I slouched down on the sofa, lifted the remote, and turned on the TV, muting the volume. They were discussing next week’s game with the Tigers against the Leopards. It pissed me off because the Tigers were a wild card team and now playing in the Super Bowl. They had our spot and I was annoyed as hell. Instead of turning the channel, I kept my eyes glued to the screen, watching highlights from both teams, discussing their predictions for next Sunday.
“Sorry, I was finishing a meeting with another client.”
I glanced at my watch. It was almost ten. “It’s late, you’re working?”
I placed my phone on my thigh so I could see it but focused on the TV. “You’re on my line, so what do you think?”
I grinned and decided not to play with her. “My exit interview is tomorrow.”
“I’m aware. You’re not meeting with the front office. Just your coaches and the team physician. They’re going to request an MRI for your shoulder and you better hope like hell it doesn’t require surgery. That’s the last thing we need on top of everything else.”
I would ask her how she knew all this but my agent was one of the best. Her job was to be knowledgeable about anything related to my career. Without much thought, I lifted a hand and massaged my left shoulder. I took a bad hit a week before we entered the playoffs and they’d managed it with cortisone so I could play through it.
Yet another fucking reason I was so pissed about how they were treating me. I couldn’t count the number of injuries I had that should have benched me for the season but I played throughthem. My dedication and loyalty was to the team when clearly theirs wasn’t with me.
“My shoulder’s fine,” I muttered.
“And your ankles? Two sprains this season, one with cartilage damage.”
“Damn, Sov, you on my side or not? You’re making me sound like an old man. Fuck getting traded, maybe I just need to consider retirement.”
I narrowed my eyes and dropped them to the phone, catching her smug ass grin. “I wouldn’t say old man but your field expiration date is approaching.”
“I hope you have better negotiating skills than that when you have to square up with the owners about my contract. I have one year left. By the end of next season, I want one last contract with at least four or five years. I’m retiring as a Shark.”
“Yes, youareretiring as a Shark, Ryland. That’s what you want, so that’s what I’m going to make happen. I just need you to let me do my job and don’t go in there tomorrow making matters worse. Stay away from front office staff. If they engage you, walk away… You know what, I’ll be there…”
“No the fuck you won’t. What do I look like showing up with my agent? People are already talking. They’ll eat that shit up and run with it, assuming the rumors are true. Nah, I’m good and you can’t be there anyway without approval from the GM. You do your part and I’ll do mine.”
“Fine, just do your part without making my job any harder.”
I nodded. “I got you, even though you don’t have any damn faith in me.”
“Should I?” She arched a brow and I grinned.
“I might push the limits with my personal shit but never when it comes to how I show up for the team. So yes, you should.”
“Jury’s still out on that. Check in tomorrow to let me know how everything goes.”
“Why do you need me to do that? You’ll probably have all the details before I do.”
“You’re right but I still want your version of events. Call me when you’re done, Ryland. I mean it.”
I chuckled at her little warning glare and tone. I saw now why Sovoya and Van were such good friends. They were damn near the same person with certain things.
“I said I got you,” I promised.
We ended the call and I dropped my head back, feeling annoyed. The last thing I wanted to do tomorrow was see anyone from the team, but not showing up would only make matters worse. I had to make the most of all this by manning the fuck up.
The next morningwas beautifully chaotic. Rylee was the first one up and I was her first stop. She came barreling into my room, unaware that she loudly introduced herself by shoving through the door and her bare feet slapping the hardwood floors as she shuffled toward the bed.
I grinned when she tugged on my arm until she had my attention. The minute my eyes were on her, a giddy smile blossomed on her face when her hands started moving, telling me it was time for school.
She bypassed Somee and came straight to my room, which had me in an emotionally weird space. I was aware Rylee seeking me out was thanks to the woman who had my thoughts locked down since I met her. Somee had been subtly pushing Rylee to lean on me so that her leaving wouldn’t further disrupt Rylee’s life.
I loved that my sister and I were forging a bond, but in the process Rylee’s world was expanding beyond the one she was leaving behind.
Somee was a trooper. Although I could see the sadness in her eyes from watching Rylee find her footing here with me, there was also a sense of pride. Like a proud mama bear watching her cub enter a new phase in her life. The problem was, thinking about Somee leaving, not being a part of this, disrupted what I wanted for the new phase ofmylife.
