“How are you here?” I ask.
“I flew,” he says, flashing a smirk at his lame joke as he drops his travel bag by his feet.
I twist awkwardly as the two of us stare at one another in silence in the middle of my hotel room.
“I told Coach I was coming back to check on you.”
I shake with a short laugh but soon read in his expression that he’s serious.
“And he just, what . . . let you?” It’s a far different sendoff than I got.
He shakes his head.
“He wasn’t happy about it. But after I almost punched Bastion in the face, he was open to giving me a game off to cool down.”
“You . . . almost punched Bastion in the face?” I picture it, and while my eyes widen with concern, my lips curl in satisfaction.
Jayden shrugs one shoulder.
“Yeah, he pushed my buttons. And I’m sure he said something to someone to start that crap online. Colby, I’m so sorry?—”
I shake my head.
“It’s fine. I’m a big girl.” I sniffle, faking inner strength. Jayden’s head falls to the side, though, and I break slightly under his scrutiny.
“Okay, it’s not fine. But it is what it is. It’s not what’s getting me fired.”
“Did Coach fire you?” Jayden closes the distance between us quickly, and slides his hand down my arm, taking my hand.
It’s my turn to shrug. “Not yet.”
“Don’t talk like that.” He brings his other hand to my cheek, and my skin tingles with the desperate want to simply fall into him and forget about all of this. Only, I can’t. I’m consumed with it.
“Jayden, do you know why I still live in a hotel room?”
He shakes his head.
“Because when I started, Coach told me not to invest in a lease I might have to break. The front office pays my hotel bill weekly, but never in advance. The easy-out clause for me is so obvious. Nothing about my time here is permanent. I’m notyou.”
Deep down, I’ve always known I’m an experiment. Jayden is an investment.
“That’s not true. You’re better,” he says.
I laugh.
“Don’t do that,” he says, closing the remaining inches until our foreheads rest against one another.
“You’re sweet, Jayden. So very sweet. But I’m not better. There are a million other coaches who can tell you to close your stance and lean into your power.”
He shakes his head against mine.
“Then why hasn’t anyone?”
“I don’t know. Maybe other coaches are lazy. But there are better ones out there. And they won’t put your chance at getting called up at risk.”
“You don’t put that at risk, Colby. If Texas wants me, they’ll take me. When I’m ready.”
“Maybe. Or maybe not. What if they read all that shit online and decide they don’t want to take on more trouble? I mean, it’s not like Adriel has set a smooth path for you. And I doubt they’ll take anything I have to say seriously. Maybe I should quit before they fire me. I mean, you won’t get called up this season if I’m here.”
