“Know any facts about our upcoming rival game?” Oliver asked, his voice still gruff. “Keep me busy. I’m burning right now.”
“Dude, you’ve done these before. Don’t be a baby about it,” Callum said.
I heard rather than saw Callum get into his tub without a hiss or grunt or reaction. The ice swished against the tub, his body lowering into the water. Abe approached him, his familiar footsteps heavy.
“You okay, O’Toole?”
“Absolutely. I love cold baths. They make me tougher, unlike Oli over there.”
I’d seen Oliver do them before, and he wasn’t like this. Frowning, I set the clipboard down and neared him. “Hey, any chance you’re stressed out?”
“I mean.” He blinked. “Normal stuff.”
“High heart rate or tachycardia could cause the rush to make you lightheaded, and this wouldn’t feel good at all. If anything, it could be dangerous.” I checked his pulse under his jaw.Way too fast.“Get out.”
“Wait, really?”
Adrenaline coursed through me. High blood pressure could cause dangerous issues if not dealt with. I’d seen that with my parents countless times. “I’m sending you to Ms. Frixton. She can confirm that you don’t have any medicine mixing. Ice baths hurt but not like this.” I tapped the side of the tub. “Seriously, get out.”
He pushed up, hissing as he slid out of the tub and stumbled. “Whoa.”
“Here.” I slid up to his side, supporting him as cold water drenched me. “I got you.”
“Ivy, have Abe support him,” Callum barked out. Gone was the flirty tone. “He’s way too heavy for you.”
“I can handle it, O’Toole,” I hissed back at him.
“Abe, get your ass over there and help her.”
“Right, uh, yes.“ Abe blinked before joining Oliver on the other side.
Oliver groaned and slid farther onto me, his weight putting strain on my knees, and I grunted slightly. Not a large grunt, but it was noticeable enough for Callum to hop out of his tub in workout shorts that showed so much thigh.
“For fuck’s sake.” He shoved me out of the way, not so gently, and supported Oliver’s weight. “Know yourlimits, Ivy. You physically can’t carry him.”
Tears prickled my eyes. I hated being told I couldn’t do something, especially in that condescending tonefrom him.“I can andwillhandle him.”
“No. Now Abe, let’s get his ass to Frixton.”
“I can?—”
“No.Back up, Ivy. I know you can’t do this.”
Abe’s eyes widened, clearly confused why Callum would speak to me that way. He sent me a concerned look, but I didn’t care. I wanted them out, away from me. IhatedCallum in that moment, tossing our past in my face like it was no big deal. Sure, he knew about my childhood injury, but it didn’t matter now.
I was stronger. I could do this. I could break the glass ceiling in the football world,butwhat if I didn’t get the internship because I couldn’t support a player’s weight? I took a few calming breaths, wiping the floor where water spilled over and making sure the baths were ready for the next guys.
Fact: some people viewed compartmentalizing as negative, but it had temporary benefits that I was leaning into hard—I shoved all the worry and insecurities and hurt aside. I tucked them into nice, neat boxes in the back of my head, where I would unpack them later. I refused to let Callum put me down again,and that meant keeping my head high.
2
CALLUM
“That was so embarrassing.” Oliver held his face in his hands, shaking his head as he leaned back onto the table. “I almost passed outfrom an ice bath.”
“Key word beingalmost.” I tapped my foot, wishing I grabbed a shirt or something before volunteering to be stuck here with my teammate, soaking wet and cold as shit. “You’re not doing cocaine or steroids, right? We have meat gazers who watch us pee to test us.”
“Dude, what the fuck?” Oliver snapped his gaze to mine. “I’m not fucking doing either of those. Why would you even?—”
