CHAPTER 10
casey
M ick Brabham calls me into his office the moment I arrive at the club on Friday morning. I know why he’s calling me in, and I am unaccountably glad that Harrison gave me a heads-up last night.
I still feel terrible with the news that I’m not playing this week, and I’m a little achy from sleeping in this morning and missing dawn Pilates. I blame Harrison for that though. Turns out he is very cosy to snuggle up to at night.
I don’t know what I would have done without him last night. I wasn’t lying when I told him I am not good company for myself. And that’s at the best of times. Throw in the most devastating news you can give a footballer and, well, yeah, I needed him last night.
Not that missing one single game is the most devastating news a footballer can hear. I know I spiral quickly, and I know I need to keep this in perspective. It’s not like it’s the actual most devastating news a footballer can hear (which is the dreaded ACL—touch wood). Still.
“Hi, Coach,” I say as I knock on his open door.
He glances up at me from where he’s peering at his screen with his reading glasses, his face taking on a fatherly concern as I step into the room.
Despite his incredible AFL legacy as a hard man of the game, Mick Brabham has turned into quite a cute and cuddly older man with his dusting of grey hair and lined eyes. Age suits him well.
“Calloway,” he replies, smiling the smile of the deliverer of bad news. Harrison told me he wasn’t meant to be the one to deliver the news to me last night, so I know I’m not actually supposed to know yet.
I sigh for his benefit. “I’m not playing, am I?”
“No, you’re not,” he replies, steepling his fingers as he peers down at me. “I’ve gone over all your scans with Thornfield and McLean, and we all agree it’s for the best to sit you out this week.”
I nod. “Yeah, okay. I get it,” I agree.
“I’m kind of impressed at how well you’re taking this,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “I admit I expected a few more dramatics.”
I chuckle, fully aware he would have gotten a hell of a lot more dramatics if not for Harrison’s intervention. “Maybe I’m just growing as a person.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Coach nods back. “Harrison wants one more week with you off the football track but the second we get his green light you’ll be back at the top of the roster. Let’s hope for next week.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I agree. Coach holds his hand out to me, and we shake before I leave his office, searching out Harrison in the medic’s office where I left him after we drove in to the club together.
He looks up at my approach as I park myself on the corner of his desk. “How did it go?” he asks, concern in his eyes.
“It was fine,” I sigh. “He even complimented me on my lack of dramatics. Thinks I’m growing as a person.”
Harrison can’t even hide the laugh from his face as he sits back and grins at me. “Yes, absolutely no dramatics in sight. Glad you’re keeping things in perspective.”
“Perspective? Absolutely,” I grin, not able to stop myself from reaching out to poke the dimple out on full display on Harrison’s face. He bats my hand away with a shoo sound, but I know a pretend frown when I see one. Besides, Harrison could never really be mad at me. We’re not like that.
“You going to be okay?” Harrison asks, concern etched on his face. “We can schedule in an extra session this morning while the boys do their Captain’s run.”
“Yeah. That would be great actually,” I say with a sigh.
Harrison just … gets me. He knows how hard it will be for me sitting out on today’s last training session before the team fly out tomorrow.
And I think that kicking a ball with him, even if it is a round soccer ball, will be just the thing to take my mind off everything.
***
I am not expecting the phone call I receive from Coach on Friday evening.
The team are flying down to Melbourne tomorrow morning and I had already made peace with the fact I will not be going.
But Mick asks me to come along on the road trip with the team for moral support and my heart lifts with excitement.
I also get the feeling he maybe wants to show off the Fever’s shiny new prized acquisition, but I don’t care about his motives.
I am desperate to join the team. Harrison will be there as part of the medico team too and I think that was only making matters worse for me, the fact my bestie would not be around to alleviate the pangs of loneliness.
It’s the first time I’ve been back to my home city since I moved up to Sydney and I admit I do feel that little tug on my heart strings as we touch down in Melbourne.
But it’s not as sharp as I thought it would be, and I let my gaze fall on Harrison across the aisle from me and wonder if he has anything to do with that.
There’s something about him that kind of feels like … home.
The bus takes us to our team hotel where I discover another big win in my favour which is that I am rooming with Harrison.
It’s only because I’m not a listed player and probably won’t reoccur again but I smile at my bestie as we’re handed our room keys, and he smiles back at me in a way that could almost be described as a grimace.
But I don’t believe that for one minute.
I’m sure he’s as excited about this as I am.
Harrison has work to do for the team for the next few hours and I know I will just be a bother if I keep hovering around him. So I take the opportunity to jump in an Uber and go and visit my family who I also haven’t seen since I moved to Sydney.
It’s really great seeing them again. Luna and I text each other pretty much every day so I still feel like I’m keeping up with her life. And although I miss them all, Luna especially, I am again struck by the fact that I really am okay with where I’m at with my life right now.
And once again I’m left wondering if that’s all down to Harrison Thornfield and the way he makes me feel.