Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
I’d forgotten how easy it is to talk to Ezra Gentry.
Even when we were teenagers, he had an air of trust about him that made him so easy to get along with.
He’s so intent when he listens, and it makes me feel more seen than I’ve ever been.
There were so many times when I was dating Davis, that I would go to the Gentry’s without him because I needed to escape the chaos of my own house, and Ezra always made an effort to make sure I wasn’t alone.
He always offered to play a card game, watch a movie, or just talk.
That part of him hasn’t changed at all.
I can’t believe he remembered my anxiety surrounding flying. It’s not like we went on a lot of planes together, and I should have grown out of the anxiety by now, but something about being in a big metal box in the sky makes me nervous.
Ezra’s ability to distract me during take-off, and through the little bit of turbulence, made a warm, fuzzy feeling flow through my veins.
I don’t remember the last time someone made an effort like that for me.
The shock of him gripping my hand during the turbulence was enough to make me forget my anxiety for a split second, but once the shock wore off, I realized how nice it was.
I must be more touch starved than I thought.
We did pre-game checks yesterday, and after running through our list one more time together, Dr. Kipp and I head to the sidelines to watch the players stretch.
My eyes are immediately drawn to Ezra, fascinated by the determined expression on his face.
It’s such a stark difference from the warm smile he usually has, and it’s more severe than the focused look he has during practice.
Tensions have been high all week, but they’re even higher now that we’re actually on the pitch.
Everyone wants to win, and knowing the Vegas Miners have had more time to bond, and learn to work as a unit, makes us all anxious.
Our team works well together, but a few months is nothing compared to the years this team has had.
“Nervous, Ms. Brady?” Dr. Kipp asks playfully, nudging my shoulder.
“A little. I want them to win.”
“We all do. But win or lose, I know they’ll give it their all. They’re a good team. Some of the most talented players I’ve had the honor to work with. Gentry especially, is a very good center.”
“He is.” He always has been.
Fury builds in my throat when I think about how he may not be here if he had listened to his parents.
They didn’t necessarily discourage him from chasing his dreams, but they dismissed the thought of him making a career out of the sport he loves.
Even Davis thought Ezra should find something more sensible, but I always knew he could do it.
Look at him now. He’s wearing the jersey of a Major League Rugby team, and he’s the starting inside center. He did it, despite not having his family’s full support when he needed it the most.
He followed his dreams and made them a reality.
I wonder if his parents have ever told him they’re proud of how far he’s come. If any of his family members made plans to come see his first home game, or if he’s spent the last ten years without a single person in the stands, cheering him on.
My gaze is drawn to Ezra again, and sadness pinches my heart when I think about him all alone, playing his hardest without anyone to congratulate him after his wins, or comfort him through his losses.It’s not my place to meddle in his family affairs, especially since I haven’t spoken to any of them in over a decade, but now that Ezra and I have reconnected, I feel a pull to be that person for him.
He deserves unwavering support, and there’s no reason I can’t be his coworker and his friend.
As the whistle blows and the players line up to do the starting coin flip, Ezra looks around until our eyes lock across the pitch, the connection we used to have snapping back in place like no time has passed at all. Some of the nerves about being part of the team dissipate.
This might be exactly where I’m supposed to be.
I offer him an encouraging smile, one he returns brightly before his blue eyes sharpen and his concentrated scowl is back on his face.
The air on the bus is heavy with disappointment as we file on and find our seats. We lost, and even though it was only by a few points, the team is taking it pretty hard.
The ride is nearly silent for the entire twenty-minutes, the only sound coming from the driver’s radio station playing softly over the speaker.
Dr. Kipp scrolls on his phone in the seat beside me, and across the aisle, Coaches James, and Grant whisper in hushed voices, going over plays and what could be improved.
Two rows back and on the opposite side, Ezra sits next to Kendall with his head pressed against the window.
The street lights flash across his face, amplifying the furrow in his brows and the frustration in his eyes.
I’m sure he’s thinking back on every play, every pass, every tackle, to see what he could have done better.
It’s what he would do after every loss when he was younger, and I’m assuming he hasn’t grown out of it.
The team played well, but the other team played slightly better.
In my opinion, the referees made some incorrect calls to the other team’s advantage, but I can’t do anything about that.
When we play the Miners again on our home turf, I have every confidence we’ll beat them.
When we get to the hotel, we pile out of the bus and wait in the lobby as Melanie checks us in. I move over to stand by Ezra, nudging him with my elbow. He looks exhausted when his eyes meet mine, but he offers me a small smile anyway.
“Good game tonight. That catch in the last few minutes of the first half was incredible.”
“Thanks, Sutton.” He blows out a long breath, and I can tell he doesn’t want to accept my compliment.
Before I can say anything else, Melanie starts handing out room keys. “Mr. Gentry and Mr. Fowler, you two will be in room 703. Sutton, you and I will be next door in room 705.”
“You keeping us close to babysit us, Mel?” Kendall asks with a wink.
“No, Mr. Fowler. I would have chosen a different room if I could. I expect you won’t be too loud and bother us?”
“Ah, c’mon, Mel. Z’s pretty, but I don’t swing that way.” Kendall wraps his arm around Ezra’s shoulder. Ezra shoves him off and Kendall pouts. “See what I deal with? Can’t I room with Sutton? She’s so much nicer to me.”
