Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
~AUGUST~
“August?” Nancy says, peeking her head into my office. “You may want to head back into the conference room that you were in earlier with your father. There are a few more inhabitants in that room now. Some of them want to speak with you.”
“What?” I ask her, confused. “When I left that room, it was only Drew and my father. They were going to come up with some kind of solution for Drew running the team. Now who is there?”
She sighs. “Now you have all the coaches in that room with Maxwell and Drew. They are talking about the fact that you are dating Hendrix. I think it might be a good idea for you to go see what is happening in there.”
I nod and rise. “Thank you, Nancy.”
I head toward the conference room and from what I can hear on my way there, it’s not a heated discussion right now.
No one is screaming into the hallway. I reach the room and see that they are all just sitting around the wide oak table, relaxing in the black leather chairs that I had chosen for the room.
I wish we used it more; it is a comfy room. But right now, entering this room looks anything but comfortable.
“Did someone forget to invite me to the party?” I ask as I enter, trying to bring the mood up.
But I can see from the tense expression on Coach Watts’ face that this is anything but a good party.
“August, I thought that you insisted these relationships with the team and the staff had come to a close.” He glances at Jase and then back in my direction. “But I understand that that is not what is happening right now. You are now dating my goalie.”
I see Jase tense at the mention of Hendrix.
I just nod in confirmation. There is nothing more to say to it.
My father outed us on the practice field for the whole organization to hear.
I had to reach out to Cindy to make sure that no one from the press had heard what he said.
Asked her to make sure that no one is gossiping about us and if we could get ahead of it.
“I am, Nate. I apologize but I knew your goalie in a past life,” I tell him.
“She told me the story today,” he replies, nodding. “I had no idea. Did you know when you recruited her to the Blaze? Did you remember her?”
I shake my head. “I wasn’t the one who recruited her to the team. That was all of my father’s doing,” I say, pointing down at him.
“I didn’t honestly remember the girl. She was just a first round pick out of UNC, and we needed her,” Dad says, shrugging his shoulders like it’s of no consequence to him or that he didn’t cause this mess.
“She was a solid choice,” Jase chimes in.
I nod. “She is. I think she’s more than proven herself here, so why are we talking about all of this?”
Nate sighs and stares at me. “Are you really staying with the Blaze?”
I look down the table at my brother and father. “Have we reached a decision there, gentlemen?”
Drew frowns and pinches the bridge of his nose. “We’re working on it.”
“I’m not leaving,” I say plainly. “I told the press that I would be staying and I meant that. I told the team that I would not be leaving them and I meant that too.”
I level my father with a glare and wait for him to challenge me in this room in front of all of these people. I see Andie shift in her seat uncomfortably.
“I think that you should. He’s good for the team, Mr. Cromwell,” Nate tells him. “I think that the girls respect him. And more importantly, he’s one of the more involved owners that I have worked with.”
“Are you sure that’s not so that he can spend more time with Hendrix?” My dad asks him, glaring at me as well.
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s it. She hated him when she first got here,” Jase tells him.
“Why didn’t she keep on hating you then, son? What changed?” my dad asks me.
I shrug. “What can I say, I’m charming. Now what are we all doing here?
Are you working on some kind of punishment for her?
Because she hasn’t earned that. And she doesn’t deserve that.
So, if you would like to punish anyone, you will punish me.
But it will not be by removing me from this organization.
Dad, I’m good at working with this team.
And I know that you want the best for the organization.
And that is all I ever wanted too.” I stare him down for a minute. “So, are we punishing her?”
Jase shakes his head. “I have no plan on doing anything like that.”
“How can you, you hang out with all of them?” Nate says with a shake of his head.
“I get that everyone is super close in your friend group.” He looks from Jase to me.
“But there are some professional lines that need to be kept in place. And you need to make sure everything is kept above bar when we are here at work. Also, the other girls on the team, should they want to drink with you, should be given the same opportunity, got it?”
I nod. “Of course, we’ve never turned anyone away. It’s just full of those that the girls have formed a bond with. Not saying they can’t make more friends.”
Dad stares at each of us, a stern expression on his face, his tired eyes showing exhaustion from the day’s events.
“I don’t like being brought here to the Blaze and having my hand forced.
That is not something that is going to happen again.
I haven’t decided whether or not we will be doing a retraction on August’s statement yet.
I can tell you that I get that you all like working with my son, but that doesn’t mean that you get to keep him. ”
Jase pounds his fist on the table. “And money doesn’t mean that you get to do whatever you want with your kids’ lives. Let them have some say on what is happening. I mean, damn it, Mr. Cromwell, why can’t you just let him be an adult.”
I grin. I knew that I liked Jase. He’s standing up for me when it matters.
