Page 114 of Love, Literature, and the Linebacker

Even when things got complicated at home, football made sense. It gave me structure. Momentum. A future that felt measurable.

But there’s nothing measurable about this.

No drill for how to tell the girl you love that the dream you’ve been chasing might take you thousands of miles away.

No playbook for what to do when the thing you want most suddenly comes with a price you’re not sure you can pay.

I keep thinking maybe if I wait a little longer, the answer will feel obvious.

It doesn’t.

“You look like you’re about to get cut from the roster,” Darnell says as we head toward the entrance. “This is supposed to be fun, man. Try smiling.”

I huff out a breath that almost passes for a laugh. “Yeah. I’ll work on that.”

We fall into step beside each other, the noise growing louder as the smell of rubber and fuel thickens around us. My chest feels tight. I’ve been holding everything in for too long.

Coach got a call yesterday afternoon from Ray Upton. If draft weekend passes without my name being called, the Larks want to pursue me as a priority free agent.

“The Larks are interested,” I say finally.

Darnell slows. “What did they say?”

I stop walking. “They want to pursue me as a priority free agent if I don’t get drafted.”

He freezes, then spins toward me, eyes wide. “That means they’re serious.”

I nod. His hand comes down on my shoulder hard enough to jolt me forward. “They’re interested.”

“Holy shit, Sharpe. That’s it. That’s the dream. West Coast. Big league. You did it.”

I swallow. “Not yet.”

He grins, already picturing it. “Man, I knew it. I knew it.”

“I don’t know what it would mean for Lucy and me.”

The words sound heavier than I expect.

“It means you made it.”

“It means I might end up three time zones away from her.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine with it. And I mean, long distance isn’t horrible.”

“She’s not just someone I’m dating,” I say, heat creeping into my voice. “She’s… everything.”

Darnell scrubs a hand over his face. “Man, I get loving someone. But this? This is once-in-a-lifetime.”

“So is what I have with her,” I fire back.

He goes quiet for a second, then shakes his head. “You’re thinking with your heart instead of your head.”

“Maybe,” I say. “I don’t know what I’d choose if it came down to that.”

He sighs, clearly frustrated. “There are guys in that building who would give anything for one team to say their name. Don’t turn a possibility into a sacrifice before Lucy even knows it exists.”

That’s the worst part.