“No,” Melanie deadpans before she turns to me. “I’m having a meeting with Coach and Mr. Solomon to discuss the team’s social media schedule and the gala in May, so I won’t be back for another few hours.”
“Okay. Do you have a bed preference?”
“No. I’ll try to be quiet when I come in.”
“Sounds good.”
“Don’t worry, Mel, if you get our rooms confused, I’ll be sure to let you share my bed with me,” Kendall teases.
Melanie walks away with a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Come on, neighbor, let’s get to our rooms. I don’t know about you, but I’m beat and ready to crash.” Kendall shoulders his bag, then slings his arms round my shoulders.
“Get off of her, Ken Doll.” Ezra shoves his friend again, causing me to stumble. “Shit, I’m sorry, Sutton. Are you okay?” Ezra asks, gripping my elbow to help steady me.
“Wouldn’t have happened if I’d kept my arm around her,” Kendall grouses, crossing his arms.
Ezra scowls at him, then turns his worried gaze back to me.
“I’m fine, Ezra.”
“Yeah, she’s fine. Lighten up, Z.” Kendall pats Ezra on the shoulder before he strides to the elevator. Ezra and I follow suit, shuffling along behind him.
Silas Webster and Corbin Mackey are waiting for the elevator as well, and we all pile in silently when the doors open.
I stand in the back, letting out a small giggle when I can’t see over the players who—all but Silas—tower over me.
Ezra looks down and gives me a questioning face, which makes me nearly laugh harder.
The elevator is probably big enough for seven people, but it feels much smaller with these rugby players taking up all the space.
When we make it to our floor, the men mumble some version of goodnight to each other before heading to their respective rooms. Kendall calls my name as I scan the key on the pad, and when I look up at him, he’s leaning against the wall with a smirk on his face.
“If you have any nightmares, don’t be afraid to come knock on our door. I’ve been told I’m an excellent cuddler.”
A disbelieving laugh bubbles out of me at the look on Ezra’s face. Is there anyone this man won’t flirt with? “Thanks, but I think I’ll be okay.”
He tsks, running his hand through his cropped brown hair. “Just saying. Goodnight, Ms. Brady. Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.” Ezra rolls his eyes and shoves him inside their door as Kendall shouts, “Unless you’re into that!”
“Goodnight, Sutton. See you in the morning.”
“Night, Ezra.”
He looks like he wants to say something else, but decides against it, giving me a small smile before he goes inside, his door clicking shut behind him.
Inside the room, I choose the bed furthest from the door so Melanie won’t have far to go when she comes inside.
I shower, opting not to wash my hair since I don’t have the energy to blowdry it, then do my skin care routine and crawl into bed with my journal.
My phone starts buzzing as soon as I get settled, and I sigh before answering.
“Hey, Ko. Aren’t you supposed to be working?”
“I’m on my break. I wanted to see how the game went. Did they win?”
“No,” I mumble, flopping back against the pillows. “But they played a good game. I’m sure when we play them again we’ll win.”
“That’s a bummer. Did you do okay on the plane? I know how worried you were.”
“It was scary, but…” Ezra held my hand and it made it a little less scary.
“Sut-TON,” Ko snaps.
“Sorry, what?”
“You must be super exhausted. I said your name like ten times. You said the plane was scary, then trailed off.”
“Oh, sorry. Yeah, it was scary, but Ezra helped distract me. He also remembered my fear of flying, and offered to let me sit in the aisle.”
“Awe, that’s so sweet.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t prepared for him to remember that, or care. Hell, Jace never seemed to care about my phobias and we were together for years.”
“Yeah, because he’s an asshole. Speaking of, though…”
I sit up, my heart racing. “What?”
Dakota lets out a long breath. “He came into the bar tonight.”
“What?”
Why the hell is he up here? He only ever goes north for an annual developer’s conference and that’s usually in the summer.
“Right?! He came looking for information about you. I didn’t give him any, I swear. In fact, I told him he could go fuck himself, and my manager told me to take fifteen so I wouldn’t cause a scene.”
A smile twitches my lips. Dakota is small, but mighty. Being a mom has left her with zero fucks to give. I love her all the more for her protective instincts.
“Ko, don’t get fired for me.”
“I won’t, I swear. You know my manager wouldn’t know what to do without me.”
“Did he say anything else? Or why he wants to know where I am?”
“Ugh, the usual bullshit. He said he wants to reconcile and try again. Apparently he’s been texting and calling you, and you haven’t answered.”
“Yeah, because I blocked him.”
“That’s my girl.”
“Fresh start or whatever.”
“Absolutely–Shit, I have to get back. S, promise me you won’t get back with that soggy waffle of a man.”
A laugh bursts out of me at her pretty accurate description. “I promise, Ko. He’s in the past. It’s time to start thinking about the future.”
“Yes. Future. Like a hot rugby player who will throw you over his shoulder and fuck you six ways to Sunday.”
“Ko! I’m not–”
“Okay, call me tomorrow, love you bye!” Dakota hangs up before I can tell her I’m not going to fuck a player on my team.
Maybe on another team?
No.
I need to spend time with myself, doing things for me, and figuring out what I want in life before I start dating again.