I loved her with all my heart, but as I met Quinn’s skeptical stare, she knew as well as I did that the playing field was anything but level.
Chapter 26: Ash
Practice was good, I even got positive words from the coach, and Gray was doing drills and runs, no catches or passes, but he was almost fully training again.
When I got to the locker room this morning, Alden looked delighted to see me, and I had great pleasure walking past him with a good-natured wink. When I was getting ready for practice, I told Jett her plan, and he laughed at her nerve.
None of us looked at our phones until we were showered and dressed, and it was Gray’s savage cursing that caused me to look up from putting my boots on.
“What is it?” I asked him cautiously.
“Check your phone,” he growled as he reached for his hoodie and shoved his own phone in his pocket.
Unlocking the screen, I saw the notification,Red has created a group.
I read her text message first. No, she didn’t. Looking up, I looked around the locker room for the guy who was supposed to meet. What the hell did the guy who was supposed to meet her this morning look like?
“Read the chat,” Gray encouraged me tensely, and I looked back at the phone.
My eyes widened as I read it, and I could feel my temper surging.
“What the fuck? Tell me she didn’t,” Jett groaned as we read together. “Dude, your girl’s got a fucking death wish.” He glared at me as he flung his backpack on his shoulder. “Thank fuck she’s okay, but fuck!”
“They’re still at the coffee shop,” Gray said as he waited impatiently. “Let’s move, now.”
On the way there, we didn’t speak, Jett texted Onyx to ask if the janitor prick had turned up and got his payout. We were still waiting for his reply when we got to the shop.
“Remember, she’s okay,” Jett murmured beside me. “They all are.”
“For how much fucking longer if she keeps pulling this shit?” Gray demanded as he pushed open the door.
I caught his shoulder and jerked him back. “Keep your temper. She’s had a bad morning as it is.”
“Are you shitting me?” he asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“You scare her or upset her or whatever. Don’t,” I warned. “I will knock you the fuck out, understand?” I shoved past him and entered through the door. I saw her sitting in a small booth at the back, her back to the wall, meaning she could see everyone inside and outside. Clever. Pity she didn’t put her intelligence into practice all the time.
She was waiting for me, and I could see the trepidation on her face as she looked at me and then past me to the twins. Ava looked up and immediately stood up and moved away from her. I appreciated the move because I knew I needed to be right beside her.
“Girls,” I said softly as I dropped onto the bench beside her, angling myself to look at her. Wide-eyed, she looked at me and gave a small, guilty shrug.
“I messed up,” she started nervously.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m sorry, I should have waited.”
“You think?” Gray snorted.
“Shut up,” I told him without looking away from her. My eyes searched her face, looking for a sign that she was lying. “You’re more unmanageable than Ava.” I saw her startled smile, and my thumb grazed her cheek. “Did he hurt you?”
Red shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. “Just grabbed me and said mean things.” She flicked her eyes to the twins quickly. “I’m used to people saying mean things to me lately.”
My forehead dropped to hers before I kissed it briefly. “Grabbed you where?”
“Arm.”
“Are you bruised?” I asked as I drew back to look at her.
