“How?” I ask, shock and a bit of panic creeping back in.
Coach laughs, leaning back on his hands. He opens his mouth to speak, but it’s Coach Johnson who actually answers.
“Firstly, you two aren’t as subtle as you think. I mean, by the time the away series was over, we had a bet on which one of us would catch the two of you flirting or making googly eyes the most.”
My cheeks feel like they're on fire at getting caught like that. When I turn Kailyn, her face matches mine.
“Oh, no.” Emilia giggles in the background with Hannah following shortly after.
“Listen, we get it. We’ve both been there before. When you meet the one girl who changes everything, there’s nothing that can stand between you and her.” Coach Johnson says, his hand raising as he flashes his wedding band.
I nod in agreement, smiling over at Kailyn who blows a small kiss towards me.
“That being said…” Coach Davenport interjects, a more serious tone to his voice. “That’s not the only reason we knew.” He nods over his shoulder as Coach Johnson pulls a paper off the table, handing it to me.
“What’s this?”
“That is an official complaint filed against the two of you for breaking the no fraternization rule. It was filed anonymously while we were on our away series.”
“Wait, are we in trouble? We didn’t disclose anything toHR yet. Am I gonna lose my job?” I can hear the panic rising in Kailyn’s voice, and it takes everything in me to be strong in this moment for both of us. I won’t fully panic until I have all of the facts.
“You both got lucky this time. HR called me, and I was able to get everything straightened out. I told them you disclosed it with me first and that once we got back I would have you file the proper paperwork so they could vet everything. They agreed after looking at everything and dropped the case.”
“So no one’s getting in trouble?” I ask.
“As long as you both fill the papers out and drop them off on your way out, you’re both in the clear as far as HR is concerned. And no, Kailyn, you are not losing your job. I promise.”
“Oh, thank God,” Kailyn heaves a sigh of relief, and I feel my shoulders sag as well.
“I’m so sorry we put you in this position, Coach.”
“Neither of you did anything wrong, so there’s nothing to apologize for. We all know who really filed that complaint and why, which I’m assuming is the other reason you girls all wanted to talk to us.” Coach looks at Kailyn and she nods, rolling her and heaving a frustrated breath.
There’s frustration written all over his face, his hands scratching at his short beard. “I’m so sorry that it had to even come close to this. I’ve tried to get rid of him before, but just me saying I didn’t like him wasn’t enough. We’ve been keeping an eye on him since you brought this to our attention, while we tried to come up with a full proof game plan. Unfortunately, he’s never had a complaint filed against him, so it’s been hard to come up with something that will stick.”
“Actually…” Hannah starts, her hands balled up in the sleeves of her sweater, fingers playing with a loose string as she fidgets in her seat. “I tried once, but HR told me with no physical proof, it would make things worse, so I didn’t end up filing.”
“What?” Coach says, his tone growing ice cold. He stares at Hannah like she’s just told him the world is ending, and honestly, I’m just as shocked.
“He tried to assault me last season, but Connor walked in before he could do anything. He told me to report the incident to HR, and I did, but they didn’t do anything. Connor followed up with me, but I lied and told him that they were looking into everything and let it be.”
Even with her head tilted downwards, I can hear her sniffling, her hands reaching up to wipe under her eyes.
“When was this?” Coach Johnson asks cautiously.
“It was right in the middle of the playoffs.” There’s a hitch to her voice, and she lifts her head to wipe the now visible tears on her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Coach. I should’ve told you when it happened, but with the playoffs happening and then being dismissed, I figured no one would believe me and… ”
Coach gets up from the desk, crouching down on his knees in front of her. “First of all, none of this is your fault, Hannah. He touched you without your consent. He made you feel uncomfortable and violated your body. The people who were supposed to listen and help you didn’t. That is not on you. You do not need to feel sorry or apologize for anything. They let you down.” His tone is soft, softer than I’ve ever heard it before.
I’ve never seen Coach react this way to anything before.
“I let you down by making you think that you couldn’tcome to me or any of the staff. Your comfort and safety are always more important than the game.”
Hannah looks at Coach, holding his gaze as she nods at his words. “Thank you,” she whispers.
Coach places his hand on her knee gently, eyeing her to make sure she's okay, and when she nods again he squeezes in reassurance. “I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make this right, for both of you.” He looks over at Kailyn, before he stands back up, walking back over to his desk, grabbing a box of tissues and handing them to Hannah, who accepts them with a soft smile.
“So, what’s the plan then going forward?” Emilia speaks up as she reaches out her hands to Kailyn and Hannah in silent support.
