Chapter 4
Rowan
I hurried home after my meeting with the coach.
Normally, I would stick around the stadium and do homework while I waited for Evan to be done with what he needed to do.
I rented a room from him, and also bummed rides off him or the other guys to and from the arena.
That way I saved money. I couldn’t afford a car, plus any car I could afford would look terrible parked in the driveway of his mega mansion or in the staff lot of the arena.
Actually, Evan’s house wasn’t that big. It was pretty modest considering the wealth he had.
It felt like a mega mansion to me, when I was used to loft apartments with barely any room to turn around.
He had been playing in the league for eight years now.
He lived in a gated community where many of the other players also lived.
It was quiet and the homes were newer. Before meeting Evan, the nicest place I’d ever lived was my dorm room for the few short weeks I was there.
I was just lucky that he allowed me to live there.
I had been reluctant at first, but Evan was like a brother to me, and he gave me all the space I needed.
The room I lived in was in the basement.
Just outside it was a walkout patio, so at least I had easy access to the outside, plenty of light, all the privacy I could ever need, which came in useful when I went into heat during the off season.
When that happened, Evan would leave the house for the week.
During the season, I was on such a heavy dose of suppressants that coming into heat was a near impossibility. It did happen to some of the omegas, and the league had precautions in place for it. Not enough precautions, in my opinion, but it was better than nothing.
The Uber dropped me off outside the gated area.
I couldn’t let them in, so instead, I walked the short distance back to Evan’s house.
I punched the code into the number pad and pushed my way inside.
The place shouldn’t have felt so much like home to me, but it did.
Staying here was only supposed to be a temporary solution, yet there was no end in sight.
I paced around the living room, unsure of what to do next.
If Coach went to the general manager and HR, I would be fired for sure.
He might’ve been new to the organization, but we had paid a lot of money for him to be there.
A lot was riding on the success of the team this season, and I was just the mascot.
Hell, if I was fired, they wouldn’t even have to announce it.
They would just put another person in my costume.
The whole point was that no one knew who I was.
All they cared was that Benny the Badger skated around and had fun.
Losing my job meant I would have to move.
No way would I find something that would pay as much so that I could afford to rent from Evan anymore.
Of course, Evan would probably let me live here for free, but there was no way I was going to let that happen.
Reid Garrison thought I was sleeping my way through life anyway; if he found out I lived with one of the players, he’d never believe it was purely platonic.
Evan wouldn’t kick me out. I just couldn’t live here for free, though. Fuck, if Coach ever found out I lived here for so cheap, he’d accuse me of being as sl—
I couldn’t let myself think the words.
I had been exactly that all those years ago when I tried to get the coach to give me a spot on the team in exchange for… what had I been willing to offer? My memories of the whole day were hazy.
Embarrassment flooded my cheeks, and I cringed just thinking about how I’d approached Coach like I was some irresistible omega.
I didn’t realize how long I had been pacing until the door clicked open and Evan walked in. He hung his jacket on the hook, along with his keys. His gear bag was still slung over his shoulder.
“How come you didn’t wait for me? Were you in a rush to get home?” he asked.
“Sort of,” I said.
“Is everything all right?” He eyed me carefully, like one might approach a wild animal. “You aren’t going into heat, are you?”
I shook my head. “No, nothing like that.”
He set his bag down on the table, the slight stink of the locker room wafting into the otherwise pristine space. He must have really wondered about me, because usually he took his stuff directly to the laundry room.
“Did the new coach say something to you? He seems like a good guy, but if he’s not going to be cool around the omegas on the team, then we need to let someone know soon.
I know the league isn’t perfect, but the team and I will stand behind you.
We have Elliot and Phoenix to look out for, too,” he said, naming the other two omegas on the team.
Elliot was a center, and Phoenix was goalie.
I loved that he considered me part of the team.
“No, it’s not that.” I shook my head. “I just—” I sat down on the couch and buried my head in my hands. Evan came to my side, putting a hand on my shoulder.
“What is it? Whatever it is, I’m here for you.”
Fuck. This was all going to come out eventually. If Coach was going to have me fired, I at least wanted Evan, my closest friend, to hear the real story form me. The other guys on the team were my friends also, but I was closest with Evan.
“You know I went to college for like, half a minute about five years ago?”
“Yeah. You told me once that you tried out for the college team and didn’t make it.”
I winced. “Yeah, there’s a little more to it.
God, I was so dumb.” I leaned back, letting my head rest on the back of the couch, and I stared at the ceiling.
Shame filled me at my actions. All those years ago I’d been desperate and stupid.
I’d been lucky then not to pay the price any more than I actually had. Now my actions were catching up to me.
I spilled everything. I told Evan all about how I had gone to Coach’s office, tried to finagle my way onto the team. I don’t know why I thought it would work. I was so dumb. I thought I was irresistible.
Evan’s stared at me thoughtfully. He put a gentle hand on my knee. “I understand where you were coming from. We all do silly things when we’re younger. He can’t hold that against you now. It’s been five years. He doesn’t even know anything about you.”
“I know. I know. But short of begging him to let me keep my job, I don’t know what my options are. I mean, if I go to him and beg now, it’ll be exactly what I was doing five years ago.”
Evan shook his head. “You deserve this job. You’ve earned it. And you wouldn’t be throwing yourself at him.”
“No, of course not.” Though I would admit that idea sounded appealing, not because I wanted something from Coach, but because he was an attractive alpha. I had thought so all those years ago, and I thought so now.
“Maybe we should both go talk to him? You’ll have a witness this time. You can explain. Does he even know about your family and why you needed to stay in school all those years go?”
“No, I never explained,” I said. “I don’t want to make things awkward for you. He’s your coach. I don’t want you to think any differently about him. He’s not the one in the wrong here.”
“He’s very much in the wrong for pulling you into his office like that. If he had concerns, he should have gone to the general manager and talked with all three of you present. You were right to leave when you did, Rowan. From now on, you can’t be alone with him.”
“Thank you. Let’s just see what happens. I told him we could discuss it with HR. Maybe he’ll go to them. I’ll just have to wait and see, I guess.”
Evan nodded. “All right, I respect that, but don’t be alone with him again. Not all alphas are—”
“Yes, I know,” I said. “Thank you, Evan. I really appreciate it.”
“We’ve got your back, Ro. You’re part of the team.”
Fuck, those words tugged at my heart and made it hard to breathe. I couldn’t lose this. These guys were the best thing that ever happened to me.