"You've been a workhorse for the past two years, and a great backup. Versatility, resilience. Performance under pressure. Nothing rattles you. You've been a real anchor for this team—especially with Drakes's emotional ups and downs.” He flipped his cap onto his desk and rubbed a hand over his forehead. “His damned showboating and media chasing." He squeezed his eyes shut with a grimace. "Talent, yes. Brains, no."
Good fucking riddance. That reject was a nightmare for months. Ella shouldn't have had to put up with his shit.
"…women come and go, even good ones.” He tapped the end of a pencil against the clipboard on his desk. “Even the ones we think could…"
I frowned and tried to get a glimpse at the clipboard.Where is this going?
"Bottom line.” He tossed the pencil at his desk. “You can't let some girl come between you and the team, Mick." He folded bare, weathered hands together and lifted his chin. Dark, beady eyes glared up at me.
What?My vision sharpened. "That's not what happened, sir." A band tightened around my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs. The rush of blood pounded in my ears.
"Wasn't there, but, you know how these guys look up to Drakes."
"That's theirmistake.” I clenched my jaw to keep from snarling at the man. “It’s nothing to do with me."
"It is when it influences the play on the field.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Look, I get the pride thing and all, but for the sake of the team you?—"
"For the sake of the team, what, Coach?"
He nodded his head and looked straight ahead. "Need you to be the bigger man and make peace."
Blood turned to molten lava in my veins, burning my skin from the inside out. "I did nothing wrong, sir."
He cocked his head to one side. "Son, sometimes the needs of the team?—"
"No oneon this teamunderstandsbetter than methe sacrifices leaders are called on to make. But I couldn't look at myself in the mirror every day or call myself a Marine if I hadn't protected her." I squared my shoulders as the memory of that night echoed in my ears.
“I want to see some gratitude—” Drakes grabbed her arm, pulling her around. I didn’t like how it jarred her. Or the look on her face. I started towards them.
She cried out as she shoved him away. The strap of her party dress snapped in his grip.
"You stuck up whore."
"He was drunk and hehither.” I spit every word from my lips like it was poison. “They want to look up to that piece of shit, that's on them. You want tobench mebecause they have a problem with me? Only you can make that call.Sir." My lungs burned, but the rest of me was going numb. A cold sweat formed along the back of my neck.
"You still together, son? You and the softball girl?"
The memory of her face appeared in my brain. Her soft, hazel eyes, the warm feel of her lips against mine.I’m still waiting."It was a matter of honor."
"I see." He let out a loud breath. "I'll start giving some practice reps to the freshman, Seager. Doesn't mean he gets the starting role, just gives us options." He nodded his head. "The ones who don't like you, they're gonna smell blood in the water. So, whatever it's been like in your personal life.” He picked up his pencil and turned his focus to whatever paperwork was on his desk. “Probably gonna get worse before it gets better. Can't change that." He scribbled on the clipboard, flipped some pages.
"With all due respect, sir?” I stabbed my finger into the top of his desk. He glanced up; his lip curled into a sneer. “We throw a fucking football."
He stood from his chair. "Yeah, that's the good and the bad about growing up.” He moved to his whiteboard along the wall beside his desk. “You gain perspective. Not everyone else…” He pointed the end of a marker at me. “Well, you boys don't all grow in a straight line."
Too many are entitled fucking pricks—like Drakes.
“You'll be in situations all your life where even when you're right, you're wrong.” He wrote words on the board as he spoke, “Teamwork, leadership, resiliency?—"
"No matter where you go in the Corps, sir, you always have a team." I bit out.
He continued writing, “productivity, culture.” Coach capped the marker and spoke to the board. "You put college on hold to help your family. Saw combat. Lot of pride in that. You should be proud."
Don't act like you know me.I swallowed against a dry lump in my throat. My breath came in fits and gasps.
He sat back down in his chair, arms crossed, he leaned back. "But this could be your year, son. Make a mark. Set yourself up for the draft." A small smirk pulled at his lips. "You gonna give that up to chase some?—"
I leaned over his desk. Jaw clenched, I stared him down. Sunken eyes glared back. He blinked and glanced away. "After a girl?"
