“My hamstrings are already cramping up,” Austin adds.
They look at me like they expect me to commiserate with them. “I have to put away the cones and balls.”
Neither of them says anything else as I back away and turn, falling into a jog as I head toward the cones set up for practice.
As I’m heading off the field, I spot Eddie Whitlock waiting for me on the sideline. He shuffles his feet as I get close.
“Everything okay?” I ask him.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Nothing about the way he says it makes it sound like he’s telling the truth.
Eddie’s been struggling the last few games. The teams we’re playing from here on out are tough and the defenses are like none that we’ve faced. Some of the guys, Eddie included,are rattled with the extra pressure. Unfortunately, it takes going up against teams like that for guys to get comfortable.
“Keep your head up,” I tell him. “You’re putting in the work. The rest will come together with more repetition.”
“Any chance you could run some drills with me tonight?” he asks, then adds, “You’re as good as anyone I’m going to go up against.”
I check the time on my watch. Fuck. I’m supposed to be at Lacey’s house in twenty minutes to study, and if I don’t leave now, I’m going to be late. But I can’t just leave him here, looking like the world is ending.
“Forget it. I know you have your own shit going on.” He starts to walk off.
A sense of obligation and guilt hits me.
“Wait,” I call after him.
* * *
By the time I’m done helping Eddie, the sky is fully dark and inside the locker room is empty. Even Dad and the other coaches are gone.
I send Lacey a text to let her know I’m running late and then I take a quick shower and get dressed. Working with Eddie helped ease some of the tension from today’s practice, but I haven’t completely shaken it off.
I don’t know why Dad thinks he needs to punish the entire team for me to fully understand how badly I fucked up. They don’t deserve his wrath, and I already feel bad enough for letting them down.
When I pull up in front of Lacey’s house, I blow out a breath. I don’t want to take my shitty attitude in there. I have three days left to learn enough to pass the makeup test on Wednesday.
Grabbing my stuff, I get out of the SUV and start toward the front door. It’s a blue bungalow with a big front porch. There’s a single rocking chair, a side table, and a rug in front of the door that sayshelloin bright yellow, curly font.
I knock on the door. It’s quiet, but light streams out from the windows and her Bronco is in the drive parked in front of the garage.
I tap my thumb against my thigh as I wait. I’m tired and anxious. If I can get two good hours in studying with Lacey, then I can go home and finish up the rest of my homework and get to bed at a halfway decent time so I’m not falling asleep in class tomorrow and exacerbating the whole failing-school thing.
I’m about to knock a second time when the door opens. Lacey stands in the middle of the doorway in yellow pajamas with little rubber duckies printed all over the material. Her hair is up in a ponytail and she’s…frowning.
A smile that I hadn’t realized was stretched across my face falls. “Hey.”
“I didn’t think you were coming.” She doesn’t move out of the doorway.
“Did you not get my text?” I ask, then say, “Practice went later than usual and then Eddie needed me.”
She stares at me with a blank expression.
“Can I come in?”
“It’s late, and I need to finish up some other homework.”
“Oh.” Disappointment and frustration are apparent in my tone. “Seriously?”
Her brows lift.
