3. Chapter 3
Saint
It's a conditioning day for the team. I'm doing sprints, which serves me well today. When I'm running, I have less of a chance to talk to people. It lets me keep thinking of Ames non-stop.
She broke up with Aidan. She's moved in with me— temporarily. That's all I know, and it's enough to make my heart strain.
Fuck, the pain on her face. The barely-subdued anger.
I run until my lungs feel like they might explode from the effort. One of the trainers insists I need to take a break, and I sit on the grass to recover.
Evie appears through the large glass doors out of the building, and waits at the edge of the field.
I'm about to stand and go to her, just in case she's here to tell me Ames texted and something is amiss, but she calls Logan.
Their conversation looks serious, so I make myself wait.
A few minutes later, the quarterback gives her a quick kiss, turns, and runs to me. I meet him half way.
His frown is severe. "Evie wants to talk with you. It's going to be rough, but it's going to be okay in the end."
"Is Ames okay? "
"As far as I know. But this— we'll talk about this later."
My stomach turns into a knot.
"I thought you'd want to know what's going on," Logan adds, "but if I was mistaken, you can berate me later."
"Cryptic much?" I add a smile to soften the question.
Logan slaps my shoulder and goes back to training. I jog to Evie.
"What's up?" I ask.
Worry mars her brow. It's not quite the killer frown her boyfriend typically sports but, with all the time they spend together, maybe she has started to adopt some of his quirks.
She purses her lips. "I heard something in the front office. It's not good. Can you come find me after training?"
"You have to tell me what it's about or my concentration is shot." I smile because my dimples will help convince her.
"I think they're talking about trading you, Saint. I'm so sorry."
All sweat from sprinting cools down at once. I freeze. My smile falters.
"It's about the salary cap and other stuff," she adds. "I'll tell you more later."
I'm glad she doesn't try to explain, because the way blood rushes in my ears, I can barely make sense of what she says.
I take a few deep breaths.
"Is it certain?" Is all I think to ask.
I swallow through the vise taking hold of my throat. I can't get traded. This team means everything to me.
Now I'm as serious as her. Football is what I'm best at. I could do it elsewhere, too, but I wouldn't find friends like this in another town. Or fans that stayed with me through difficult times, and a beautiful city to make my home.
These are my people. They are the ones who know who I am, even when I can't see it clearly. Finding people to be so effortlessly close to is a miracle, and not one I take for granted .
"I don't think so." Evie puts a hand on my arm. "From what I hear, they're watching you but have not decided. I put some subtle feelers out. I'll tell you everything after training— I almost didn't want to say anything, but Logan thought you'd want to know."
The Strike has never been as strong as this year. We've won every game this season. We're playing as one. Winning the biggest game in the sport for the first time in history is within our reach.
I'm a really good player, but even so I don't really have a say in what happens in the front office. All we hear gets filtered through friends like Evie, our agents, and the general rumor mill. I don't know where this thought of a trade is coming from, but one thing is sure. This is awful news.
I sigh. "He was right. Thanks, Evie. I'll go to your office afterwards." I shake my head. "Any word from Ames?"
"She texted me and said she's doing okay. I'll keep an eye on her for you, too."
"Thank you. You're the best. Talk later."
I give her a quick hug and go back to training, so I can think some more.
This is the year I get what everyone in this industry dreams of. It's when I get to look at my friends at the end of the season and say we managed what seemed impossible three years ago. I'll get to look at my parents and my little sisters and thank them for believing in me all these years.
Getting traded would ruin everything. I can't let all this work go down the drain. I have to up my chances of staying. A ring and something just as big. Going for the MVP isn't out of the question. I knew I was already in the conversation for that.
Having to leave the people I care the most about is my personal nightmare. And just as Ames lands in my condo single for the first time in years, the team's front office has served me a bitter meal.