“He accused you in front of everyone. And now you’re just letting him back?”
“It’s not about me,” Callum says. “It’s about the team.”
Jax looks at Rowan. Then at Callum. Then at me. “Zeff?”
“I voted yeah,” I confirm.
“Are you serious?”
“We need him. Micah’s not cutting it.”
“So we’re just going to pretend he didn’t fuck us over?”
Rowan steps forward. “Jax, I know you don’t like me. But I’m asking for a second chance. I made a mistake, and I’m trying to fix it.”
“By what? Showing up here uninvited?”
“By apologizing. By doing whatever it takes to make this right.”
Jax stares at him. The tension in the room is thick enough to choke on.
Then Jax turns to me and Callum. “You’re sure about this?”
“Yeah,” Callum says.
I nod. “We need him.”
Jax’s jaw clenches. “Fine. But only because Micah needs more practice. You fuck up again, you’re gone for good. I don’t give second chances.”
Rowan nods quickly. “Understood.”
Callum stands and walks over to Rowan. “One more thing, buddy. I’ll be captain.”
The room falls silent, watching Cal loom over Rowan.
Rowan blinks. “What?”
“You heard me. I’ll take captain. We vote you back. That’s the deal.”
“Seriously?”
I grin. “You always want to have the biggest dick, Row.”
Callum nods. “But I have the bigger dick.”
I laugh. “He does have the bigger dick.”
“Otherwise, I’m not doing it,” Callum adds.
Rowan looks between us. Then he smiles slightly. “Fine. You can be captain.”
The locker room door opens again, and Coach walks in. His eyes flare when he sees Rowan. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Rowan straightens. “Getting ready for practice, Coach.”
“The hell you are. You’re suspended.”
Asher stands. “There’s been a team vote, Coach. Everyone votes that Rowan comes back.”
