Page 221 of Tangled with the Tight End

“This is not a team situation,” I say.

“Beg to differ,” Delaney says. “As your QB, I have to address anything that affects your game. Today you were sucking for air the first half. And we all know your head was elsewhere.”

“I fixed that,” I say.

“Did you, though?” Linc asks.

His eyes are soft. I can see the care beneath the ambush.

“I fixed my game.”

“I thought you loved her,” Jaxon says.

“I do,” I say.

“Yeah,” Treyvon jokes. “Nothing says I love you like a breakup.”

“I’m protecting her. The media went rabid. She got hassled in the stands. She ended up in tears. That’s all on me. She hasn’t been harassed since I broke up with her.”

“So, she’s happy now?” Linc asks, holding my gaze.

“I don’t know,” I admit.

“So you aren’t even talking to her?”

“We broke up.”

“Declan, my man,” Linc says. “You haven’t been this green behind the ears since you were a rookie. Don’t tell me you don’t even know how to break up with a woman.”

“I did a good job.”

Jaxon says, “I bet.”

Treyvon says, “I can only imagine.”

“You guys,” I say, putting my foot down. “You haven’t been here. You don’t know what it’s like to have the media come for the woman you love—to have to watch while they tear her to shreds—to know you are the one who should stop it, but you can’t—to watch her suffer because of you.”

“Haven’t been there,” Linc says. “But I’m going to say this once: I wouldn’t leave Shanay for anything. I don’t care who says what about her. She might get dragged through it sometime. And if she does, we’ll face it together." I think he’s done, but then he says, “You’ve got to fix this. Like Mama Walker always said …”

He doesn’t even finish before all five of the guys pestering me groan.

“Hey!” he says. “Don’t disrespect Mama Walker.” He looks back at me. “As I was saying … Mama Walker always said, A broken fence won’t mend itself.”

“Preeeach it, Mama Walker!” Treyvon shouts. A few heads pivot our way.

“I know,” I say. “I want to fix it. But I think I might have broken this beyond repair.”

“No, O’Connell. That’s where we come in,” Keller says. He’s sitting on the other side of Treyvon. This is quickly evolving into a full-blown team meeting.

“Thanks,” I say. “But no thanks.”

“We’re convincing,” Treyvon says. “And she still likes us. We didn’t break her heart unnecessarily.”

I shake my head. I’m not interested in them stepping in. I know they mean well, but they don’t see the whole picture. The storms will keep coming.

“This won’t affect my game play,” I promise.

“You think that’s why we called this meeting?” Jaxon asks.