Fear of Forever (The Falling #4)

Chapter 1

MATEO

The Buffalo Titans are coming off a winning season with star quarterback Mateo Boone becoming the youngest to win The Legacy Championship.

With the new season set to start, does the team have what it takes to win back-to-back championships?

Time will tell if Mateo Boone is up for the challenge again!

“Good job, boys. Hit the showers and be back here at six a.m. sharp for practice.” Coach's voice echoed across the open field.

The amount of groans that filled the air was almost comical. For a bunch of professional athletes, we sure were whiney bitches.

With my hands on my hips, I paced in the grass, trying to slow my breathing down. Sweat ran down my nose and back, soaking my T-shirt and making the fabric stick uncomfortably to my skin.

“Boone, a second,” Coach Reggie called from the sidelines. Clapping a few guys on the back as I passed, I made my way toward him.

Coach Reggie James was one of the most intimidating men I’d ever met. And trust me, I’d met a lot. He was a beast of a guy for being in his early fifties, standing at six two with a truck-like build. He was one of the younger coaches in the league.

“Yeah, Coach?”

“You’re looking good out there. How’s the arm?”

“It feels good. Ready for the season to start.”

The new season was just around the corner, which was a little crazy since last season only ended a few months ago. The team was coming off a high of winning The Legacy Championship, the biggest game any professional football team could win. Most of us were eager to get back out there.

“Good. Make sure you see the physical therapist after every practice,” he instructed. It was more of a demand than a request. Coach was big on all of us players taking physical therapy so we were in top shape to play. It’s because of that our team had the least amount of injuries last year.

“Got it, Coach.”

“Go over the playbook tonight and come back tomorrow ready to try a few.” With a nod, Coach Reggie turned on his heel and stalked off. A man of few words.

“Ohh, trouble with the coach already,” a familiar voice teased from behind me.

I rolled my eyes as Jake Henderson came up to my side, his dark brown skin had a light sheen of sweat to it and his braided hair didn’t have a single strand out of place, despite spending the last four hours running drills.

I shoved him to the side. “We both know I'm the coach's favorite.”

“Yeah, right. Just because you're a quarterback doesn’t make you the favorite.” He scoffed as the two of us crossed the grass toward the practice building.

“Everyone loves me.” I shrugged. “Burgus! Do you love me?!” I yelled to the big man walking in front of me. The man was my center—the guy who hiked me the ball—so the two of us spent a lot of time together during practices.

“Uh…”

“See—loves me.”

“Uh huh.”

“You’re just jealous of my wit and humor,” I shot back.

“So jealous,” a new voice piped up from behind us. Coming into view was our tight end and my other best friend, Perry Withers. His shoulder-length blond hair was pulled back into a bun, his face flushed.

None of us wore shoulder pads or guards—thank god—or we’d be even more sweaty. Even though practice started early, the blaring summer sun was relentless today. Every player around us was soaked with sweat, dumping water on their heads to cool off.

“I knew it. You guys have been jealous this whole time.”

“Cocky bastard.” Perry shoved my arm, making me grin.

“Sorry you guys can’t be as cool as me,” I teased.

“I think you’re getting a bigger ego every season.”

“Comes with winning.” I shrugged as the three of us walked through the double doors into the team’s locker room. I wasn’t necessarily cocky, but winning the biggest game of any football player's career came with a bit of an ego boost.

As soon as we stepped foot through the doors, I was hit with loud voices. Even though it was training camp, the entire team was here, per Coach’s rules. The space was packed with players headed for the showers and getting changed to go home, everyone in a different state of undress.

Grabbing the back of my wet shirt, I tugged it up and over my head and dropped it on the chair in front of my cubby.

The air conditioner in the building was on max, making my sweat-soaked skin pebble with goosebumps.

I snatched the headband I kept in my locker and slid it on to pull my wet hair off my forehead.

“Want to go grab something to eat?” Jake asked next to me, stripping out of his own clothes. Having been in locker rooms for a better part of my life, I didn’t even bat an eye at the men changing around me.

“Sorry, can’t. I’m meeting my brothers for lunch.”

“Can I tag along?” Perry interjected.

“Why?”

“Dude, your brother is a legend. Best hockey player of all time, so, yeah, I want to tag along.”

