26. Rivals Reunited
26
Riggs
It’s dark, but not so dark I can’t see my surroundings as my eyes slowly blink open. I’m in Tessa’s bed, and her warm body is snug up against my side. Her hand rests on my chest, her head on my shoulder as her deep, even breaths puff against my skin.
My lips curl upward as I remember our afternoon together. As much as I hoped I could rectify things with her when I moved in next door, I never imagined we’d get so far, so fast. And I’m not just talking about the sex, though that particular aspect of our relationship is pretty fucking perfect.
No, it’s the trust between us that has my mind spinning. Or more specifically, Tessa’s trust in me. Despite the way things ended between us all those years ago and her obvious hatred for me when I first moved back to town, she’s forgiven and decided to trust me again.
And I’m on top of the God damn world right now.
I’m also thirsty as hell.
Slowly, I slide from beneath Tessa, breathing a sigh of relief as her head settles into my pillow and her eyes remain closed. She turns her face, inhaling deeply as if she can smell me on the pillowcase, and her lips curve up into a sleepy smile. Warmth blooms in my chest as I turn to tiptoe from the room.
Out in the kitchen, I fill a glass at the sink and turn to survey the space as I drink it. It’s somehow tidy and cluttered at the same time, with a few books stacked on the counter and more in a laundry basket on the floor. I wander out into the living room and spot a bookcase on one wall overflowing with hardbacks and paperbacks, alike.
Memories flash through my mind like a carousel. Tessa, in high school with her nose in a novel. Walking into her coffee shop and seeing the shelves lining one wall. Her threat to sell the Bandits season tickets I bought for her so she could use the money to replenish those shelves.
An idea starts to form, and a grin spreads across my face.
I know what my next prank will be.
I’m back at the facility for another meeting, this one with not only the coaching staff, but the team owner, too. The Bandits have acquired a few more players to fill out our roster, and I’ve spent the last half hour reacquainting myself with some guys I’ve known from around the league. Former rivals have turned into teammates, and the excitement in the air is palpable.
This team is going to be a contender. The talent in this room is extraordinary, and with the right leadership, there’s no reason we can’t make it to the championship game.
“Can I please have your attention?”
All conversations pause as Coach Nesbit’s voice echoes around us. We all turn to face him at the front of the room, and his eyes roam across the crowd, making sure he has everyone’s attention before continuing.
“I am pleased to announce our newest acquisition, a linebacker of the highest caliber from Portland. Please welcome Grady Hollis.”
Applause booms through the room, but it’s muffled beneath the pounding of blood in my ears as Hollis steps up beside coach and gives everyone that megawatt smile and a little wave.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I mumble, my eyes wide and disbelieving.
Hollis didn’t get drafted after college, but he walked on to the Cougars and earned a spot as a backup. They traded him to Portland after four years, and he managed to work his way up to a starting position after several seasons. I’ve played against him, of course. He even managed to sack me, once, and fuck, was he a smug asshole about it afterward.
And now I’m supposed to play on the same team with him? This is bullshit.
His eyes land on mine, and his smile turns malicious as he heads in my direction. I’m torn between standing my ground and walking away, but I know if I run it’ll only give him leverage to disrespect me. So, I plant my feet and wait for him to stop in front of me.
“Malone,” he says, giving me a nod.
“Hollis,” I reply, feeling the nerves at the corner of my left eye twitch.
“It’s gonna be just like old times, isn’t it, buddy? You and me, playing for the same team again? Just like high school.” He tilts his head. “Have you seen…what was her name? That’s right. Tessa. Have you seen her since you’ve been back? I bet she aged well.”
I see the calculating gleam in his narrowed eyes. He’s trying to get a rise out of me in front of the entire Bandits organization. He wants me to embarrass myself, to lose my temper and maybe even get violent so that he looks like the innocent victim.
And it almost fucking works, my fingers clenching at my sides as I fight the urge to strike out at him. Grady’s eyes flick over my left shoulder, then my right, and his smirk drops as he takes a small step backward. I glance over to see Miles step up to my right, and feeling a presence on my left, I glance in that direction. Foster and Porter line up beside me.
I return my gaze to Grady. “Do not mention her again. Don’t even think her name. You got me, buddy?”
He doesn’t respond for a few beats, his eyes flicking between the four of us as if he’s contemplating his odds in a fight. He must be smarter than I remember, because he quickly changes tactics, chuckling and throwing his palms into the air.
“Hey, I was just fucking with you, man. Shit. Chill out.”
With a shake of his head, he turns and slithers away. I watch him stop to chat with other players on the team, his slimy charm no doubt winning him some friends who may be less inclined to follow me as a team leader once he drips his poison into their ears.
“What the hell was that?” Foster asks, breaking the silence between us.
“That was trouble,” I reply.
I can’t see the future, but as far as Grady Hollis is concerned, I’m a fucking clairvoyant. He’s going to cause problems for me, and I have no idea how to stop it.
If we want to be successful as a team, we have to work together. We have to be one solid, cohesive unit. And within two minutes, Grady proved he still thrives on dissonance and drama the same way he did back in high school. He’s going to disrupt this team, and I all I can do is wait for it to happen.
If I go to management now, I’ll just look like a spoiled child who’s angry his parents invited a kid he doesn’t like to his birthday party. No. I have to wait for him to be disruptive or even destructive so I have proof he’s a cancer to this team.
And off the field? Well, I stepped right into his trap, ordering him not to mention Tessa. If he’s the same guy he was in high school––and I’m certain he is––he’s going to try to use her to goad me even further.
“We’ll keep an eye on him,” Miles says.
“Yeah, we’ve got your back, Riggs,” Porter adds. “We won’t let this asshole fuck anything up for you or for the Bandits.”
“Thanks,” I murmur, then shake my head.
The meeting is over, and I need to get the hell out of here. Besides, I have a prank to plan.
And just like that, my foul mood disappears, and a smile curves my lips.
This is going to be awesome.