“I’m on it,” Rudy replies before leaving us alone again.
Coach steps around me and closes the door.“Sit down.He’ll be here in a few minutes.I just saw him down the hallway talking to the press.”
I do as he says, but I’m not relaxed.I run my hands up and down my legs, trying to calm myself before I have a complete and utter meltdown, ruining any chance at a pro career with any team in the league.The coach sits down across from me, not saying anything, but busying himself with some papers.
Moments later, Mr.Turner walks in.“You wanted to see me?”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, knowing this is a make-it-or-break-it moment.I’ve worked my entire life to get to this point.I worked my ass off with two-a-days, endless hours in the gym, and perfecting my skills to make it to the big leagues.Now I’m here, and I may very well have to throw it all away because they can’t seem to control one woman.
“Close the door, please,” Coach tells Mr.Turner.“We have a situation.”
Mr.Turner closes the door and makes his way across the room with very heavy footsteps.He glances at me and back to the coach.“What happened?”
Coach dips his head in my direction.“Show him.”
I lift my phone, and Turner takes it from my hand, studying the photo.“What’s she doing?”
“She’s spray-painting the word ‘whore’ on my girlfriend’s car in our parking garage.”
He opens his mouth to say something but closes it again.
Coach motions toward me as he leans back in his chair.“Gallo wants to be traded.”
“Absolutely not,” Turner says, suddenly finding his words.“I won’t allow it.”
“Then I quit,” I say and stand quickly.“I can’t allow Tracie to threaten my girl.As of this moment, I’m no longer with the team and will be pressing charges against her immediately.”
“She’s gone too far this time.”Turner rubs his forehead and grimaces.“I’ll send her away.She needs medical help, son.It’s hard to love someone so much when they’re this self-destructive, but she’s my blood.I’ll send her out of the country for treatment at a clinic in Switzerland.Don’t quit.I beg you.You’re the future of this organization.”
“Sir, with all due respect, you’ve promised me she’d be taken care of before.”
“She’ll be on my private jet tomorrow.It’s a one-year treatment program.She won’t be a problem since she’ll be halfway around the world.Just please don’t leave the team.”
I have to admit, but only to myself, I like that he’s almost begging me to stay.The starting quarterback position is mine, which is a nice feeling, but only if Tracie is completely out of the picture.
“May I speak with Bianca first?”
Mr.Turner lets out a heavy sigh and nods.“Either way, Tracie will be gone immediately.”
Knowing she’ll be out of the country for at least a year lifts an invisible burden off my shoulders I didn’t entirely realize was there.She’s been making surprise appearances wherever I’ve been for so long now, I just learned to ignore her.But what happened today, to Bianca’s car, has gone too far.It’s one thing to mess with my life, but Tracie bringing her craziness to my home, Bianca’s home, is too much for me to deal with.
Bianca’son the couch next to me with her mouth hanging open.“You did what?”
“I told them I quit.”I run my thumb across the soft skin on the back of her arm.
She shakes her head.“Why would you do that?”
“I had to.I told them if they weren’t going to deal with Tracie, I was done playing for their team.”
She rocks backward after hearing me say the words a second time.“What did they say?”
“Mr.Turner said he’d have her on a plane tomorrow and out of the country for at least a year in some swanky treatment center in Switzerland.”
She scoots closer until our knees are touching.“Did you tell them you still want your job, then?”
“I told them I’d have to talk it over with you first.”
Her lips form a little O before she blows out a loud breath.“You’d quit for me?”