“Don’t you scream at me. If your friend hadn’t forced my hand like this, then we wouldn’t be in this position, now would we?
” He shakes his head and looks at me. “No one is trying to punish your friend, August.” I don’t miss the disdain in his tone when he calls Hendrix a friend.
“But they all came into this room to figure out what is happening. I didn’t call this meeting. ”
I nod. “I appreciate it, guys. Please give us the room,” I say, looking from Andie to Nate, then to Jase.
They stand and leave. Nate pats my shoulder on his way out. I nod at him before turning my attention back to my dad and Drew.
A stack of papers sits in front of my dad. I’m not sure what he’s working on, but I have a feeling it’s some type of contract that he’s looking for me to sign.
He taps the folder once. “We’re done pretending that this is a discussion. You’re joining the new team.”
I don’t move. “No. I’m not. I told you that already and I told the media that too.”
His eyes narrow at me. “You don’t have a choice.”
“I do,” I reply. “And I’m making it.”
“You are wasting your potential with the Blaze and by being with that girl. You are throwing away everything that I have built for you,” he says coolly.
I don’t blink. “You built a cage for me. I’m choosing not to live in it anymore. Drew will do a fine job.”
Drew exhales quietly and I see him shake his head. “Are you really so worried that I won’t be successful, Dad? Or are you just so focused on punishing August for doing something that you don’t like and not following orders?”
Dad just opens the folder and pretends like Drew hadn’t even spoken. “This is the future. Your future. You should really sign this contract. You will leave this team, and you will stop letting that girl—”
“Don’t.” My voice is like steel. “Don’t bring her into this.”
Dad opens his mouth to say something but just closes it.
I continue, my tone calm but lethal. “This isn’t about Hendrix.
This is about you trying to control me again.
You will not punish her because you have no say on that field.
That’s all for Watts to handle. You will not punish me and try and keep me from her.
You will let Drew try his hand at doing something of his own for a change.
Do you not think that he can do it? Because right now the way you are treating him about this is making it look like he is not good enough.
We both know that he’s more qualified than I am. Why are you so focused on me?”
His jaw tightens. “I’m trying to save you from mediocrity.”
“No, you are trying to save your own ego and keep me under your thumb.”
Dad stands abruptly. “You are not staying with the Blaze.”
“Yes,” I say, rising to meet him, “I am.”
“You are the face of this new franchise. I already announced it,” he reminds me.
“Well, I think we unannounced it,” Drew says, shaking his head, annoyance heavy in his tone.
I grin at my brother. “Drew is. He deserves it far more than I do. So please stop punishing me and let him do it.”
Dad blinks. “What?”
Drew straightens, sliding a neatly prepared folder across the table. “I want the job. I’m qualified for the job. I’ve already spoken to the right people.”
Dad stares back at Drew. “You went behind my back.”
“No, we went around you,” Drew says, grinning.
I fold my arms. “You’ve spent my whole life trying to force me into a life that you want for me. Not the life that I want for myself. Meanwhile, Drew has been doing the work you never bothered to see.”
Dad sputters, “He doesn’t have the profile that you do.”
“No, he doesn’t like the media attention like I do. But he has the brains. He has the vision and he actually wants the job,” I say snidely.
Drew adds, his voice steady, “And unlike you, I don’t see players as assets. I see them as people.”
Dad looks down at the paper that are in front of him and declares. “You’re both making a huge mistake.”
“No,” I reply. “We’re finally making a choice.”
I move around the table so that I’m closer to him. When I speak I lower my voice so that there is no mistaking the finality in my tone. “I’m staying with the Blaze. That’s not up for discussion anymore. And Drew is taking the job that you tried to force on me.”
Maxwell just shakes his head at both of us. “You’re ruining everything.”
I shake my head. “No, I’m fixing it. And I’m giving Drew the chance that he has more than earned.”
I move towards the door, Drew rising and coming with me.
Behind us, I hear Dad’s voice crack, “August—” But no words follow.
I pause and place my hand on the door, but I don’t turn around.
“You don’t get to run my life anymore,” I tell him. “And you don’t get to hurt the people I care about to get what you want.” I wait a beat to make sure that he’s really listening to me. “You can either accept that or lose both of your sons.”
Dad doesn’t answer. I don’t think I’ve ever rendered him speechless before.
I open the door and Drew follows alongside of me.
“That was fun,” Drew says from behind me. “I think we actually did it. Kept you with the Blaze and I get to start working on my own team. I’m really excited.”
I turn and clap him on the back. “You have more than earned it.”
For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m walking towards a future that is actually mine.
Before I leave the office later that night, I shoot Hendrix a text.
August: Meet me at the Backwoods. I want to see you.