Seth
I wasten minutes early getting to the club.
Sitting in the car, staring out at the stadium, I knew my world was about to come crashing down on top of me. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out. As soon as I saw Luca’s name lighting up my phone screen so early this morning, I knew there was no way it was good news. My heart sank.
After he’d summoned me, I’d showered, dressed, and got out of there as fast as I could. It might’ve been the easy option and the chicken shit way out, but the last person I wanted to talk to about this was Claire. She’d blame herself. I knew she would. And it wasn’t her fault. None of this was. And I didn’t regret it. Given the situation, I knew I’d do it again. No matter the consequences, no matter what was thrown at me, I’d made the right call. I wouldn’t apologise for it.
A knock on my window scared the crap out of me. After I got my breathing back under control, I saw Luca staring down at me, disappointment written all over his face.
Grabbing my keys, I stepped out of the car.
“Morning,” Luca greeted me, taking a sip from his takeout coffee cup. Why hadn’t I thought to stop and get coffee? Oh yeah, that’s right. I was too busy worrying about totalling my career.
“Morning.”
“Let’s get this sorted,” Luca suggested, and I fell in step with him as we headed inside.
I thought we’d go straight to his office. Isn’t that where people got in trouble? In the boss’s office or the principal’s office? So, when he turned the opposite direction and headed up into the stands, I shut up and followed.
Halfway up, he dropped into a chair, and I followed suit.
After a moment, staring out across the field, the sky overhead grey and miserable with rain threatening. “Take it you know what happened last night.”
“Yeah. Did you know it was filmed?”
“No.”
“Want to tell me what happened?”
“I hit him,” I admitted. There was no point pussyfooting around the issue. I’d done it. It was as simple as that. And if there was video footage, then my case was done. All that was left was to wait and see what my punishment was.
“Wanna tell me why?”
“Does it matter?”
“Honestly, from the club’s position, not really. For me though, absolutely.”
“He attacked Claire. Had her pinned to the wall. Wouldn’t let her go. Was grabbing at her and touching her and wasn’t taking no for an answer. He was drunk and the things he was calling her…”
“I get it.”
“Yeah, okay.” I shrugged, not really believing him.
“No, I do.”
To say I was shocked when Luca told me about him knocking a guy on his arse in the tunnel after he tried to do something similar to what happened to Claire to Elise, was an understatement. Maybe he did get it. Shame it didn’t help take the sting out of it.
Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself. “So, what’s the verdict?”
“You’re not playing tomorrow.”
“Figured.”
Fuck that stung. I got it. I did. But fuck me it still hurt. I’d worked so damn hard to finally get that jersey, and as quick as I’d got it, it’d been taken away again.
“You need to make a public apology and tell the world violence isn’t the answer.”
“Okay.”
