Ryland
“Yeah?” I answered when I hit the hallway heading upstairs. Coach was the last person I felt like talking to but I couldn’t avoid the obvious.
“You didn’t respond to my text.”
“What the hell was I supposed to say?”
I snorted. “Exit interviews are for returning players. According to the owners, that’s not me.”
“You’re a Shark and that’s not changing until someone tells me otherwise. Make sure you have your ass here tomorrow at nine-fifteen. If you don’t show, I will be at your house dragging you back to the stadium. Understood?”
I smirked because Coach had his moments, but when it came to certain things, he did not fucking play. Apparently this was one of those moments.
My career being uncertain was pissing me off but I couldn’t be upset with Coach. The decision wasn’t on him and there was no way he wasn’t fighting for me in every way he could. I owed him an apology but that would be delivered in person tomorrow when I made it to the facility.
“I’ll be there.”
“Alright, see you in the morning, Parks.”
After I ended the call, I dropped my phone into my pocket and climbed the stairs, heading up to my sister’s room.
What happened today fucked me up. I couldn’t control other people’s actions but I could control mine.
My instincts were to shield and protect.
That ignorant ass woman was out of line and raising her child to be just as ignorant.
I understood not fighting Rylee’s battles—because she would have to learn to do so on her own—but knowing didn’t make me any less angry that there would be a need.
Somee was right about one thing. I would learn how to show up for Rylee. I planned on doing everything in my power to make sure Rylee’s world was happy and complete. Although there would be a time when I didn’t need Somee here, I damn sure wanted her here.
Partially for Rylee because their bond was important.
I would never discount the value of Somee in Rylee’s life but the other reason was strictly selfish.
I wanted her here for me. Never in my life had I met a woman who had me thinking beyond the nut she could deliver.
Somee in my home had me toying with the idea of what life would look like if her time in Crescent Falls wasn’t temporary.
That was an entire problem because what the hell was I supposed to do with that.
She had a life in Chicago that didn’t include me. I had a life here that was potentially changing, which meant I didn’t have a damn clue what my future would be.
Once I made it to Rylee’s room, I walked inside and found her sitting in the bean bag with a tablet in hand. The sight made me smile because she damn sure wasn’t kidding when she said the chair was her favorite. She lived on that thing.
I crossed the room and sat on the floor in front of her. She looked up and smiled. My heart settled knowing she was in a good place after what happened but I wanted to make sure.
“What are you coloring?” I signed and she turned the tablet so I could see the screen. There was a huge flower in the center with miniature ones surrounding it.
“That’s pretty.”
She beamed. “Thank you.”
“You know when people are mean to you it’s about them not you?”
Her brows furrowed and she placed the tablet in her lap before she responded. “I know, Somee told me.”
Of course she did. I loved that she always had Rylee’s back.
“I was upset because I don’t like when people are mean.”
And I wanted to knock that woman on her ass for being an ignorant dumb fuck who was cruel to you.
“Are people mean to you?”
I nodded. “Sometimes.”
“When?” Her brows pinched again.
“When I have a bad game and don’t play well.” I figured that was the best, kid-friendly example.
She smiled this time when her hands were moving. “You play good. Marlee said you made Somee mad because you’re a good player and Somee didn’t like that because she wanted the Tigers to win.”
I laughed at that. “I have bad games sometimes, and because people want my team to win, they say mean things.”
She frowned. “Does it make you sad?”
It makes me want to pull up and knock their teeth down their throats…
“No, it doesn’t make me sad because I know who I am and I’m proud of who I am. What they think doesn’t matter.”
I never wanted her to second guess or feel bad because people were ignorant and cruel. It would happen. I couldn’t control the actions of everyone she would come in contact with, but I would always be there to remind her that she was so fucking perfect.
“Then I won’t let it make me sad.” She squared her little shoulders while she signed, offering me a confident look while lifting her chin.
“Good because their words don’t matter. Only what you think, feel, and believe. You’re perfect, Rylee. No matter what, you keep that in here and here.” I tapped my chest then my temple.
She smiled big. “Okay.”
“You ready for school tomorrow?”
She nodded wildly.
“It’s going to be so much fun.”
I pretended to be sad. “You’re leaving me. Who am I going to color with?”
