“And then find some girls to make us feel better?” Jake perked up.
I laughed affectionately toward my emotionally stunted best friend. “Focus, Jake.”
He held up his hands. “Just keeping morale high.”
In reality, I appreciated him right now. My morale was tanked because of today and what that might mean for our future this year, and I had to keep a smile on my face for these guys.
We found Coach just outside the warped double doors, arms folded and face like thunder. There was caution tape crisscrossing the entrance and a “DO NOT ENTER” sign flapping half-loose in the wind. Around him, the remnants of earthquake damage were everywhere—snapped floodlights, water-stained insulation spilling from a cracked wall, and the shed roof peeled halfway off like a tin of sardines. We probably shouldn’t have been here, but it was cathartic or whatever.
“Watch your step,” Coach called out, even though we were all keeping distance. “No one’s going in. The structural team said we shouldn’t even bother; this place is a hazard. Anything inside is gone, I’m sorry.” His dark gray brows were drawn,highlighting the weathered skin around his eyes, but it was the slump in his broad shoulders that would usually be pillars of strength for him that made me pause. In all my years of knowing him, I haven’t ever seen him look this defeated. Shit, maybe Coach doesn’t have a plan. “Insurance won’t kick in fast enough for the upcoming season either.”
“Brilliant,” Nate muttered, appearing at my side with Bobby and a couple more rookies trailing behind. “Who needs a gym when we’ve got rubble?”
Jake shaded his eyes and surveyed the carnage. “Gives new meaning to outdoor training.”
Bobby swiped a Knights sign off the ground and tossed it aside. “Anyone bring a canoe? We could row sprints in the back.”
The other lads snickered and, once again, I was glad to have these guys by my side, still able to crack a joke.
“I know it’s a mess. It’s more than a mess—it’s a fucking disaster. But I’ve got a solution,” Coach said, looking at all of us.
Jake raised an eyebrow. “Please say it involves a working pitch and no one dying of tetanus.”
It was then Coach leveled me with a look, and I knew exactly what he was going to say. Not only had Bobby voiced it, but it had entered my mind too. “You’re not gonna like it.”
“The Valkyries?”
“The Valkyries,” he confirmed. “Their facilities are untouched. It’s a new stadium, the perfect setup. Coach is open to sharing—if the captains work it out face to face. Management have enough to deal with from this fallout.”
Nate let out a low whistle. “That’s… bold.”
Jake snorted. “Dude, she’s gonna eat you alive. It was nice knowing you.”
“Look, she’s competitive and focused. But she’s not unreasonable. You show up like a captain, she’ll meet you halfway. I’ve spoken to their management, and they’ve agreed,but they need you both to sort logistics. Their coach and I will then approve final schedules.”
I folded my arms, jaw tightening. “We come crawling to the golden girls of rugby, asking for handouts—how do you think that looks? They’re hot shit right now. We’re the underdogs with a busted pitch and nowhere to go. It makes us look weak.”
Coach’s eyes narrowed, clearly unimpressed with my comments. I was too, honestly. I’m not the kind of guy to usually snap at anyone like that, but my patience was wearing thin and my pride was about to take a big hit too. “Then don’t crawl. Walk in like the leader you are. You don’t need to beg. You need to sort your squad.”
I let out a slow breath, but tension coiled in my shoulders anyway. “And if she says no?”
“Then we move to Plan B.”
Jake grinned. “There’s a Plan B?”
“Cry,” Coach said flatly.
The lads cracked up. Even I couldn’t stop the corner of my mouth from twitching.
Coach softened, just a little. “I wouldn’t have arranged the meet if I thought she’d stonewall you. Plus, I’ve got her management on speed dial too. But this only works if you’re both clear-headed about it. The pitch’s big enough to share, so are the facilities, but you’ll need to coordinate everything—schedules, drills, gym slots. No ego, O’Riley. We need our fans to know that we might be moving across to their stadium, but we still want them there. Solterra is big enough for the both of you.”
So basically, walk into enemy territory, pitch a peace treaty, and hope I don’t get burned alive by the one person who can’t seem to stand being around me. Easy. No big deal.
“Fine,” I conceded, straightening. “When?”
“Media room at Valkyries HQ. One hour.”
“Want me to come for emotional support?” Jake asked.
