More and more, it felt as though Teddy knew exactly what was going on between Lincoln and me, and he was playing matchmaker. Suggesting that I make time to spend with Lincoln this weekend, changing my flight without telling me, handing over a pass that allowed Lincoln to wander wherever the hell he wanted.
It was too damned much.
Lincoln’s expression fell, making me realize what a shitty greeting that was. “Sorry, I’m being an ass.”
“Yeah, you seem to say that fairly often,” Lincoln chided. “I take it Teddy didn’t tell you he’d hooked m up with the star treatment?”
“Who’s us?” I asked, looking past him to see who’d joined him at the game since he was alone now.
“Hunter and some of his teammates,” he clarified. “They’re probably off playing big shot, trying to impress the ladies. You about ready to get out of here?”
Was I? Where in the hell was I supposed to go? The team had already checked out of the hotel and our bags were under the bus, ready to head to the airport. “What about the boys?”
“Damn, you’re right.” The fact Lincoln had forgotten that he’d given other people a ride spoke to how nervous he was about seeing me again.
Good, because the feeling was mutual. He looked well, even if his eyes were a bit tired. Taking him in, I wondered why I was being so stubborn. I cared about this man, so why was I insisting we couldn’t be together?
My heart skipped a beat as I thought about how easy it’d be to take his hand in mine and drag him to a back corner somewhere, seal my mouth over his, and finally kiss him the way I’d always dreamed of kissing him.
Fast.
Hard.
Full of every bit of passion and promise I couldn’t put into words.
“I guess we’ll hang out here for a little bit, then I’ll text Hunter and see what their plans are. How’s Kendricks doing?”
Zach was a safe topic. Both of us had a vested interest in seeing him succeed. It was just like Lincoln to find a safe topic of conversation to break the awkward tension between us.
I jerked my head to the side, motioning for him to follow me. There were too many fans and stadium staff members wandering around for me to feel comfortable talking about this in the open. The truth was, Zach was doing great. He’d managed to harness the anger he felt when his boyfriend was fired and was on track to have a banner year. Even better, Griffin had been able to help Zach find other ways to burn off his excess energy.
I’d been able to rest easier, knowing he wasn’t going to kill himself in the gym. All things considered, it was wins all the way around.
The crowd thinned and with every step, Lincoln and I crept a little closer to one another. He was close enough I could feel the heat radiating off his body. The backs of our hands brushed, awakening a long-ignored need inside of me. I wanted to slide my palm against his, feel his fingers between my own. Lincoln glanced my way and winked, letting me know he was thinking the same thing.
As I updated Lincoln on not only Zach, but also the rest of the team, he hummed and grunted in all the appropriate places. If he were anyone else, I’d think he wasn’t truly listening to me, but Lincoln understood this was my way of venting everything I didn’t want to say to the coaches.
Yes, I had the reputation of being a sadistic asshole who got off on sending young men to the professional guillotine, but deep down, I hated having to give my opinions to Teddy because I didn’t want to feel personally responsible for ending someone’s career.
Which brought up what I’d come to realize was a secondary reason for Teddy orchestrating this meeting.
“Hey, has Hunter said anything to you about his obliques?” It was an abrupt shift in the conversation, but I wanted to get it over with. Teddy was right; there was something going on with Hunter, something that had the potential to hurt him if he didn’t take care of himself.
“No, why?” Lincoln stopped and leaned against a stack of empty catering racks. The corridor was empty this far down, the fluorescent light overhead flickering. I settled in next to him, our positions reminding me of that night leaning against the trunk of his car out in front of Teddy’s house.
Where would we be now if I’d reacted differently to Lincoln’s overtures?
“It might be nothing, but I watched yesterday’s game and he’s hesitating,” I told him. “Any time he has to reach for the ball, it’s like he has to psych himself up to make the catch. And he’s slow getting off the ground after he’s tackled.”
It pissed me off that the Old Dominion training staff hadn’t noticed. They were supposed to take care of their players and help keep them healthy. Hunter wasn’t the only injured player I noticed on the field yesterday, and they were still in the easy part of their schedule. If they looked like this now, they were fucked when they started playing stronger teams.
“I’ll mention it to him,” Linc responded, pinching the bridge of his nose. “He’s pushing himself hard this year. Has it in his head that he needs to enter the draft next spring. I’m trying to convince him to graduate first, but he’s a typical kid who thinks he knows better than someone who’s been in his shoes.”
Being on the outside, I could see both sides of the argument. Hunter wanted to move on to something bigger and better, thinking he didn’t actuallyneeda degree, and Lincoln was being a dad. He wasn’t considering how he felt at the same age or how he would’ve reacted to the same advice.
Knowing what he’d told me about his parents, I had a feeling graduating was more of a concession to them for supporting his aspirations than something he wanted to accomplish for his future security. And the reality was, Hunter wasn’t a child. He was a grown man and at some point, Linc needed to give him the freedom to succeed or fail on his own. I know I sure as hell wouldn’t have graduated had I been half as good on the field as Hunter was.
“He’s ready for it, Linc. I know you’re worried about his future, but even if he doesn’t graduate before going into the draft, there’s still time for him. A lot of the guys now are finishing their degrees online, taking a few classes here and there until they’re done. Times change. If he can stay healthy and perform this season, let him make his own decision.”