“You have Somee. She’s fun too but not as fun as me.”
I smirked. God, this kid believed Somee hung the moon and the stars.
“You can color with her after you take me to school.”
“You want me to take you to school?”
She grinned. “Yes, but Somee can come too.”
My fucking heart melted. She wanted me to take her to school.
“I guess she can tag along with the cool kids,” I signed and a smile blossomed on her face, exposing her missing teeth which were just starting to grow in.
“I’m a cool kid?”
“You are. The coolest.” I winked and she slipped off the bean bag, threw her arms around me, and my fucking heart melted again.
“That was quick,” Somee signed after I dropped down on the sofa next to her.
She was seated in the center with her legs folded and crossed at the ankles.
I made sure I was close enough so her knee pressed against my thigh.
I’d wanted to be next to Somee all day. Now that Rylee was asleep and I was sure there wouldn’t be any interruption for her to misinterpret me being close, I planned to fully indulge in the opportunity.
“She’s excited about school. Had a million and one questions and skipped TV because it meant morning would come faster if she went to sleep.” I grinned when I dropped my hands.
“Now I have to find something to do to keep me occupied while she is at school,” Somee signed.
“You’re gonna kick it with me.”
“You don’t have to waste your day babysitting. I’ll find something to do. Lord knows this house is big enough to keep me occupied.”
“I’m not babysitting. I’m spending time with you. Two very different things.”
“Well, you don’t have to feel obliged to do that either. I’ll be fine.”
“Damn, so you’re really going to shoot me down like that?”
She arched a brow. “Shoot you down?”
“Yeah. I’m putting in an application for your time and you’re doing everything but approving my request.” I smiled lazily and those pretty browns of hers rolled.
“Don’t you have football stuff to do?”
“I have my exit interview tomorrow morning. That will take a couple hours then I have to clear out my locker and I’m done.”
I wouldn’t add that I potentially might be getting official word from management that this was my last season with the Sharks. I didn’t want to ruin the mood. I also had no interest in talking about how unsure my future as a Shark currently was. Sometimes ignorance was fucking bliss.
“Exit interview?” She frowned, turning her eyes on me. “What’s that?”
“I thought you were serious about your sports,” I teased. No matter how much of a fan a person was, that didn’t mean they understood the business side of things. Even the most dedicated fans only knew about drafts, trades, seasons, and player stats.
“I am, which is how I know that the few times I’ve seen you play, you have the tendency to come off the line a little too quickly. You should work on that because the defense has learned to read you.”
“Damn, just fuck my feelings.”
She shrugged. “They pay you enough to make sure you come off the line with better timing. Work on it.”
I was highly amused but agreed. “Aight, I’ll do that,” I responded before I explained further.
“Exit interviews are where we meet with the coach, training staff, and GM to discuss the season and go over their expectations for next season. If you have injuries, they work out a postseason plan, and if you don’t, they discuss postseason training schedules.
For the most part, it’s really all about deciding whether or not you earned your salary for the year. ”
“Did you?” she asked with amusement glinting in her eyes.
“Far as I’m concerned, yeah, but it’s not up to me. My opinion isn’t the one that matters.”
She toyed with the corner of her lip, staring at me before her hands were moving, hesitantly. “Are you worried about what they’ll say?”
My first instinct was to lie and say no, but I decided to be honest because I felt like I could be.
“I’ve only ever been a Shark. I don’t know that I could do this wearing another jersey in another city and that’s saying a lot because football is my whole fucking life. It’s who I am, it’s all I know, but suiting up for another team just doesn’t feel right.”
“You would quit?”
I wasn’t prepared to admit quitting would be the only other alternative, so I decided on another response. “I can’t drag Rylee from city to city just because I fucked up. That’s not fair to her.”
“It might not be fair and it might not be what you want but it could be your only option.”
“And then what, you’ll use it against me so you can keep her with you.” I glanced at Somee and she frowned with her hands moving fast.
“Why do you think I’m against Rylee being with you?”
“Because you’ve been against this since the day we met.”
“I didn’t know you,” she signed angrily. “And honestly, it wasn’t about you. It could have been God Himself showing up to demand custody. I would have reacted the same. She’s been through a lot and deserves to be with someone who will put her first.”
“I am.”