. “You want to run that by me again?” I gritted out through clenched teeth.
He looked down at my hand firmly planted on his chest then back up at me. “Nothing.” He shook his head. “Just thought I’d be a team player and warn you about the bi— female you’re fucking with. My agent’s her ex and she dogged him out. Probably’ll do the same to you—” His words were cut off by my hand on his throat.
“I don’t fucking like you. I can’t stand your inability to take direction on the field. Your talent will only get you so far. I’ve kept all that to myself because I really don’t give a shit about you either. I let a lot of shit slide. But let me be absolutely fucking clear, don’teverbring her up in any conversation with me or with anyone else again. She’s off limits to you. Forget the name Destiny McDonald. I don’t give a shit who you know from her past. Got it?”
“Everything all right?”
My coach’s words behind me snapped me back to reality. I blinked but my gaze remained hard and focused on Leonard. Loosening my grip around his neck, I let my hand fall to my side as I took a step back.
“Everything’s great. Just giving Riggs a little friendly advice. Isn’t that right, Riggs?” I glared at him expectantly.
His eyes swung from me to our coach and back to me again. With anger in his own eyes, he nodded. “Yeah, Coach. Everything is copacetic.”
“Everything’s most definitely not copacetic,” Coach began. “That fucking show out there was bullshit, Riggs.”
I stepped back and let coach continue to chastise Riggs for the shit he pulled on the field. That was done, as far as I was concerned. It was his words about Destiny that had truly angered me. I moved away and headed to my own locker, planting my ass on my wooden stool in front of it before pulling it open.
I removed my phone from my locker and scrolled through the text messages to see if I’d received any new ones. Most were from my parents, brothers, sisters-in-law, and nephews. They always wished me luck before a game or sent congrats orare you okaytexts after a win or loss. The message that had my smile widening even more was from the very woman I’d nearly taken Leonard’s head off about. I’d sent her a message just before the game, asking if she’d be watching.
My Destiny:I’ve been watching since before you were born.
Me:What’d you think?
I typed out the question before putting my phone back inside of the locker as Coach McClellan began to talk to the entire team.
“Great effort by everyone …” he paused, looking Leonard’s way, “almost everyone. Let’s shower up. I’m opening up for post-game interviews in two minutes.”
I opted to wait until after my post-game interview to shower and change into the suit I’d worn to the game. The interview lasted all of five minutes. I’d gotten used to five or six reporters at a time, shoving their recorders, cameras, and microphones in my face while they asked the same redundant ass questions. But I gave them my best wink and smile, all the while anxious to check my phone to see Destiny’s response.
Once the reporters were gone, I grabbed my phone and clothes and headed to the shower. I grinned, staring down at the phone seeing I’d received a message.
My Destiny:Riggs is an ass. That stunt could’ve cost us a loss.
