Nick wouldn’t look at me. None of them would.
“Maybe you should go then. If money means more than loyalty to you,” Shane said, turning his back to me and leaving the dressing room.
One by one, my teammates turned away from me. Their silence saying everything.
“You are one serious piece of shit, Dubois.” I started to go after Nolan again but Alan held me back.
“Chill out, Luke.” Alan shoved me back, a little harder than he normally would. Then he turned to the Judas. “Get out, Dubois. You’ve done enough damage for one day.”
“What did I do? Why am I the bad guy here?” Nolan demanded.
“Get the hell out, now.” Alan was angry. The chords of his neck stood out prominently. Nolan, realizing he was moments away from getting his the shit beat out of him, scurried from the dressing room like the dickless wonder he was.
The adrenaline fizzled out of me and I sat down heavily on the bench. I was tired. And heartsick.
I missed Morgan.
Now my team hated me.
It had been a bang up day on all accounts.
“Guys, about the Liverpool thing—” I started to say but Craig interrupted me.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now. Just go home. Talk to Morgan.”
Alan wouldn’t look at me. I tried to catch his gaze. “Alan. Mate. Come on—”
“Later.”
And then he left.
I was alone.
Morgan
Ilanded at Dulles International Airport around eleven at night. I didn’t sleep during the flight. I couldn’t stop thinking about my mother.
Mo had been a godsend during those long, arduous hours traveling to the airport. It felt as though it had taken forever. The train had been overcrowded. The man behind me sneezed into my hair at least a half-dozen times.
And all I could do was obsess over what was going on with my mom. I was a mess. I almost got on the wrong shuttle to the airport. I got off the tube, leaving my suitcase behind and Mo had to jump back on and grab it before the train took off.
Thank god Lucas had asked his agent to come along. I don’t know what I would have done had he not been there. He literally took care of everything. He checked me in at the airport. He handed me my boarding pass. He walked me to security. He even gave me money for food on the other side. I argued of course about that but he was just as bad as Lucas and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Right before going through security the pudgy man hugged me. “Take care of yourself, Morgan.” I almost started crying again but was able to hold it together long enough to get to my gate.
Now I was back in the states.
At one time I had wanted nothing more than to be back on home soil. I had been so homesick for Virginia. For the humid air and driving on the right side of the road.
Now I felt almost like a stranger in my own country. The accents didn’t sound right. And all I wanted was a nice cup of tea and a biscuit.
Lucas had arranged for a rental car to be ready for me when I landed. He had thought of absolutely everything.
I wanted to call him and tell him I had gotten to the US safely but it was four in the morning, UK time.
He was most likely asleep.
I thought about him sleeping in his bed. I wished I were with him.