“Still fangirling over my brother, I see.” I raised an eyebrow at Perry, who nodded, not at all ashamed.

“Yes.”

He wasn’t the first fanatic my older brother had, and he wouldn’t be the last. I’d long gotten used to Wyatt’s fame. It came with the territory of being the younger brother to a world-famous hockey player.

“You know, at some point the fangirling turns into being just pure crazy.” The last part came out muffled as I pulled on a clean shirt.

“I didn’t get a chance to have him sign my hockey jersey.”

My comment went right over Perry’s head. “I’ll see if he wants to drop by practice tomorrow.” Perry gave me a fist bump.

Jake laughed on the other side of me. “It’s like he’s eight years old.”

While the two of them chatted away, I made quick work of changing into a pair of athletic shorts, along with my shoes. I was hoping to have enough time to get home and shower before meeting my brothers.

Grabbing my bag, car keys, and phone, I started for the exit. “I’ll catch you guys later.”

“Say hi to your brother for me!” Perry called after me, earning him a middle finger over my shoulder. I tapped the shoulders of a few guys I passed on the way out, more than happy to be done for the day. Back-to-back training days weren’t for the weak.

As I reached my black Range Rover, my phone buzzed in my pocket. My other older brother’s name flashed on the screen.

“Hey, Landon. I’m just leaving practice.”

“Still okay to grab lunch?” Landon’s voice sounded a bit muffled as others echoed in the background.

“Yeah. The usual place?” I shoved my bag in the backseat before I slid behind the wheel.

“Yep. Text me when you’re close.”

I started to say something in return, but then I heard a small squeal and the call ended. I grinned and shook my head. I was used to the sudden hanging up these days.

I wasted no time pulling out of the stadium parking lot and headed in the direction of my apartment. It’d only been a month since I’d seen my brothers, but I knew with the upcoming season I’d be lucky to see them only once or twice.

Going from seeing them and my mom every day to once every few months was a huge change when I entered the league. When you grew up with a tight-knit family, it was hard not having them constantly around. It’s been two years since I was drafted, but it still hasn’t gotten easier.

The ride home was short, my high rise about four miles from the practice field. It was the one big splurge I made when I got my first paycheck from the league. With public scrutiny growing, I was grateful I decided to buy the penthouse in a high-end building that had security.

I wasn’t new to being in the public eye.

It came with having a famous brother and then going number one in the draft.

I’d had eyes on me since I was in high school, but now with a Legacy Championship win, it's grown ten-fold. There’s been a few occasions where the doorman had to stop women from entering the building.

Probably didn’t help I just did a photoshoot for Men’s Magazine.

Although, even I had to admit that the shirtless picture gracing the front cover looked pretty damn good.

The amount of female fans that came from it has been wild.

When my brothers saw it, they joked it was the Boone genes that deserved the attention.

I greeted the front doorman with a grin. “Hey, Edwin.”

“Mateo.” He smiled back. The sixty-year-old had been with the building the last thirty years and was probably one of the nicest guys I’d ever met. He went out of his way to always say hello and even snuck me candy bars on a weekly basis. Pretty sure I was his favorite. “How did practice go?”

“Not bad. The team looks just as good as last year.” I slid through the door he held open.

“Gotta get us a repeat this year.”

I tried not to flinch at the words. The same ones that had been going around ever since we won a few months ago. Every day we got closer to the start of the season, the more the pressure mounted to repeat our previous success. Something I was trying very hard to ignore.

“We’ll certainly try,” was all I could manage. Before he could say anything else, I said a quick goodbye and headed for the elevator.

Multiple sets of eyes were on me as I waited for the elevator doors to open. Thankfully, they did before anyone could come up and talk to me. Edwin’s words echoed in my head, but I quickly shoved it all away, not wanting to think about that any time soon.

At least I had other things to keep me occupied than stressing over the new season. When the doors slid open, I shoved the anxiety away. Out of sight, out of mind.

My empty apartment greeted me as I sat my gym bag by the door and toed my shoes off. Thanks to my mom’s constant nagging growing up, I learned to always take my shoes off the moment I stepped through the door.

As I made my way to my en suite to shower, my gaze caught on the view beyond my floor-to-ceiling windows. It was one of the bigger selling points when the real estate woman showed me this place.