“Light,” I add. “Still straight lines. No hard cuts quite yet.”
He snorts. “Since when do you have no ego?”
“Since my knee exploded and humbled me in front of God and everyone else,” I shoot back.
“I figured it left when your girlfriend showed up with crazy eyes. I thought she was gonna roast your ass.” Beck’s laugh comes easy, and for a second, it feels normal. Like we’re just two guys in a dorm room, talking shit, planning our next season.
But then the truth creeps back in—quiet, persistent.
I won’t play next season.
Not really.
Coach cleared me to keep working out with the team, to be around, to run drills that won’t risk my knee, to keep my hands sharp and my head in the game. Because I didn’t miss enough time to redshirt, and because the medical staff has to sign off on every step like my body is a liability they’re babysitting.
I can train.
I can rebuild.
I just can’t suit up.
It should feel like a loss, and some days it does.
But lately, it feels like a choice I’m making on purpose.
And that’s the part that scares me, because I’m not used to choosing anything over football.
I glance at the calendar taped to Beck’s wall, scribbled dates, camp schedule. He’s leaving tomorrow, and I’m staying.
Online classes, rehab with the medical team, workouts.
And Sloane.
The thought of her hits my chest like warmth.
Beck watches my face like he can read it. “So. You and Sloane are…good?”
My hands still.
“Yeah,” I say, my smile feeling genuine for the first time since I got here. “We’re good.”
Beck’s grin sharpens. “You’re smiling like a psychopath.”
“I’m not smiling.”
“You are. It’s unsettling.”
I huff a laugh, shaking my head, and keep packing.
Beck nudges me with his shoulder. “Seriously, though. I’m glad.”
I glance at him. “Yeah?”
He nods, suddenly more serious. “You’re different. In a good way. I’m proud of you, man.”
I clear my throat and shove another stack of shirts into the bag like it’s an argument. “Don’t get sentimental. You’re leaving. You’re not allowed.”
Beck snorts. “I’ll be sentimental if I want. I’m a professional athlete now. It’s in my contract.”
